Step Up, Speak Up, & Reach Out – Child Abuse Prevention

Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility. Children of all ages, races, religions, and socio-economic status are victims of abuse every day. The most recent published statistics (2013) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report 702,000 victims of child abuse and neglect in one year. Of those victims, 1,580 died from neglect; that equates to more than 4 children every day. It is highly likely you know a child who is currently being abused.

Despite the high numbers of reported abuse, child abuse is preventable. Everyone can do their part to help children by stepping up, speaking up, and reaching out, here’s how:

Step Up: Take an active role in a child’s life to help keep them safe. Ask questions, learn about their activities and whom they interact with. Also, building bonds with children will help open lines of communication and establish trust. Another way to keep children safe is to avoid leaving them unsupervised or near hazards that may cause them harm. For more information on the local child supervision guidelines, contact Family Advocacy at 06371-46-2370.

Speak Up: If you are concerned about a child’s safety and wellbeing, resources are available for help. If you witness violence, see an unsupervised child without a caregiver in sight, or know someone is in immediate danger, call 112. Suspicions of abuse or neglect are enough to make a referral; contact Family Advocacy at 06371-46-2370. Please provide all known information about the child and/or their caregivers.

Reach Out: If you, or someone you know, is under great stress, help and support is available. Parenting is not an easy job. Most people are doing the best they can with what they know. Sometimes, that is not enough to keep a child safe. The military offers free, supportive, and educational services for parents. The New Parent Support Program provides education and support for parents from pregnancy to the age of 3. For more information on their services contact 06371-46-2098.

Family Advocacy also offers classes and resources to develop healthy relationship skills and address common parenting challenges during every stage of life. For further information or to register for a class contact 06371-46-2370.

Talking to others about parenting or the possibility of a child being harmed can be very uncomfortable. Many believe it is none of their business or that someone else will intervene. You can be the voice for a child and help keep them safe by stepping up, speaking up, and reaching out.