April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month brings awareness to the importance of protecting children from harm and ensuring their safety and well-being. It provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to come together and raise awareness about the issue, educate people on how to recognize and report child abuse and support victims and their families. By working together to prevent child abuse, we can create a safer and healthier environment for all children to thrive.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have long-term impacts on health, opportunity, and well-being. Nadine Burke Harris’s TED talk video, “How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime,” is a great introduction to the ACEs research, and you can learn more on the ECCS‘s Childhood Trauma page.
According to the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), in 2024, a reported 410,676 perpetrators abused or neglected a child. In substantiated child abuse cases, 76% of children were victimized by a parent or legal guardian. Child abuse and neglect are preventable. To prevent child abuse and neglect violence, we must understand and address the factors that put people at risk for or protect them from violence. Learn more about risk factors here.
The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline service is available to anyone with a telephone: children, parents, mandatory reporters, and other adults who are uncertain about the next best step when faced with questions related to abuse and neglect. The hotline is staffed 24/7, with professional crisis counselors with access to a database of tens of thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. All calls are anonymous. Contact them at 1.800.4.A.CHILD (1.800.422.4453).
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