| Child Abuse Prevention |
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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Everyone in the Cedar Valley can and should do all they can to prevent child abuse, because protecting children is everyone's business.
In Iowa, the Legislature has defined as "child abuse" several types of harm suffered as the result of the acts or omissions of someone who is responsible for the care of a child. This harm includes:
- A nonaccidental physical injury
- A mental injury to a child's intellectual or psychological capacity
- A sexual offense with or to a child, including involving a child in prostitution
- The failure to provide for adequate food, shelter, clothing or other care necessary for the child's health and welfare
- The presence of an illegal drug in a child's body as a direct and foreseeable consequence of someone's acts or omissions
- Manufacturing a dangerous substance in a child's presence
- Cohabiting with a sex offender, who is not the caretaker's spouse or child's biological parent
- Committing bestiality in the presence of a child
In 2007, there were 557 confirmed reports of child abuse in Black Hawk County involving 784 children. 413 of these children were 5 years old or younger while the remaining 371 children were between the ages of 6 and 17.
Children who are abused are more likely to suffer in several ways:
- Poor physical health
- Poor emotional and mental health
- Social difficulties
- Cognitive dysfunction which affect academic achievement
- High-risk health behaviors
- Behavioral problems
The costs of child abuse to society are considerable. In 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America released the second comprehensive report on the direct (immediate intervention) and indirect (long-term) costs of child abuse and neglect in America. The report estimates that the United States spends $103.8 billion annually in response to child abuse.
You will often see blue ribbons as a reminder that we can prevent child abuse. The Blue Ribbon Campaign began in 1989 when a Virginia grandmother tied a blue ribbon on her van as a memorial for her three-year-old grandson who had been murdered by his mother's boyfriend. Today, people working to prevent child abuse use the blue ribbon as a reminder of the positive steps that can be taken to prevent child abuse.
If you suspect child abuse, please call 1-800-362-2178. For more information including a list of prevention and community resources, visit the Family & Children's Council web site.
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