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Children should be seen, heard, and believed


The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What are we doing for our children?

Our children are suffering from a hidden epidemic of child abuse and neglect.

Each day in America more than five children die as a result of abuse or neglect.  On average, a child abuse report is made every 10 seconds for a total of approximately 3.3 million child abuse reports annually.

This is not something we like to think about, but we need to. 

 
Children should be seen, heard, and believed…
 

Children should be seen…
 

How many of us have said “It is none of my business” well if we want to protect children we need to make it our business.

If you suspect abuse of a child, but the child has not disclosed to you, call 1-800-4-A-CHILD. Counselors from Childhelp are available 24/7 to talk through the situation with you and help decide what the best course of action is.

 
Children should be heard…

Sayings like “We don’t air our dirty laundry in public”, “What happens in this family stays in this family”, or “Who would believe you” keep children silent about their abuse.   Silence perpetuates the cycle of abuse.

If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle help the children you care about develop positive living skills. 

Talk with them. 

Listen to them and believe what they say. 

Interact with them. You will be more aware of any changes in the child’s behavior or attitude and be able to inquire about it.

 
Children should be believed…

Plain and simple…believe a child

Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religious and at all levels of education.
 

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. 

During this month many activities are planned to bring awareness to our community that child abuse happens here and what we can do to help children. These events will be publicized through our local media. Become involved and take a pro-active stance about child abuse. 
 

Children should be Seen, Heard, and Believed!
Sandy Laesch, BABES Program Coordinator

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