Prevention
How You Can Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect
Help Parents You Know
- Support parent education programs at your school or facility
- Use positive discipline techniques
- Support groups for single parents
- Promote positive play interaction between parents and children
- Reach out to parents who are struggling
- Offer to help parents you know who are or might be under stress
- Stay with the children while the parents take a break
- Offer positive encouragement when you see a parent interacting positively with their child
- Help parents talk with their children about safety issues
Help Yourself
If you are a parent under stress:
- Ask for help
- Learn about positive discipline
- Learn about child development
- Talk with other parents or join a parenting group
- Act When You See A Child Mistreated in Public
- Engage the parent and be sympathetic
- Call the manager if you believe a child is in danger or
- Call the local authorities yourself
- Volunteer At a Child Abuse Prevention Program
- Contact KIDS Place at 828 524-3199
- Contact your local library or referral center for volunteer programs in your area
Report Suspected Abuse and Neglect
- Advocate for Services for Families
- Initiate or Support Public Awareness Activities
- Participate in activities during April, “Child Abuse Prevention Month”
- Contact Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina at 1-800-CHILDREN
- Contact KIDS Place at 828 524-3199
- Make a Contribution to a Child Abuse Prevention Program
- Many child abuse prevention organizations are private, not-for-profit agencies
- Your contributions of time or money is vital to he
Encourage people in your community to:
- Advocate for policies in the workplace that are family friendly
- Be a mentor to neighborhood youth
- Help form an after-school “Safe House” for children in your neighborhood
- Offer a helping hand to single parents or families under stress in your neighborhood
- Intervene when you see a child being mistreated in public
- Find ways to educate your community about the respect children need and deserve
The Faith Community’s Role in Child Abuse Prevention
Some things faith-based groups can do to prevent child abuse:
- Copy and distribute materials on child abuse prevention
- Offer respite care to congregation members in need of short-term relief
- Provide information on child development and community resources during counseling sessions
- Share information on how to report child abuse and neglect in church bulletins and newsletters
- Train spiritual leaders to recognize the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect
- Work with families and make appropriate referrals
- Celebrate children and families by hosting a “Children’s Day”
- Donate space for parent support groups or parent education programs
Business’ Role in Child Abuse Prevention
Some ways businesses can contribute to child abuse prevention:
- Distribute Blue Ribbons to employees during April – Child Abuse Prevention Month
- Invite a child welfare worker to speak at a company function
- Encourage employees to donate their time to child abuse prevention programs by offering paid
leave for volunteer activities - Encourage the company to make a contribution to a non-profit child abuse prevention agency
- Examine your business to see if it is ” Family Friendly.” Do policies allow parents to make their
children a priority?
The Role of Media in Child Abuse Prevention
You can get the local media involved in child abuse prevention by asking them to:
- Contact a prevention agency for story ideas, interviews, and information on child abuse
prevention - Profile community leaders, teachers, and parents who take an active role in child abuse
prevention in “people who make a difference stories” - Develop news stories educating the public about the effects of child abuse and neglect
- Follow tragic news stories about child abuse with stories on how to prevent similar tragedies in
the future - Donate print space or airtime for child abuse prevention messages
- Publicize local businesses efforts to participate in child abuse awareness activities
Advocate for Children
- Vote
- Support public figures who support programs that protect children
- Encourage lawmakers to support legislation that strengthens families and protects children
- Write to your legislators and let them know that child abuse is an issue they should care about
Get involved with a local organization that supports child abuse prevention issues
You can get the local media involved in child abuse prevention by asking them to:
- Contact the Covenant with NC’s Children and find out about pending legislation issues that
affect children in our state. 919-832-6623 or www.nccovenant.org - [source: Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Manual: Prevent Child Abuse NC]