There are few things sadder than stories about child abuse, but unfortunately, for millions of children all over the world, it is a way of life. It doesn’t have to be that way. Anyone can learn how to recognize the signs of abuse, and take steps to prevent abuse from happening in the first place. If you want to learn more about recognizing and preventing abuse, there are several resources, including national and online resources you can use that will help.
1) Healthy Families America – This is the signature program from Prevent Child Abuse America. The national office, which is located in Chicago, IL, offer support, training, technical assistance, affiliation, and accreditation to more than 580 affiliates sites in 38 states, as well as the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Canada, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
2) National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome – The mission of this organization is to help educate parents about the dangers of shaking babies, and to train parents and professionals on the subject. It also conducts research that will help to prevent the shaking of babies. The website is designed to help you find information, answers to questions about this issue, and ideas on how to prevent shaken baby syndrome.
3) American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children – This is a nonprofit national organization that focuses on helping professionals get what they need to help abused children and their families. They offer the latest in practices in all disciplines that are related to child abuse.
4) Stop it Now – This program was founded by Fran Henry, who survived childhood sexual abuse herself. Her vision was to have sexual abuse of children seen as a preventable public health issue, to help parents focus on the prevention of abuse, and to create programs that are based on these same principles.
5) Children’s Safety Network – This program offers resources and assistance to maternal and child health agencies that are looking to reduce violence towards children, and reducing injuries that happen unintentionally. There are four Children’s Safety Network Resource Centers that are funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
6) ChildHelp USA – Treatment programs such as Childhelp Group Homes and Childhelp Advocacy centres have been designed to help children who are suffering from child abuse. There are also prevention programs, including Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe for Educators.
7) Kelso Lawyers – If you need to find more resources about child abuse, Kelso Lawyers can help. They offer resources for victims, such as symptoms of child sexual abuse, reporting abuse, abuse prevention, and causes of child sexual abuse. There are also resources for families, including child abuse statistics and child abuse counselling.
8) National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – This organization offers help to parents, children, schools, law enforcement, and the community as a whole to find missing children. It also works to raise public awareness about how to prevent child abduction, child molestation, and sexual exploitation.
9) Darkness to Light – The mission of this program is to empower people to prevent child sexual abuse. It raises awareness of how common child sexual abuse is, and the consequences. Adults are educated so they know how to prevent this type of abuse, as well as recognize it and react appropriately.
10) International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect – This organization has a mission to prevent cruelty to children in all parts of the world. Cruelty can include sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, child prostitution, street children, children of war, emotional abuse, child fatalities, and child labour through the increase of public awareness.