April is Child Abuse Prevention Month: Here's What You Should Know
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Since April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Fox 40 News talked with a local child welfare professional to learn more about child abuse and how to prevent it.
Kristin Beylo has worked for Broome County for nearly a decade, always with a focus on child welfare. She currently works as the coordinator for the county's Family Violence Prevention Council.
Beylo says there are a number of reasons awareness is important when it comes to child abuse prevention.
"It's important that we highlight child abuse prevention for a lot of reasons. One, it tells the story of the work and the struggles of victims, survivors, and their advocates, and that includes their social workers, caseworkers, nurses, educators, teachers, and that's just to name a few people in the community that work to address child abuse," she said. "It also shows different populations in our county that we are really committed to preventing and ending child abuse. It shows children that we care about them and their safety. It shows parents that we see their struggles and we see their desire to be successful. But it also shows offenders that professionals are committed to educating parents on keeping their kids safe and that we're committed to ending child abuse in Broome County."
A majority of child abuse reports in Broome County are specifically for neglect and maltreatment. Beylo explained that these reports can reflect a parent's stressful situation, whether they are struggling with addiction, homelessness, food insecurity, or lack an understanding of appropriate supervision and childcare.
Programs like the FVPC and child protective services provide a variety of community supports to help parents address those issues and keep their children safe while keeping families together.
Spotting the signs of child abuse is not always easy. Beylo suggested that for infants, a good rule of thumb is that "if they don't cruise, they don't bruise," meaning a child who cannot get up and move around on their own should not have bruises. Bruises on an infant are something a medical professional should take a look at immediately.
As for older children, there are many signs that a child is being abused – physically or sexually – or neglected.
"The best practice really is to get to know the kids in your life and be aware of any changes in their environment and their behaviors," Beylo said. "So if new people are moving into their lives and you start to see them act afraid, or maybe they wear weather-inappropriate clothing to cover something up, or they're sleeping more or less, or acting withdrawn or anxious. Don't be afraid to ask questions or approach a parent, and if you think someone is harming them that you make that call to the State Central Registry so it can be investigated."
The New York State Central Registry is also known as the Child Abuse Hotline and can be reached 24/7 all year round by dialing 1-800-342-3720.
A topic that many people shy away from is sexual abuse. Beylo says that parents play a large role in preventing child abuse in their homes as well as outside of their homes.
Parents need to develop a safe and trustworthy network of friends and family, and have conversations with their children about their bodies, using the right terminology, to ensure that the kids know their body is their own and they always have the right to say no to anyone who asks to touch them.
"Grooming is a process where an offender slowly breaks down boundaries to sexually abuse a child, but an offender targets an entire family," Beylo explained. "It's important that parents really know the people they allow into their lives."
The Family Enrichment Network is another resource for parents seeking safe and appropriate childcare options and the Broome County Department of Social Services can help a working parent offset some of that cost.
The Family Violence Prevention Council offers a variety of trainings to help families learn more about keeping their kids safe. Other recommended resources include the Crime Victims Assistance Center, which has a crisis hotline, and the Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network.