April is Child Abuse Awareness Month
Recognizing Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect
A key to reporting child abuse and neglect is being able to recognize common indicators. In children, the following signs may signal the presence of child abuse or neglect: Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance. Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents’ attention. Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen. Is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn. Comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home. To learn more about child abuse prevention, visit: http://www.dsj.org.
Always Keep an Up-to-Date Photo of Your Child
Picture this: A good photo could save a child’s life. One of the most important tools for law enforcement in the case of a missing child is an up-to-date (take a new one every six months), good-quality photograph. The photograph should be a recent head-and-shoulders color photograph of the child in which the face is clearly seen. It should be of school-portrait quality, and the background should be plain or solid so it does not distract from the subject. When possible, the photograph should be in a digitized form and available on a compact disk (CD), as opposed to just a hard copy. This minimizes the time necessary to scan, resize, and make color corrections before disseminating it to law enforcement. The photograph should have space for accurate, narrative description useful to identify the child, such as name, nickname, height, weight, sex, age, eye color, identifying marks, glasses, and braces. For more information, please visit: www.missingkids.com.
CyberTipline Fights Internet Crimes Against Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other government agencies all work together to fight Internet crimes against children. They’ve established a “CyberTipline,” a reporting mechanism for cases of child sexual exploitation including child pornography, online enticement of children for sex acts, molestation of children outside the family, sex tourism of children, child victims of prostitution, and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child. Reports may be made 24 hours per day, seven days per week;online at www.cybertipline.com or by calling 800 843 5678.
Take the Child Safety Quiz
Parents, guardians, and adults who care for children face constant challenges when trying to help keep children safer in today’s fast-paced world. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) offers easy-to-use safety resources to help address these challenges. NCMEC’s Web site offers a range of practical information for parents and guardians that will help keep children safe from harm. The site also features an interactive quiz on child safety designed for both adults and children. To take the quiz, visit the NCMEC Web site and click on “Child Safety”: www.missingkids.com.
Child safety resources for the Spanish-speaking
Nearly 800,000 children are reported missing to law enforcement each year. One in five is Hispanic. But, by working together we can help reduce the incidents of missing and exploited children in Hispanic communities across the United States. The commitment to help our children transcends ethnicity, reflects American spirit, and is nobly exemplified in the Hispanic community. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children offers easy-to-use safety resources in English and Spanish to help parents and guardians protect children. For more information, visit the NCMEC website: www.missingkids.com
Five steps to safer environments
The Diocese requires that all people who work with children and youth in our parishes and schools must undergo child abuse prevention training through the VIRTUS, Shield the Vulnerable or the Diocesan Live Training program. The training details five steps to prevent child sexual abuse:
1. Know the warning signs of an inappropriate relationship with a child.
2. Control access to children by carefully selecting the adults who work with children and youth.
3. Monitor all programs for the safety of children and youth.
4. Be aware of, and sensitive to, what is going on in the lives of children.
5. Communicate concerns to the appropriate person in authority.
For particular help you may call Bernie Nojadera, Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults, 408.983.0113 or email at protection@dsj.org.