At least one in seven children in the United States have experienced some form of abuse or neglect in the past year, and an estimated 1,840 children have died from child abuse or neglect. To recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, EMPOWER, a nonprofit child welfare collaborative, is highlighting several ways to detect, prevent, and spread awareness about child abuse.

Four ways to help prevent child abuse are: 

• Support prevention programs in your community. 

• Intervention often occurs after abuse is reported. Greater investments are needed in programs that are proven to stop abuse before it has occurred, like counseling and home visits. 

• Learn to identify signs of abuse.

• Unexplained injuries are not the only signs of abuse. Other signs include depression, anxiety, fear of specific adults, difficulty trusting others or making friends, sudden changes in eating or sleeping patterns, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor hygiene, secrecy, and hostility. 

• Invest in kids. 

• Encourage leaders in your community to be supportive of children and families. This includes asking employers to provide family-friendly work environments and asking lawmakers to support legislations to better protect children. 

• Wear blue for awareness.

• Spread awareness for child abuse prevention by wearing blue. This is a simple act that anyone can do to help promote prevention and education.

“As a community, we must confront the harsh reality of child abuse,” says Senior Vice President of EMPOWER Randy Neff. “Our organization is committed to raising awareness and encouraging preventative measures to protect our children. We also hope that programs like the Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) program help older youth in the foster care system distinguish between healthy and toxic relationships and empower them to succeed in adulthood.”

To find local volunteer opportunities in Dallas, please visit https://www.dallascasa.org/about-dallas-casa/. For volunteer opportunities outside of Dallas, please visit https://texascasa.org/how-to-help/. To report suspected child abuse or neglect, please call 1-800-252-5400.