If you would like to help further prevent child abuse, you can donate to an organization dedicated to prevention. http://childabuseprevention.org/ will take you to an example of one of these organizations. Or, you can volunteer for a child abuse prevention organization or raise money. For further information on this, you can visit http://www.brightfutures4kids.org/. If you do not have the money or the time to give, you can help by:
1) Understanding that abuse is very common and that it can include emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse.
2) Knowing the signs of child abuse, which, according to http://www.helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm, include:
Emotional Abuse
Withdrawn, anxious, or fearful
Extreme in their behavior
Acts really adult or really immature
Physical Abuse
Has frequent unexplained injuries
Is always alert
Flinches at sudden movements, doesn't want to go home
Wears clothing that covers injuries
Neglect
Constantly bad hygiene, dirty clothing
Untreated illness and injuries
Often unsupervised or left alone
Often missing or late from school
Sexual Abuse
Has trouble walking or sitting
Is using seductive behavior, or has knowledge or curiosity towards sexual acts inappropriate for age
Makes an effort to avoid a specific person for no obvious reason
Has an STD or is pregnant at a young age, or doesn't want to change in front of others
Runs away from home
*Again, all of the above information relating to the signs of abuse was found at http://www.helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm, which I encourage you to take a look at.
3) If you see any warning signs in a child, report it. Calling is anonymous, so you can call The Childhelp Nation Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD.
4) Know that people may become abusive for a variety of reasons. According to http://sfcapc.org/press_room/information_about_child_abuse_and_prevention?gclid=CMH41Jrs27QCFQpgMgodigYAnA, these reasons may include:
When At Home
Social isolation
Poverty, unemployment, lack of education
Family violence or disorganization
Poor parent-child relationships and negative interactions
The Parent or Caregiver
Stress
Mental health conditions
Lack of parenting skills
History of abuse in the family
Substance abuse
Being a young, single, or non-biological parent
Thoughts and emotions supporting maltreatment behaviors
*Again, all of the above information pertaining to what may push someone to be abusive towards children was found at http://sfcapc.org/press_room/information_about_child_abuse_and_prevention?gclid=CMH41Jrs27QCFQpgMgodigYAnA, which I encourage you to take a look at.
-Controlling as many of the above factors that contribute to child abuse as possible will help you prevent child abuse in your home.
5) Also according to the above website, raising public awareness about this issue may help prevention. Child abuse prevention programs, such as parent education classes, home visitation, etc., will, in the long run, cost less than what it would cause to fix child abuse.
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