Sad and unspeakable cases of child abuse come to our attention almost every day. It’s hard to avoid news such as former Penn State president Graham Spanier’s role in covering up the Jerry Sandusky scandal, child abuse in USA Gymnastics, and the dozens of clergy abuse victims in Guam. Here in Minnesota, we’ve just learned of charges against an Eagan daycare provider for allegedly assaulting a 13-month-old, and local news has brought stories of child sex abuse by teachers, bus drivers, clergy and Boy Scout leaders, among others over the past several months.
The stories seem sadly inevitable and it can be reflexive to want to turn away from child abuse because it is so horrific and depressing.
That’s why Child Abuse Prevention Month is so important. April is national Child Abuse Prevention Month. It gives us an opportunity to get together, talk seriously about prevention and really shine a light on finding ways to keep all of our children safe. It provides an opportunity to do something real about a destructive and deadly issue that can be too unpleasant to want to deal with sometimes.
Join us here in commemorating Child Abuse Prevention Month and using it to increase child abuse awareness and prevention momentum. Look for our web site blog posts, Tweets and Facebook posts about Child Abuse Prevention Month all April. Let’s protect our children together – every day.