Breaking arms of a child or breaking the cycle of abuse? Which of these are we willing to invest our time and attention the most?
A headline in The Herald on April 15 reads, “An Everett woman told police she broke her 2-year-old son’s elbow and twice bit him because she was angry.” The facts of the story related mostly to the crime. However, there may be much more to the story, centering on social issues. The question becomes, “Are we willing to go deeper?”
Many factors perpetuate the cycle of abuse. Risk factors for child abuse may stem from parental, family and environmental influences, and could include one or more of the following: poverty, unemployment, stress, psychological well-being, substance abuse, history of abuse, stress management, social isolation, family structure, knowledge of child development and age appropriate expectations, just to name a few.
Research suggests that almost five children die every day as a result of child abuse in our nation. More than three out of four of these children are under the age of 4. The estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States for 2007 was $104 billion. The most recent statistics reveal that approximately 74,000 children in Washington are reported abused or neglected each year.
Studies also show that child abuse is at the core of so many issues in society today. Abused children are 25 percent more likely to experience teen pregnancy. Children who experience child abuse and neglect are 59 percent more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28 percent more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30 percent more likely to commit violent crime. Nearly two-thirds of the people in treatment for drug abuse reported being abused as children.
According to the “Strengthening Families Resource Packet 2009,” by Prevent Child Abuse America, research has shown that five protective factors are linked to a lower incidence of child abuse and neglect. Providing programs that support:
Knowledge of parenting and child development
Parental resilience
Social connections
Concrete supports for parents
All work to improve outcomes for children.
Children in every community need caring adults. When we talk about investing in a home, stock or bond, there is an inherent risk and there are no guarantees of a solid return on your investment. However, making an investment to protect children not only works to guarantee their health, well-being and safety, it also works to improve the economy and safety of our community.
If children are the future, isn’t it time to pay more attention to breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect? First, we have to believe this is a priority. Every time we say “yes” to children and supporting families, we help children take one step closer to reaching their dreams. Programs at Deaconess Children’s Services work to increase a child’s self-esteem, improve grades and provide supports to help youth graduate from high school. Next, we have to decide our future is important enough to take action and how to be involved. Community members are needed as volunteers to work with youth, serve on a committee or make financial contributions.
Together, we can make a difference for children, families and our community. The return on investment will pay high dividends, such as increasing graduation rates, developing our next leaders and going from recovery to a revitalized economy.
Kari Pendray is a parent educator and public affairs chair for Deaconess Children’s Services in Everett.
To learn more about child abuse prevention and intervention, contact Deaconess at 425-259-0146 or info@deaconesschildren.org. Or visit www.deaconesschildren.org.
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