April is nationally recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month....Like most things that have been linked to an "awareness ribbon", I wonder why child abuse prevention has been relegated to just one month out of 12. Shouldn't we do our part to prevent our youngest friends, family members, neighbors, & even strangers, from abuse every day? I think so. But child abuse isn't something people like to think or talk about, much less acknowledge that it occurs on an all too regular basis. I suppose this would be the reason we have a designated month to bring this gigantic problem to the forefront: to raise awareness & hopefully change mindsets to realize the children in our lives are OUR responsibility.
I have worked in environments most of my adult life where I have witnessed the tragic effects abuse has on young children. One would think after 10+ years I have developed a thicker skin or hardened my heart against the things I have seen; nothing could be further from the truth. Names may have escaped my memory, but the children's stories & the tolls taken on their young lives have not. I have been hit, kicked, spit on, & scratched by children who know only these actions as appropriate ways to respond to another person. I have been called countless names, including "stupid bitch", "fucker", & recently, "shithole" by children who have probably heard these words far more than their own name. I have witnessed children become out of control & nearly impossible to calm down during a simple nap time at school because laying down to sleep means, to them, someone is going to come & sexually assault me so I have to stay awake. I have met children who have no idea how to feel or handle their emotions because they have been neglected by those who are supposed to care for them. A gentle hug or pat on the back might send them into a sensory overloaded tailspin because they rarely receive physical contact. Sometimes children are not the direct target of the abuse, but they witness someone else being abused. Witnessing abuse can be just as devastating to a child as actually being abused. Children may have nightmares or develop physical symptoms such as stomach & head aches as a result of any of these assaults on their little lives. Their behavior almost certainly may change. A child may begin wetting the bed at night or become overly clingy or aggressive.
Children simply have to live within the situation in which they are put. Most of the time children have no say in what goes on in their lives. It is our responsibility as teachers, neighbors, family members, friends, & even the person passing by to do what we can to protect our children. If you witness a child being abused or a child discloses to you he/she is being hurt by someone, or even if you have a suspicion you MUST REPORT. Every state has a hotline number you can call to report child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. I urge you, I am pleading with you to find this number in your area & keep it with you. I pray you will NEVER have to use it, but you may potentially save a child's life by making one call.
