April is a very special month for many American families and children, chosen to commemorate National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which dates back to 1983 when, under President Ronald Reagan, its public attention was established as a national interest and necessity.
It is extremely critical and essential that adults ensure that children are protected from those who want to take away their childhood and leave wounds that will mark them for life, conditioning their physical and emotional well-being.
Many are not aware of this date, so it is necessary to work together so that more and more people remember the month of April, not only as the month of spring, a season that reminds us of a new hopeful beginning, but also as a reminder of all children who are victims of abuse, and to continue fighting for healthy and happy childhoods.
To make the problem visible in a loving and child-friendly way, the blue and silver pinwheels are used to decorate the spaces, being a characteristic sign of the innocence and happiness of childhood but also used to represent the children who suffered abuse.
Throughout the month, community efforts and entities come together to create new initiatives, strengthen the tools that provide support to children and their family environment and awareness campaigns for the prevention of child abuse, since the most important thing is to prevent it before it happens.
Today more than ever, after the alarming statistics of violence and the onslaught on our children, it is urgent to join forces among all of us and rebuild the national commitment to face this enormous challenge and to be able to protect them. It is the adults who have the responsibility to ensure that the most vulnerable continue to keep their smiles and joy, as they are the fruit of what we will call the future. We invite you to view the ten tips provided by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families on our Stop Child Abuse website to prevent child abuse.
The numbers are truly disturbing. The Children's Bureau reported that in 2021 the United States had nearly 590,000 victims of child abuse and an estimated 1,820 children lost their lives to this crime.
This bar chart shows the all-important statistical data represented in percentages about the type of abuse to help reflect more clearly the situation. It can be seen that cases of neglect lead with 76% which shows how common is the lack of attention and care towards children. On the other hand, 16% of the cases are of physical abuse which implies the presence of bodily harm due to violence that could put the children's lives at risk. In addition, 10.1% of sexual abuse is particularly alarming because of the psychological and profound after-effects it leaves. Finally, 0.2% are victims of sex trafficking, and although this is a smaller figure in relation to the previous ones, the seriousness of the problem and its devastating effects cannot be minimized.
Unfortunately, the Internet Watch Foundation's (IWF) 2021 Report for the United States places it as the country that hosts the most child sexual abuse content in the world, with 21% of the total URLs counted.
There are no magic solutions to this tremendous crime that plagues the entire world, but there is commitment, hard work and the courage of those who want a better world.
A future filled with peace, love, happiness and opportunity is possible, but it depends on us. Let's not delay any longer. It is time to act now !#ChildAbusePreventionMonth #childabuse
