Although this is the second webpage in this website about child abuse, there can never be enough pages. It seems almost everday, news comes to us of children that are horrendously abused by their parents or other adults.
If there was ever an epidemic that this country needs to address, it has to be child abuse. We target millions of dollars to special projects and studies. We study flies, fleas, animals, and other subjects that make us laugh and shake our heads when we read about them. Why can't we study why a child hugging it's mother can trigger love and affection in return. Why does that same kind of hug trigger such anger in another mother that she can literally beat her child to unconsciousness. Why do some mothers bathe their children, while other mothers drown them without giving it a second thought.
Fathers take their children to ball games while others take them to the basement for a beating. If the child is asleep when they come home, they take the beating to them in their bedroom. Parents lock their doors at night to protect their families, while others lock their children in rooms as a form of punishment. Let us study why some parents come home from work and take out their daily frustrations on their children.
Study the pedophile, and find out what drives them to prey on children. When children disclose that they are being sexually abused by a father or relative, why do some mothers accuse them of lying, and why others come to their defense?
We cannot say we already have answers to some of these questions. If we do have answers, then why are we not addressing them? Reading these stories in the morning newspaper, and then tossing the paper in the garbage is not addressing these problems. Shaking our heads and exclaiming, "Dear God" is not enough.
What is the answer? Part of the answer is you. Stop the silence. When we read about a child's abuse or death, how many times do we read that neighbors or friends noticed something odd about a family, and stood silent? Have you ever noticed that a child is never seen outside playing with other children. They are never seen doing the same play activities as your own children, yet this does not throw up a red flag to us, or does it? Has any of us helped a child abuser by remaining silent?
Look in that same newspaper. Do you see the stories about all these agencies that have to cut back services? Read the articles about the hot lines, help centers, clinics, hospitals, and crisis centers that are cutting back services or closing due to lack of funds. Then read about all the Federal and State funding and where this funding is targeted for.
If you don't like what you read, then take the next step. Read up on the voting results of our Congress, the House and Senate. Find out how your Congressmen and Senators voted on all issues. If you disagree with their votes, pick up a pen or phone and let them know so. If you get no results, take your issues to the voting booth. Get others involved.
I remember watching educational shows on television that showed how some animals prey on their young. Thank God we are not like hamsters that sometimes kill and eat their young. We are not like penguins who kill the young when they are not protected by their parents. Not us, you say? Of course, not us. After all, we are human.
