Child abuse prevention month

Children Today,  March-April, 1992  by Miles Golson

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

In observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month in April 1992, the comprehensive community based prevention projects funded by the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) conducted a number of public awareness activities reflecting a broad range of creative efforts. These are discussed below.

Illinois

In April, the North Lawndale community conducted its third annual Town Meeting. Those attending discussed strategies for fulfilling the needs of new parents using services established on a neighborhood rather than an agency basis. North Lawndale residents also launched an initiative on Foster Parenting, and local area school children participated in a poster contest that spotlighted the theme, "Love in the Family."

Maine

In Cumberland County, local prevention councils were urged to sponsor special events in their areas. Schools were asked to host educational and community events. Parents and other community members planned and coordinated major district-wide school activities. The aim of this initiative was to spur parents' participation in enjoyable activities with their children and to eradicate barriers that may prevent parental involvement in school projects.

To help publicize child abuse prevention, Franklin County organizers invited police force personnel to participate in a roller skating party and a basketball game. Area supermarkets printed child abuse prevention slogans on their grocery bags. A number of county businesses encouraged their employees to wear blue ribbons and supplied them with information packets.

Massachusetts

Extensive media contact was developed in the Boston area to localize the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse (NCPCA) media campaign. The Massachusetts Committee for Children and Youth distributed brochures and special letters to churches, alerting them to special events, projects and activities planned for Child Abuse Prevention Month. The governor of Massachusetts also issued a proclamation declaring April Child Abuse Prevention Month. A number of public libraries throughout the city's metropolitan area exhibited displays on Child Abuse Prevention Month.

New York

In cooperation with the New York State Federation on Child Abuse and Neglect, Chemung County launched the "10,000 Promises" program to encourage interested individuals to do one thing to make a parent's life easier. This program was implemented in conjunction with Chemung County's Task Force on Children and Families, as well as local churches, businesses, media, and concerned citizens.

Ohio

The city of Columbus collaborated with churches, schools and a number of civic and community organizations in an expansion of the "Be a Lifesaver" campaign. Businesses were sent information explaining how they could be "Lifesavers." At a major fundraiser on April 11, 200 volunteers gave rolls of lifesavers to contributors to the project's child abuse prevention effort.

Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, Child Abuse Prevention Month activities actually began on March 31 with a Head Start Conference. Later in April in Philadelphia's Hispanic community, a Family Life Celebration Festival was held in partnership with a variety of Hispanic organizations. Philadelphia's mayor designated one Sunday in April as "Family Life Day."

In a mailing to religious institutions in North Philadelphia, clergy were invited to submit their best sermons on family life. These were collected in an anthology and disseminated to the religious communities. In cooperation with the local NCPCA chapter, children from two schools participated in a Family Greeting Card project. They were asked to design special greeting cards and bring them home to their families.

An article on child abuse was submitted to Pittsburgh's local free newspaper, Pittsburgh's Child. A poster highlighting Shaken Baby Syndrome was devised, with "take-away" data attached. Radio show interviews and a variety of public speaking engagements were scheduled.

Local libraries disseminated materials on coping with a "whining baby." The Family Intervention Center at Childrens Hospital in Pittsburgh also sponsored and hosted an April conference focusing on high risk families in shelters and bridge housing facilities. More than 100 service providers attended. The goal of the conference was to educate child development staff about alternatives to physical punishment of children, and to review other child abuse prevention behaviors and issues.

Puerto Rico

Before April, the project contacted teachers in public and private elementary schools to help them conceptualize prevention activities for the entire month. School children crafted a special tapestry that was exhibited in the Governor's Palace and was then rotated to various sites. At the end of April, about 1,500 children congregated in a park to march with a band and participate in various educational/ recreational exercises and activities. Media contacts were also expanded and intensified.

Virginia