April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
April is Child Abuse Prevention month. This month, and all year long, Licking County Job & Family Services encourages the community to Know the Signs, Take Action, and Get Involved to put a stop to child abuse and neglect. During 2023, Licking County Children Services received 1,422 reports of child abuse or neglect that involved 2,821 children from our community.
Know the Signs
We tend to first think of family violence when we hear the term “child abuse.” Child abuse can take many forms, including physical and emotional abuse, sexual maltreatment, and neglect.
· Physical abuse includes the use of physical force, such as hitting, kicking, shaking, or other force directed toward a child.
· Emotional abuse refers to behaviors that harm a child’s self-worth or emotional well-being. Examples include shaming, rejection, withholding love, and threatening a child.
· Sexual abuse often involves, but is not limited to, engaging in inappropriate touching, sexual acts, or rape.
· Neglect is a common form of abuse and is among the most difficult to identify. Neglect occurs when the child’s basic needs are not adequately met, putting the child in harm’s way. Often neglect involves failing to provide a child with access to food, clothing, or medical care.
Look for unexplained or poorly explained injuries, depression, fear of a certain adult, difficulty trusting others or making friends, sudden changes in eating or sleeping, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor hygiene, secrecy, or hostility.
Get Involved
Licking County Children Services wants to prevent child abuse before it occurs and safely keep families together.
You can help. Get involved with other parents in the community. Anything you can do to support children and families will help reduce the isolation and stress that often leads to abuse and neglect. Talk to your neighbors about looking out for one another’s children. Encourage a supportive spirit among parents. Show that you are involved.
Consider becoming a foster parent to help children and families.
Take Action
If you witness a child being harmed, see evidence of abuse or neglect, or if a child tells you about abuse or neglect, please make a report to Licking County Children Services at 740.670.8888.