Help In The Fight Against Child Abuse!

[ChildofChrist]

THERE ARE CHILDREN ALL AROUND US BEING ABUSED! LET OUR EYES BE OPEN TO THIS! THESE PRECIOUS GIFTS ARE CRYING OUT FOR A HAND. KNOW THE SIGNS OF CHILD ABUSE. MOST ABUSED CHILDREN ARE ABUSED BY SOMEONE CLOSE TO THEM. FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND EVEN PARENTS. WHEN YOU SEE A CHILD WITH A PROBLEM, DON'T JUST DISMISS THEM AS A REBEL, A TROUBLE MAKER, FILTHY, OR DUMB. IF YOU DISMISS A PROBLEM, YOU MAY DISMISS A LIFE! REACH OUT AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK. A CHILD WHO SUFFERS FROM ABUSE IS SCREAMING INSIDE FOR SOMEONE TO NOTICE, SOMEONE TO END THEIR SUFFERING! A CHILD IS ONLY A PRODUCT OF THE LIFE THEY ARE SUBJECT TO.

TALK TO THE CHILDREN IN YOUR LIFE TODAY! LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE TO COME TO. TELL THEM THAT IF SOMETHING MAKES THEM FEEL BAD OR UNCOMFORATABLE, THAT NO IS ALWAYS OK TO SAY! EVEN IF IT'S A PARENT! TEACH THEM THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD TOUCH AND BAD TOUCH! BE AWARE OF THE OFFENDERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! YOU CAN FIND THEM IN YOUR STATE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY.
1 CHILD DIES EACH WEEK FROM ABUSE. APPROXIMATELY 30,000 CHILDREN ARE ON CHILD PROTECTION REGISTERS, AND THOSE ARE JUST FROM THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABUSE. 34% OF CHILDREN ABUSED, SUFFER FROM NEGLECT, 8% SUFFER FROM EMOTIONAL ABUSE, 28% SUFFER FROM PHYSICAL ABUSE, AND 30% SUFFER FROM SEXUAL ABUSE. 90% OF CHILDREN ABUSED, ARE ABUSED BY SOMEONE CLOSE TO THEM. 1 IN 10 CHILDREN ARE SEXUALLY ABUSED DURING CHILDHOOD. THESE STATISTICS ARE BASED OFF OF REPORTED CASES. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CASES THAT GO UNREPORTED EACH YEAR.

THERE ARE MANY SIGNS THAT A CHIILD IS BEING ABUSED.

SEXUAL ABUSE

* OVERALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN SEX AT THEIR AGE

* MEDICAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS VENEREAL DISEASES

* EXTREME REACTIONS, SUCH AS SUICIDE ATTEMPTS

* BECOMING CLINGY OR INSECURE

* REGRESSING TO YOUNGER BEHAVIOR

* LACK OF TRUST OR FEAR OF SOMEONE THEY KNOW

* WETTING THE BED AT ABNORMAL AGE

 

PHYSICAL ABUSE

* UNEXPLAINED RECURRENT INJURIES OR BURNS

* UNLIKELY EXCUSES OR REFUSAL TO EXPLAIN INJURIES

* REFUSAL TO UNDRESS FOR GYM

* FEAR OF MEDICAL HELP OR EXAMINATION

* SELF-DESTRUCTIVE TENDENCIES

* FEAR OF PHYSICAL CONTACT, SHRINKS BACK IF TOUCHED

* FEAR OF SUSPECTED ABUSER BEING CONTACTED

 

NEGLECT

* CONSTANT HUNGER

* POOR PERSONAL HYGIENE

* CONSTANT TIREDNESS

* POOR STATE OF CLOTHING

* UNTREATED MEDICAL PROBLEMS

* NO SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

* COMPULSIVE SCAVENGING

 

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

* PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAGS

* SUDDEN SPEECH DISORDERS

* CONTINUAL SELF-DEPRECIATION

* OVERREACTION TO MISTAKES

* EXTREME FEAR OF ANY NEW SITUATION

* INAPPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO PAIN

* EXTREMES OF PASSIVITY OR AGGRESSION

 

MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY KNOWING THE SIGNS! DON'T DISMISS A CHILD SUFFERING FROM ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS. REACH OUT AND GRAB AHOLD OF THEIR HAND. YOU COULD SAVE A LIFE!

The following are associations that can provide useful information in the fight against child abuse.

National Children's Alliance*
Prevent Child Abuse America*
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children*
American Prosecutor's Research Institute*
The Child Abuse Prevention Network*
American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC)*
The Children's Hospital, Denver, Colorado
The Kempe Children's Center
Tri-County Health Department
American Humane Association
Karlis Family Center/Family Tree
FamiliesFirst
Colorado Organization for Victim AssistanceHYPERLINK "http://www.coloradocrimevictims.org"
HYPERLINK "http://www.adv4children.org"Advocates for Children
Victim Services 2000
Tennyson Center for Children at Colorado Christian Home
Rocky Mountain Youth