Eight Ways to Participate in Abuse Prevention Month
Child neglect and maltreatment are serious issues that require immediate action, and while they will never be eliminated, prevention is crucial for protecting the most vulnerable. That’s why, when working with families, we must prioritize prevention and identify, respond to, and report instances of abuse.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM). It is a time of year to focus on and recognize the importance of families and communities coming together to prevent child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment. Research confirms that abuse has catastrophic effects on a child’s life and the potential to impact entire communities by damaging quality of life and economic prosperity.
If there’s one cause to put effort towards this year, it’s abuse prevention. Here are eight ways to get involved.
- Educate – Yourself, staff, volunteers, families, and leadership team. Encourage everyone to recognize the signs of abuse, learn how to respond when questionable incidents arise, what information to capture, and the established process for reporting an issue.
- Volunteer – Two of the most coveted contributions are time and effort. Plan to attend local meetings such as city council, school boards, or educational workshops on prevention. Express a desire to increase community support, develop education initiatives, and raise awareness for accessible services. Seek opportunities to volunteer in person, with your team, or online and share information with family, neighbors, and others in your sphere of influence.
- Give Financially – If you cannot give your time, consider financially supporting organizations or initiatives that actively promote prevention, reduce abuse, or raise awareness by providing resources throughout the year.
- Get the Word Out – Leverage your organization’s presence on social media, a webpage, newsletter, signage, notifications, and announcements to share education resources and ways to get involved. If you have a volunteer, staff member, or attending family who has benefited from an abuse prevention program, ask them to share their story. This helps connect others to the need.
- Prepare – Don’t wait until an incident occurs. This is the worst time to prepare. Put a plan in place for responding to an allegation or reasonable suspicion of abuse. Staff and volunteers should know what to document and report when an incident occurs. If you need additional help, contact the National Child Abuse Hotline at 800.422.4453 or childhelp.org. All communication is confidential.
- Report – You could save a child’s life by refusing to turn away or ignore the situation in their time of need. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, please report it! Call 911 if there is an emergency. Check your state laws to understand the role of a mandatory reporter and learn about your local resources for reporting suspected abuse or neglect.
- Wear Blue – During April, wear blue to let others know you support the prevention of child abuse and neglect and are committed to giving hope to children and families.
- Recognize & Reward – Those who work tirelessly year-round to prevent abuse and neglect can sometimes feel their efforts are fruitless. If you know someone or are involved with an organization that supports these efforts, make sure to say thank you. Thanks can be as simple as a handwritten note, gift card, or a sponsored lunch. Be creative. Everyone appreciates the recognition.
Together, we can make a difference and create a safe environment for all children and families.
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Photo by Chris Boese on Unsplash
