New Hanover County agencies highlight Child Abuse Prevention Month
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) –April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and local agencies want you to help report suspected abuse and neglect cases.
The Carousel Center, and New Hanover County Child Protective Services is highlighting the importance of child abuse prevention awareness, and what the community can do to lend a helping hand.
According to The Carousel Center, that serves children who have been victims of physical or sexual abuse, 85% of child abuse and neglect cases are reported by staff at schools, day cares, and after school programs across the country.
During the month of April, Child Abuse Prevention Month, The Carousel Center and New Hanover County Child Protective Services are calling for everyone to be aware of signs of abuse in children .
“It takes everybody in the community helping, to recognize signs of abuse and neglect, and everybody in the community helping to protect children and to really prevent it. We get involved after there’s concerns of abuse and neglect, and this month we’re really trying to focus on what can we do to take care of children and families before it even gets to that point. So how can we help families take care of the kids and meet their needs,” said Holly Royals, New Hanover County Child Protective Services program manager.
Some signs of child abuse to look for are injuries, emotional outbursts, and changes in a child’s behavior.
“180 degree shift in that demeanor of a child should give us as the adults, that little alarm bell that says ‘ hey, let’s ask a few more questions of this child, just to see what’s happening, and maybe we need to be sure that nothing is going on, that is of concern for their safety and well-being,” said Amy Feath, The Carousel Center Executive Director.
During height of the pandemic, when students were not doing in-person learning, The Carousel Center says there was a change in the type of child abuse cases the center saw.
“We didn’t see any less or any more kids during the pandemic. So we see about 500 cases a year of unduplicated children, and we serve Pender, Brunswick, and New Hanover Counties, but what we did see was far more severe injuries in the children that came to us over the last two years,” said Feath.
New Hanover County Child Protective Services is offering tips on how you can approach a child if you suspect them to be a victim of abuse or neglect.
“We always ask for people to do open ended questions to children, tell me what’s going on and see if they tell you what’s going on and see if they give you some information if they have those concerns. We don’t expect nor want anybody to conduct their own investigations. All we have to have is a suspicion and you call and we will screen those reports,” said Royals.
Both agencies encourage community members to contact law enforcement and Child Protective Services if you suspect a child is a victim of abuse.
The Carousel Center is hosting its annual fundraiser “Making Legends Local Gala”, the event will benefit child survivors of abuse in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties
