LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX18) — April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month, and advocates are urging the public to keep the conversation going to protect vulnerable children.
According to the National Children's Alliance, nearly one in every 100 children in the U.S. are victims of abuse or neglect. U.S. child welfare authorities look into the safety of nearly 8 million kids a year.
Diane Fleet, the associate director of Greenhouse17, said the conversation around child abuse is not always frequent. A child acting out of character or doing poorly in school can be interpreted as "just going through stages," but that is not always the case Fleet said.
"So beginning to ask questions to kind of get to see if someone feels safe in their home. Is there something troubling in your home? Do you feel that you're able to kind of participate in after school programs, whatever that is? Are you still able to do that without no repercussions?" Fleet said.
Fleet said abusers can have a different persona in public than what is seen behind closed doors. It is important to ask if something is happening rather than believe a person "would never do that" just because you know them personally or they appear innocent.
"The abuse, the physical abuse, doesn't have to happen all that often. Just enough to know that person is capable of that," Fleet said. "So if the words aren't working anymore, or the isolation isn't working anymore, then you know I'm capable of the physical abuse."
Many times children can feel like what's happening to them is their fault, or their responsible. They might even chalk it up to "normal," even though it's not.
"I think that's a question we really need to start asking. Why do they do this? Like what is- and what is our response to the abuser. Not picking apart everything the victim did. The victim is just trying to survive, you know?" Fleet said.
If you or someone you know has been affected by child abuse, you can call the national hotline (800) 422-4453 or contact the Lexington Children's Advocacy Center.
