April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines child abuse and child maltreatment as:

"all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child's health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power."

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses the term child maltreatment to refer to:

acts of commission (abuse), which include "words or overt actions that cause harm, potential harm, or threat of harm to a child"

acts of omission (neglect), meaning "the failure to provide for a child's basic physical, emotional, or educational needs or to protect a child from harm or potential harm".



The United States federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines child abuse and neglect as:

minimum, "any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation" and/or "an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm".

If you want more information on how to prevent Child Abuse please click on the following links

https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/

https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/


If you know of a child who is being abused or someone who is abusing children, please contact the local police or the local department of social services.