Yell & Tell Striving to Protect Children: Rally Teaches Signs to Detect Abuse
Posted on: Monday, 10 April 2006, 12:00 CDT
By Christopher D. Kirkpatrick, The Blade, Toledo, Ohio
Apr. 10--Ohio is among the states with the highest rates of reported child abuse and neglect, a fact that spurred Pam Crabtree into action three years ago.
An abuse survivor, Ms. Crabtree said she started Yell & Tell: Stop Child Abuse Now because she was tired of just talking with other survivors in Internet chat rooms and in groups.
"It's easy to talk," she said.
She and others wanted to do something about it.
According to Prevent Child Abuse Ohio, the state's rate of child abuse and neglect ranked ninth in the nation at 17.4 victims per 1,000 children. The national average is 12.3.
The Yell & Tell gathering focuses on teaching parents and educators the telltale signs of abuse. Abuse and neglect includes sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical abuse, including shaken-baby syndrome.
"Parents need to realize their child is not above being abused," she said yesterday at an informational seminar.
"Abuse holds no economic or cultural borders. Abuse hits everybody," she said.
About 60 parents and children attended the session at the Springfield Township Administration Building to hear from state Sen. Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo) and Patricia Lyons, who is executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Ohio, and the Lucas County Sheriff's Office. Bumper, a certified therapy dog who helps abused children recover, was also at the gathering.
Prevention must be stressed, Ms. Lyons told the crowd of children and parents.
"I need to make sure we understand the issue of prevention," she said. "Children cannot protect themselves. They are not responsible for what happens to them."
Bob Gibson, who has two sons, 5 and 11, and sat in the crowd yesterday, said parents have to become smarter because predators have become more savvy about using the Internet to lure children.
"You have to try and gain an edge to protect the children," he said.
Prevent Child Abuse Ohio now has a presence in 41 Buckeye counties and is growing. Ms. Lyons said.
According to the group:
* In 2002, there were more than 100,000 reported cases of child abuse and neglect in Ohio, and 50,140 of the children were determined to be victims of abuse and neglect.
* Over a four-year period, Ohio has seen the number of children abused and neglected double from 24,998 in 1998 to the most recent 50,140 in 2002.
* Children's Hospital of Columbus saw 137 inpatient admissions associated with shaken-baby syndrome from 1998 to 2003.
* The syndrome is one of the most violent forms of child abuse and accounts for the majority of severe head injuries in children under one year.
To learn more about recognizing signs of child abuse, go to www.pcao.org.
Contact Christopher D. Kirkpatrick at: ckirkpatrick@theblade.com or 419-724-6077.
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Copyright (c) 2006, The Blade, Toledo, Ohio
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Source: The Blade
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