Child abuse and neglect affects countless families across the country, regardless of geography, ethnicity, or income. National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect.
National Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month is an initiative led by Prevent Child Abuse America and its national network of chapters. This year's theme is "Building a Hopeful Future, Together," focusing on creating a nurturing and supportive environment for children and families across the nation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year and 1,820 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States in 2021.
What are child abuse and neglect?
Child abuse and neglect are serious public health problems and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). They can have long-term impacts on health, opportunity, and wellbeing. This issue includes all types of abuse and neglect of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role (such as a religious leader, a coach, a teacher) that results in harm, the potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child.
There are four common types of abuse and neglect:
- Physical abuse is the intentional use of physical force that can result in physical injury. Examples include hitting, kicking, shaking, burning, or other shows of force against a child.
- Sexual abuse involves pressuring or forcing a child to engage in sexual acts. It includes behaviors such as fondling, penetration, and exposing a child to other sexual activities. Please see CDC's Preventing Child Sexual Abuse webpage for more information.
- Emotional abuse refers to behaviors that harm a child's self-worth or emotional well-being. Examples include name-calling, shaming, rejecting, withholding love, and threatening.
- Neglect is the failure to meet a child's basic physical and emotional needs. These needs include housing, food, clothing, education, access to medical care, and having feelings validated and appropriately responded to.
What are the consequences?
Children who are abused and neglected may suffer immediate physical injuries such as cuts, bruises, or broken bones. They may also have emotional and psychological problems, such as anxiety or posttraumatic stress.
Over the long term, children who are abused or neglected are also at increased risk for experiencing future violence victimization and perpetration, substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections, delayed brain development, lower educational attainment, and limited employment opportunities.
Chronic abuse may result in toxic stress, which can change brain development and increase the risk for problems like posttraumatic stress disorder and learning, attention, and memory difficulties.
How We Can Help
Family Services of NW PA provides an array of services designed to ensure that children are safe and that families have the necessary support to care for their children.
We are proud to offer the following services to support children and families:
- Adoption Services provides child placement services that help both children and families, including adoption searches, child profiles, child preparation, home studies, and post-permanency services.
- Brief Services helps at-risk families cope with problems and improve childcare practices.
- Family Group Decision Making draws on the strengths of the family unit to develop a plan addressing concerns related to child safety, well-bring, and overall development.
- Family Preservation Services help strengthen the families of children at risk of placement by improving family functioning and preventing unnecessary placement of children.
- Family Reunification helps families that have had children removed from the home to achieve safe reunification.
- Family Team Meetings help engage families and find solutions for both immediate and long-term needs related to safety, well-being, and permanency.
- Foster Care Services help children who need temporary care find a stable, loving home.
- Independent Living Program helps youth ages 14-21 years old who are in out-of-home placement to make the transition to become independent, self-sufficient, and productive adults.
- Intensive Family provides crisis intervention and family treatment to keep children and families safe prevent out-of-home placement and assist in family reunification.
- Kinship Care Services help facilitate the placement of children in the custody of a County Children and Youth agency into the home of a relative or other significant adult.
To learn more about Child Welfare Programs offered at Family Services of NW PA, click the links above or call 814-866-4500.
Additional Resources:
- Child Abuse Facts and Prevention in Pennsylvania (PA Family Support Alliance)
- National Child Abuse Prevention Month Website (Child Welfare Information Gateway)
- Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Keep Kids Safe (Pennsylvania Department of Human Services)
- Child Abuse Prevention Month (National Society for the Positive Care of Children)
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevent Child Abuse America, Child Welfare Information Gateway
