Preventing Child Abuse: The Importance of Speaking Out and Stepping Up
The prevalence of reported cases of child abuse in Athens may surprise many people, but what may surprise more individuals is the number of unreported cases. Fortunately, there are ways to effectively combat child abuse. One of the most important ways to reduce the future number of cases of abuse is preventing it from ever happening initially. There are several organizations that serve the Athens community and beyond that focus solely on prevention. Other organizations also work with families who have a potential for abuse, as well as families or individuals that have already been affected by a form of abuse. Regardless of a person’s particular circumstance, help is readily available at arm’s length.
According to Sally Sheppard, Executive Director of The Cottage Sexual Assault Center and Children's Advocacy Center in Athens, at some point in their lives, one in four women will be a victim of child abuse or sexual, whereas one in six men will be victims. “Abuse occurs across all socioeconomic classes, races and genders,” Sheppard says. Also, a correlation between female victims who do not seek help and those who become pregnant in the future is evident. Living with abuse and surviving an abusive period also ties in to a potential future of alcoholism, drug abuse, prostitution or serious health problems. Drug use can occur as a result of never having learned how to cope, and health problems can be related to stress, causing cancer or cardiac issues in the future, Sheppard says.
Child abuse can be broken down into several categories. It is important to note that the word ‘child’ is used in this instance to refer to adolescents less than 18 years of age. Sheppard explains physical abuse as “hurting someone else’s body in a physical way.” The Cottage sees mostly adolescents who have experienced extreme physical abuse, including bruises, burns, cuts and broken bones that are usually caused by another person in the household in which the victim resides or someone with whom they are in a physical relationship.
Extreme physical violence will often result after children of the house witness domestic violence between parents, partners or guardians, or when children witness extreme cases of violence such as homicide or suicide. Another result of domestic violence can be dating violence, but most of the time these instances go unreported, Sheppard says.
Sexual abuse is “any unwanted sexual contact done to a person 15 years of age or younger,” Sheppard says. This can include physical touching or the showing of body parts, and is the most common form of abuse among adolescents ages 13 through 18. Sexual assault, also known as rape, occurs when there is penetration with any object, bodily or inanimate, anywhere in another person’s body. A majority of abusers are family members, but in some cases they are complete strangers. Most cases of sexual abuse can be classified as statutory rape. According to Sheppard, these cases result when there is “consensual sex with someone 15 years old and younger with someone ages 16 years of age or older.”
Though physical markings such as bruises may make abuse evident, emotional abuse is harder to recognize. “The constant putting down of a child or adolescent can be hidden very well. Long term emotional abuse can be as damaging as other types,” Mary Hood, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Athens (PCA Athens) says. Reported rates of emotional abuse are higher in Oconee County than Clarke, Madison and Oglethorpe, Hood says.
The reason cases of abuse oftentimes go unnoticed is because adolescents fear the blame will come back to them, Sheppard explains. The victim may feel guilty or shameful, or they may not want to be highlighted as a topic of discussion. Sheppard also adds that just because one particular type of abuse is reported, others should not rule out everything else that may be going on with the victim.
Prevent Child Abuse Athens also works in cooperation with the Clarke County School District. “When children come to us, it is our responsibility to refer them to Prevent Child Abuse Athens and notify the necessary law enforcement,” Dawn Meyers, Director of Social Work for the Clarke County School District, says.
Organizations such as PCA Athens heavily promote prevention techniques through communication and discipline. “We truly believe it works. The percent of cases has fallen to average in Clarke County from one of the highest,” Hood says. PCA Athens also offers a support program to parents or guardians that voluntarily accept help to better a child’s life. Hood and PCA Athens’s goal is to reach what they refer to as the “tipping point.” This means PCA Athens hopes to educate 4,000 people in the next three to five years. “If you can reach five per cent and educate them, you can reduce the number of cases,” Hood adds.
With the help of local resources, preventative measure can be taken to continually reduce the number of child abuse cases—physical, sexual or emotional—both reported and unreported. The vast amount of help and knowledge made readily available by experts in their field will provide assistance for families and individuals to band together and begin combating the issue of child abuse once and for all.
What to do if a friend or loved one is being abused 1. Listen 2. Don’t judge 3. Support his or her decision 4. Respect his or her privacy 5. Use phrases such as, “I’m glad you told me.” 6. Suggest ways to find help (school counselors, The Cottage hotline) Tips for Keeping Yourself Safe 1. Always travel in groups of friends, whether it is to a movie, party, football game or shopping. 2. Trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Make the choice to leave. 3. Watch what you put in your body. Beware of alcohol, the #1 predatory drug. 4. Always be aware of your surroundings.
Contacts:
Sally Sheppard: Executive Director The Cottage Sexual Assault Center and Children's Advocacy Center, 3019 Lexington Road Athens, GA 30605; 706-546-1133 Ext. 2; sally@northgeorgiacottage.org
Mary Hood: Executive Director Prevent Child Abuse Athens; 706-546-9713; mhood@pcaathens.org
Dawn Meyers: 706-548-3550 ext. 18340; meyersd@clarke.k12.ga.us
I enjoyed being edited by Allie. We agreed on all of the changes she suggested and it is insightful to hear thoughts from an outside source reading my story. She is able to find errors in my article that I would have easily overlooked. Excuse the white boxes... they were text boxes in Microsoft Word.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn's story was great, had a ton of great resources and quotes. I learned that Katelyn is a confident writer and she uses a great deal of the notes that she takes in her story. I suggested that taking out a few of the repetative sentences would help to condense the story. We also discussed rewording a couple of things to clarify what she was trying to say and checking AP Style on a few questionable words.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important story Katelyn. I'm glad you wrote it. Good research and reporting. The story needs a stronger lead and a better ending. Also, always use "said" for attribution (not "says").
ReplyDelete