Government Action

       Aside from the programs that have already been set up for prevention and helping those who have suffered through abuse, there are still things that government can do to take action on child abuse. One of these could be to make a law that anyone who is expecting to have a child is required to take parenting classes. Included in these classes would be strategies to use when feelings of anger arise, how to take care of your child so they are not neglected, and other courses that could help prevent all types of child abuse. Also included in the course would be how to ensure the child's safety and how to determine whether or not a person can be fully trusted with their children. The classes could be long, as in a week or two, or they could be short, as in a day or two. But either way, the future parent(s)/ guardian(s) would be required to pass a test at the end of the course that ensures they understand how to care for a child. Also, they would have to pass a mental health examination, and if they had any prior mental issues, they would have to receive counseling until  it was further determined on whether or not they are mentally ready to have a child. If they are, they can have their child. If they fail to take this class, pass the test, or pass the mental health examination, they would not be allowed to have their child until they could do so. They could see them, but they could not care for them. Also, they would have to pay a fee for the class and the mental examination. Lastly, they would have to make a minimum amount of money a year to ensure that they could afford a child. If a test is failed, there would be a period of time before they could take it again.

      Once a parent/ guardian has passed all of these tests and has their child, there could be a social worker that regularly checks up on the family to be sure that everything is going well. Once every six months or somewhere along those lines would be reasonable. Of course, this social worker would know the signs of child abuse really well and s/he would also know domestic violence signs, which would hopefully help keep the children out of danger, as well. If, after a few years, the social worker decides that the parent(s)/guardian(s) are treating their children correctly, then the check ups would be less frequent. If they suspected anything, they would report it and investigate it further. If it was determined that the parent(s)/ guardian(s) are not fit to raise a child, then the child would be placed in foster care, go live with a relative, or be placed somewhere similar to this. Although this would be tough on the child, it would probably beat getting abused. Lastly, the parent(s)/ guardian(s) would be prosecuted immediately for child abuse, domestic violence, or whatever else the child may have been taken away for.
        Similar to random drug tests, the government could (along with the classes and regular check ups) perform random check ups. The public would know that random check ups happen, but they wouldn't know who would get them or when, so it may encourage them to take better care of their kids.The biggest issue with my suggestion would probably be money. How can we pay for all of this? I guess the answer is via taxes. Although many would rather not pay more taxes, statistics show that it would actually cost the community 19 times less to prevent child abuse rather than have to pay to help them recover (found at http://sfcapc.org/press_room/information_about_child_abuse_and_prevention?gclid=CMH41Jrs27QCFQpgMgodigYAnA).

   

More on Preventing Child Abuse

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.

Making a Change by Raising Awareness

The Child Prevention Symbol

             If you can't read the shirt, it says "It shouldn't hurt to be a child." It's not my saying, but it was a nice phrase I found on Google. 

Also, on the back of the shirt, there would be a small child prevention symbol right below the neck.

By the way, I made this on http://www.uberprints.com/?gclid=CN76ksTErLQCFao7MgodA1oA4g. You can make T-Shirts on this website and order them for yourself or others. You can make your own saying about child abuse and help me prevent it, or you can make a T-Shirt with a cat on it for your grandma's birthday. Either way, I don't really care. I  encourage you more than anything to simply keep an eye out for children you may suspect are being abused. Additional information about prevention will be posted later.

Child abuse prevention wrist bands you can buy at 

http://pcapastore.paaap.org/products-1/blue-wrist-bands.html

Sylvia Likens, an Example of Child Abuse

This film is definitely depressing, but it's based on the actual case of Baniszewski v. the state of Indianapolis regarding the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens, a sixteen year old girl who was staying with Baniszewski and her kids at the time. The other children and the neighborhood kids were also involved in torturing her. One boy branded into her stomach the words "I am a prostitute, and proud of it." Others sprayed her down with a hose, tied her up, burned her, and tortured her in many other ways. It's a very sad, extreme story, but I thought it conveyed pretty well how much we can be unaware and how sick people can get.

These are just few of many people that were involved in the crime. The victim, Sylvia Likens, is the one in the top left corner. I realize that this case was a number of years ago, but there have been similar instances since then.

Sylvia Likens death after being brutally tortured

Introduction and My Viewpoint

    Most individuals in America  believe that children need discipline, a tactic used to enforce the rules and instill proper behavior. Although discipline may be crucial to a child's development, too many Americans take it to the point of abuse. Justified, reasonable discipline is not what this blog is referring to. It is also in no way arguing that parents don't need to have consequences when their children make unacceptable choices. It is supporting the concept, however, that when a person harms a child for no reason other than to exert their anger or stress, they are abusive. Contrary to some beliefs, child abuse is not a deserved punishment. If you feel the need to argue that a child must earn safety from their parents or any other individual, please do so elsewhere.

   Abuse comes in many forms: physical, sexual, and emotional. It can also be neglect. Each form of abuse influences a child's behavior and puts them at risk. This blog was designed for the sole purpose of informing America about this issue, which will only end when we become aware and take further steps to prevention. It will continue to grow if no attention is drawn to it. You decide if you want to be a part of the problem or a part of the solution.

http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics?gclid=CIivyfa4lbQCFYs7MgodbC8AJQ

http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics?gclid=CIivyfa4lbQCFYs7MgodbC8AJQ