In 1983, National Child Abuse Prevention Month was established. In the
month of April, all over the nation, families and communities take the
time to reflect on the importance of keeping children safe and work together
in order to prevent child abuse. Children are the future; a community
that recognizes this by supporting and protecting developing children
will ultimately thrive. Here at Monterey Park Hospital, our staff would
like to join in the effort to prevent child abuse and provide trusted
resources for families in our community.
Child Abuse Is Preventable
When people offer support to families, child maltreatment, abuse, and neglect
are greatly reduced. Nurturing parental relationships, social attachments,
and emotional stability are all needed for a child to become a stable,
thriving adult.
Take a look at simple things you can do to prevent child abuse or neglect
in your family:
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Play one-on-one with your child: Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day, spend time with your child
and play whatever he or she wants to play. This encourages positive reinforcement
and reassures your child of your love. Balance your parental guidelines
with support and love.
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Be crazy about your child: Be vocal about your love and support to your child. Children need a force
of unconditional love in their lives in order to thrive. Complement them
daily on new skills or personality traits and encourage them to develop
those traits further.
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Pass on heritage: A sense of cultural history can help develop a child’s identity.
Be proactive about telling your children where they come from and how
traditions and cultural celebrations developed. This enables them to pass
along their cultural heritage to the next generation.
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Develop family relationships: Strong family connections, especially to older members such as grandparents,
can also help ground the children in their cultural and familial identity.
Grandparents are an excellent resource for family history.
Here are ways you can impact your community:
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Volunteer at a cultural event: Communities are strengthened by the diverse cultures within them. Volunteer
at an event that allows families to share their values and culture with
others in the community. These events allow for deeper, more supportive
relationships between families.
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Volunteer for an organization: Community organizations routinely support children and families who are
going through a rough patch, or who need extra support for whatever reason.
Your time allows the organization to better serve those in the community.
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Connect with your neighbors: By holding events and connecting your neighborhood community, you can
better support families in need—be that with material things or
even with parenting advice and resources. Create a safe zone within your
neighborhood.
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Donate to families in need: Families in need may require assistance with meeting the basic needs
of their children. Make sure families in your community are receiving
the necessary support in order to be able to provide for their own children.
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Watch out for other children: Keep an eye out for other children in your community. If you sense something
is wrong with a child and that they are being abused in any way, call
your local child abuse hotline to report your concerns.
Little changes can add up to big differences in your family and your community.
You can make an impact that not only affects the present circumstances
of these children, but their futures as well. April is a month for spreading
awareness of child abuse, but also for spreading awareness of how you
can help. Please join with Monterey Park Hospital and share these tips
for preventing child abuse and take the steps necessary to build a stronger
community.
This article contains general information about medical conditions and
treatments. The information is not advice and should not be treated as
such. The information is not intended to replace the advice or diagnosis
of a physician. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter
you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.