Be Silent No More by Lance Groom
Be Silent No More
For years many agencies and organizations have been founded to help abused
children and to educate others on the growing epidemic of child abuse. Although
in some part help has arrived for these victims, there is also alarming
statistical data of silence within certain
social and political history the has contributed to this abuse. Due to this
silence many advocates have failed to address these issues and history continues
to repeat itself.
The news is so full of reports about child mistreatment that you can't help but
wonder how safe your child really is. While it's a mistake to become
overprotective and make your child fearful, it is important to recognize the
actual risks and familiarize yourself with the signs of abuse. More than 2.5
million cases of child abuse and neglect are reported each year. Of these, 35
percent involve physical abuse, 15 percent involve sexual abuse and 50 percent
involve neglect.
Child abuse is common. Studies show that one in four girls and one in eight boys
will be sexually abused before they are 18 years old. About one in 20 children
is physically abused each year. Sexual abuse includes inappropriate touching of
a child's breasts or genitalia, as well as someone's exposing their genitalia to
a child. Physical abuse involves injuring a child's body by burning them,
beating them or breaking their bones. Because a bruise indicates that body
tissue has been damaged and blood vessels have broken, any discipline method
that leaves bruises is not appropriate. Child neglect can include physical
neglect (withholding food, clothing, shelter or other physical necessities),
emotional neglect (withholding love, comfort or affection) or medical neglect
(withholding needed medical care).
Recognizing and Reporting Child abuse is key:
Signs of Physical Abuse:
Any injury (bruise, burn, fracture, abdominal or head injury) that cannot be
explained
Signs of Sexual Abuse:
Fearful behavior (nightmares, depression, fears, trying to run away) Abdominal
pain, bedwetting, urinary tract infection, genital pain or bleeding, sexually
transmitted disease Extreme sexual behavior that seems inappropriate for the
child's age
Signs of Emotional Abuse:
Sudden change in self-confidence Headaches or stomachaches with no medical cause
Abnormal fears, increased nightmares Attempts to run away
Signs of Emotional Neglect:
Failure to gain weight (especially in infants) Desperately affectionate behavior
Voracious appetite and stealing of food
Though we may not be able to completely stop child abuse it will take everyones
help in recognizing the signs and reporting this to local law enforcement
agencies. It is equally important to "Be Silent No More" and to convey to our
children that it is ok to tell an adult they can trust if they feel that they
have been mistreated. Continual work must also be done in researching and
vocalizing these social and political issues that stem from this abuse also.
Silence is a killer for all abused victoms so we must once again vow to "Be
Silent No More".
To Learn More Please Visit:
www.BeSilentNoMore.org/forum
www.DadsDefendingDads.com/forum
About the Author: Lance
Groom - Director & Founder of Dads Defending Dads. I am fomally from the Tv Show
"Making Money" and the new "Rich Jerk" infomercial. I am now leading the way for
Dads and Dad Defenders in a active movement to prevent children from being
alianated from the other parent or losing their dad.
Source of this article:
www.goarticles.com
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