Now is the time to become a voice for children, to speak out about child abuse so that we can stop it. We must all become active in preventing child abuse and neglect. If you see a child being abused or if you just suspect a child is being abused or neglected, report it to someone in authority.
Don't be like the many people in the Sandusky case that did nothing, or worse were the people who turned their heads and hide the information from the authorities to protect an institution. Insititutions are not more important than people, in this instance, children.
If a child tells you they are being abused, believe them. Don't discount their feelings. Don't revictimize the child by calling them a liar or by blaming them. Child abuse is the fault of the abusers. Children, as well as the adults closest to them, are groomed by the pedophiles into trusting the person. Don't let this happen to you or your child.
If a child tells you they are being abused, tell someone and keep telling someone until some action is taken to protect the child. Tell until something is done to remove the child from the grasp of the perpetrator.
Even if you just suspect that someone is abusing or neglecting a child, report it. If you are afraid to report the suspected abuse or neglect because you might be wrong, do it any way. If you are wrong, you can always appologize. If you are right, you may have saved the life of a child and you have definitely changed the life of a child for the better.
As a child, I always wished someone would ask about if I was being sexually abused. I couldn't voluntarily ask someone for help. I was too afraid. This is true for many children. If you suspect a child is being abused, ask. Please ask. Not all children will tell you the truth, but some will. They, like me, are just waiting for someone to care enough to ask.
We will never stop child abuse if we keep doing nothing, hoping that the abuse will just go away on its own, hoping that someone else will report it. Do I need to remind you of the number of children - 117 - that a typical pedophile abuses before he is caught? Please do something to stop this abuse of our children.
Patricia
Don't be like the many people in the Sandusky case that did nothing, or worse were the people who turned their heads and hide the information from the authorities to protect an institution. Insititutions are not more important than people, in this instance, children.
If a child tells you they are being abused, believe them. Don't discount their feelings. Don't revictimize the child by calling them a liar or by blaming them. Child abuse is the fault of the abusers. Children, as well as the adults closest to them, are groomed by the pedophiles into trusting the person. Don't let this happen to you or your child.
If a child tells you they are being abused, tell someone and keep telling someone until some action is taken to protect the child. Tell until something is done to remove the child from the grasp of the perpetrator.
Even if you just suspect that someone is abusing or neglecting a child, report it. If you are afraid to report the suspected abuse or neglect because you might be wrong, do it any way. If you are wrong, you can always appologize. If you are right, you may have saved the life of a child and you have definitely changed the life of a child for the better.
As a child, I always wished someone would ask about if I was being sexually abused. I couldn't voluntarily ask someone for help. I was too afraid. This is true for many children. If you suspect a child is being abused, ask. Please ask. Not all children will tell you the truth, but some will. They, like me, are just waiting for someone to care enough to ask.
We will never stop child abuse if we keep doing nothing, hoping that the abuse will just go away on its own, hoping that someone else will report it. Do I need to remind you of the number of children - 117 - that a typical pedophile abuses before he is caught? Please do something to stop this abuse of our children.
Patricia
