April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and this week we feature Children’s Trust of South Carolina with spokesman Michael Shirley, Community Prevention Coordinator. He will discuss child abuse, neglect, and injury to tell readers what it takes to keep children safe:

Children’s Trust of South Carolina works to prevent child abuse and neglect. Keeping kids safe from abuse, neglect and injury doesn’t easily lend itself to a single solution. There is no single public agency, community organization or individual that can ensure children remain completely safe.

We work at the family level by collaborating with a diverse group of state and local partners to deliver effective prevention programs. We train people in a variety of organizations and agencies that work with children and families. We work closely with our partners because we cannot do this alone. We lead community outreach to build awareness of the work that needs to be done. We advocate for policies at the legislative level that can turn into laws improving the lives of children. We conduct the research and evaluation that can lead to a deeper understanding of what we need to do and why.

In 1982, Congress resolved that June 6 through June 12 should be designated as the first National Child Abuse Prevention Week. The following year, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed April to be the first National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a tradition that continues to this day.

The Bureau’s National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect coordinated activities at the federal level, including creation and dissemination of information and promotional materials.

It is easier to stop something from happening in the first place than to repair the damage after it has happened. If we can prevent a child from experiencing physical, mental, sexual abuse or neglect, we can avoid the crippling consequences and significant expenses associated with child protective services, the criminal justice system, special education and productivity loss.

Child abuse and neglect costs South Carolina approximately $1 billion annually in direct and indirect expenses: 18,848 children were involved in founded cases of child abuse and neglect in 2015: 54 percent were neglect, 39 percent were physical abuse, 5 percent were sexual abuse, 46 percent of children were ages 0-5, 36 percent of children were ages 13-17, 18 percent of children were ages 6-12.

The messaging around child abuse prevention has made a major shift over the last several years. The Blue Ribbon Campaign began in the spring of 1989 when Bonnie Finney of Virginia lost her grandson, Michael Dickenson. The three-year-old died at the hands of her daughter’s abusive boyfriend. Bonnie tied a blue ribbon to her car, symbolizing the blue of her grandson’s bruises and encouraged her community to do the same.

Research shows that by choosing to focus on the negative side of child abuse and neglect people find the issue insurmountable, don’t know what to do about it, and only deepens their distrust of the government that is supposed to work as a safety net for children and families.

To help people connect with the issue and spur people into action, the message has shifted to something positive. We focus on the happy, health childhood that every child deserves. Further, we add that we know what is takes to keep families strong and children safe. Children’s Trust, PCA SC and our Prevention Partners promote the Protective Factors Framework, a set of conditions in families and communities that, when present, help families thrive and reduce the incidence and consequences of child abuse and neglect.

In the past year, Prevent Child Abuse America rebranded to include the pinwheel as part of their logo to reflect their commitment to the positive message. Each year in April pinwheels are planted to show support and raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The pinwheel symbolizes the carefree spirit of great childhoods, when children grow up happy, healthy, nurtured and safe. They are used to draw attention to the effective solution of prevention and a strong visible presence of your commitment to preventing child abuse.

Children’s Trust is home to Prevent Child Abuse South Carolina, the state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. Some of our partners are convening county-wide Child Abuse Prevention Month efforts. Contact Michael Shirley (803-744-4039) if you would like to join these like-minded, passionate organizations and work toward eliminating child abuse and neglect.

The Newberry College Kappa Deltas are partnering with Children’s Trust this year to raise funds as part of their community service projects. The Kappa Deltas have a national relationship with Prevent Child Abuse America but often support state chapters.

The Newberry KDs have been involved with the Boys Farm for many years and will continue to support them in addition to Children’s Trust. They will be raising funds for Children’s Trust via an online fundraising platform called crowdrise. There are no PCA SC partners in Newberry at this time but the closest partner is probably Carolina Health Centers with headquarters in Greenwood. There are a total of 19 PCA SC partners in the first group and we will be looking to actively expand after April.

Harnessing the collective power of families, community organizations, schools, local officials, law enforcement, and businesses can ensure the health and happiness of children. Many child abuse cases are preventable if families are connected to those who can help. Working together we can prevent child abuse and its devastating mental and physical effects. The first step is awareness.

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Margaret Brackett

Contributing Columnist

Margaret Brackett is from Newberry. Her columns appear weekly in The Newberry Observer.