What is Child Abuse?
Child abuse is mental, emotional, physical or sexual injury to a child or failure to prevent such an injury. It includes neglect, the failure to provide a child with food, clothing, shelter and/or medical care, as well as leaving a child in a situation where the child is at risk or harm.
Child abuse is a crime that thrives in secrecy because it is often times difficult to talk about. That’s why conversation—openly discussing this issue—is the most effective tool we have to eradicate child abuse.
Signs of child abuse can be subtle, and in many cases, nonexistent. Changes in a child’s routine or new unexplained behaviors are worth a second look. A few signs to look for include unexplained injuries, changes in behavior, changes in eating or sleeping, changes in school performance or attendance, and fear of certain places or people.
Child Abuse Articles
Normalizing “The Talk”
Whenever someone says “We’re having The Talk” people think of the awkward conversation that every parent has with their teen about safe sex. However, there is another “Talk” that needs to happen. The Talk we are looking at today is for younger children and toddlers. Your initial reaction may be that children of that age are too young to have the Talk, but this talk [...]
Interrupting the Cycle of Child Abuse
April is both Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Awareness month. The following article is the first article of a four-week series focusing on raising awareness about sexual assault and child abuse. 2 in 5 women and 1 in 5 men will experience a form of sexual abuse/assault in their lifetime. Last year roughly 42,717 children in Texas experienced child abuse including sexual abuse, [...]
Behind Closed Doors: Children At Risk
**This article was written in response to the COVID-19 pandemic While the world is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, another crisis is developing out of public sight. With many schools, daycares, and businesses closing their doors, childcare is reverting back into the home. People are being told to stay home in order to keep themselves and others safe.But the unfortunate reality is home is not [...]
Help Prevent Child Abuse This April
Child Abuse Prevention Month is observed every year in the United States and is dedicated to raising awareness and preventing child abuse and neglect. Nearly 700,000 children in the United States are experiencing abuse every year. HCWC remains dedicated to ending violence in our communities and serves children through our children’s advocacy center, Roxanne's House, which provides crucial services to children who need them. HCWC’s [...]
Internet Safety Tips for Teens & Parents
With most teens accessing the internet from mobile devices, many parents want to know how they can keep their teens safe online. While many programs and apps are designed with parental locks and passwords, they don’t teach teens how to navigate the web safely. Using the internet safely is about understanding risks and is a skill young people will need for their adult life. The [...]
When A Child Says #MeToo
For decades, we at HCWC have stressed the importance of believing survivors of sexual assault or relationship violence when they open up and tell their story. Talking to someone about abuse or trauma can be an overwhelming and incredibly vulnerable act, which is why it is so crucial not to shut someone down by offering suggestions about what a survivor could have done to avoid the situation or [...]
Listen. Believe. Support.
On October 15, 2017, actress Alyssa Milano tweeted, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” This tweet started a ripple effect of an infinite number of survivors and victims of sexual assault coming forward and sharing that they too had experienced sexual violence. Since then, the #MeToo movement has continuously grown and awareness has spread. While [...]
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, an annual campaign dedicated to raising public awareness and prevention of child abuse. This month is about engaging individuals and communities on how we can keep children safe. Nearly 700,000 children are abused in the U.S. annually. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old. Help prevent child [...]
Did You Know You Are a Mandated Reporter of Child Abuse?
Have you ever seen a situation involving a child that made you feel uncomfortable? Perhaps you suspected a child is in danger. Maybe you wondered, what should I do? What can I do? The purpose of mandated reporting is to identify suspected abuse or neglect of a child as quickly as possible to prevent further harm. If you suspect a child is being abused, then you [...]
