Skip to main content

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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

You don't have to be able to Dance to do Baskets

  Growing up in the world of dance, one of my favorite things to do each year is participate in The Nutcracker Ballet. My favorite part? Giving the audience a magical Christmas experience with the perfect setting of lights, music, glittery costumes, and refined steps by ballerinas. The audience is transported to a magical land of sweets that makes even adults feel like small children in awe and wonder. Of course, that’s just what the audience sees! What they don’t see is the months and months before hand! Long rehearsals, bandage wrapped dance feet, and stage and tech crews working tirelessly so that every detail before the final show is perfected. After several years, I have started comparing the Christmas Baskets Process to that of the process for The Nutcracker Ballet. Starting months and months before, staff and volunteers work endlessly for the exhilarating distribution week to come. With that said, the magical essence of the Ballet experience cannot happen with just the prim
Post a Comment
Read more

A Woman of Dove's History

 March is Women’s History Month and during this month I want to acknowledge a woman who assisted Ray Batman in molding Dove, Inc. Not only was she a founder and volunteer, but her passion, dedication, and drive were so vital to building the stellar foundation that the organization stands on today. She may have been tiny in stature, but her presence was vast. She was eventually hired as the Program Director in 1974 and remained an active and avid supporter of Dove after retirement and up until her passing in 2014. Her “never take no for an answer” attitude assisted with building collaborations that are still matched today.  She was extremely instrumental in the organization of a multitude of community-related programs throughout the city of Decatur. This includes the Nationally Renowned Mother-to-Mother program, a programming concept that has been widely adopted across the country. Sue’s presence still shines through those of us who have come along beside her. Her commitment to resolvin
Post a Comment
Read more

CoC Funds Available

CoC Funds Available The Decatur/Macon County CoC announces approved Consolidated Application for the FY 2024 CoC Program Competition. Review the Approved Consolidated Application and Approved Priority Listings and all New and Referral Project Listings at the link above. For Comments or Questions about the Approved Application, email fredspannaus@gmail.com.
Post a Comment
Read more