April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month - Are You Aware?

As we step into April 2023 child abuse is still steadily on the rise. Are you aware of the statistics? Now that we are coming out of the pandemic, you would think that things would be turning around a bit, but the harsh truth is abuse and neglect are getting worse.

Children all over the world are being abused right this very moment. Think about about that sentence! As we move forward in our daily lives, children are being neglected, abused, traumatized and sexually abused. How is it possible, that in this day and age, it is getting worse instead of better?

We need to do better, step up and advocate for our children. They deserve better!

All children have a right to have a safe and loving home. They need a strong foundation and a positive circle to guide them. That old phrase “It takes a village to raise a child”, rings so very true. A Strong Village!

What can we do to make changes? We need to step up and ask the questions. Always be aware of our surroundings, and most importantly report abuse. The bottom line is we must save the child!

Please check out this article that I wrote about child abuse holds NO gender. All children are at risk.

This article is on The Owl Network. A great place to read thought provoking information.

https://owlnetwork.com/child-abuse-has-no-gender/

Please think about what I am saying, and as you move forward in your days ahead, be more aware of your surroundings in your family, neighborhood and community! We can make a difference if we work together.

Our youth are worth the effort. It all starts by breaking the silence and raising your voice.

Embrace the Journey,

God Bless

Lisa Zarcone

Author - Child & Mental Health Advocate - Public Speaker - Social Media Influencer - Blogger

Massachusetts National Ambassador for Naasca (National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse)

2021 Heroine Award Recipient - Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women

National Children’s Alliance - Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC)

National Statistics On Child Abuse

Child abuse is a horrific experience with potentially lasting effects. It’s also, unfortunately, a common experience in America. Here’s a look at the scope of the problem.

The scope of the problem

More than 600,000 children are abused in the U.S each year. An estimated 618,000 children (unique incidents) were victims of abuse and neglect in 2020, the most recent year for which there is national data. While any number of children being abused is intolerable, this number is significantly lower than it was for any of the past 10 years, indicating that children stuck at home during the early days of the pandemic may not have gotten the abuse intervention services they needed. Furthermore, this data may be incomplete, and the actual number of children abused is likely underreported.

Child welfare authorities ensure the safety of more than 7 million kids. Of those, around 3.9 million children received an investigation or alternative response from child protective services agencies. An estimated 2 million children received prevention services.

How child abuse impacts kids

The youngest children were most vulnerable. Children in the first year of their life are 15% of all victims. 1 in 40 infants under 1 year are victimized by abuse every year.1

Breaking down child abuse by demographics, girls had a victimization rate of 8.9, higher than boys at 7.9.4 American-Indian or Alaska Native children have the highest rate of victimization at 15.5 while African-American children have the second highest-rate at 13.2.1

Child abuse is deadly. In 2020, an estimated 1,750 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States. Boys have a higher child fatality rate at 2.99 per 100,000 compared to girls at 2.05.4 African-American child fatalities (5.9 per 100,000) is 3.1 times greater than that of White children (1.9), and 3.6 times greater than Hispanic children (1.65).1

Nationally, neglect is the most common form of abuse. Three-fourths (More than 75%) of victims were neglected , 16% were physically abused, and 9% were sexually abused , and 0.2% are sex trafficked.

Yet CACs serve far more sexual abuse cases, indicating a deeper problem. CACs investigated 249,879 cases involving sexual abuse allegations in 2021, around 65% of all cases our members carried through. While not all these cases resulted in a disclosure, charges, or a conviction, it’s an indication that the problem of sexual abuse may be much larger than federal statistics show. In the graph below, the data includes children who’ve reported multiple types of abuse.