Preventing Abuse is Everyone's Job

Did you know?  April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Abuse Awareness Month.  Prevent Child Abuse Utah will be busy this month raising awareness.  You will see their pinwheels in parks and other public places.  Pinwheels will dot the landscape, each representing a child who has been abused.

I will also raise my voice against child abuse during the month of April.  Child abuse has many faces, and none of them are okay.  Every child has a right to be nurtured.  Every child has a right to be safe.  Caring adults must protect children and nurture children.  We can not afford to look the other way.  We must stand up for children.

Many people believe that abuse happens somewhere else.  In seedy neighborhoods, in other towns, in other places.  Abuse happens here. 

We have a special kind of denial for sexual abuse.  It happens to other people.  In the United States today nearly one in three girls will be sexually abused before the age of eighteen.  About one in six boys will be sexually abused in the same time period.  That is much too high.

Education is the key.  We cannot protect kids from sexual abuse by pretending it doesn't happen.  We can protect kids by empowering them to take control of their own bodies.  It isn't complicated.  Here are some things you can do to make a difference for the children you care about.

1.  Talk to your kids about all sorts of things, including sexual abuse.
2.  Be a good listener.  Let them know that you are there for them and that they can share anything with you.
3.  Click here to download the free parents guide.  Print a copy for you and one to share.
4.  Read Some Secrets Hurt to the kids you care about.  Talk about it.  Listen.
5.  If you don't own Some Secrets Hurt, what are you waiting for?  Every home needs a copy.  Click sidebar to order. 
6.  Copy this poster and post it as your facebook picture for one week.  Post it on your blog or send it to your email contacts.  Be creative.


Choose three of the above activities and you will be entered to win a $25.00 amazon gift card.  Comment to tell me what you did.  You can enter anytime this month. 

I will be posting Sexual Abuse Prevention articles throughout the month.  The first will appear on Friday, so be sure to come back.

Preventing abuse is everyone's job.  Make a Difference.

Linda Garner