Help End Child Abuse

Every day, nearly four children die in the U.S. as a result of child abuse and neglect and over 27,000 children are exposed to domestic violence.

Protecting kids requires us all to work together. Please read the signs of child abuse, below, and pledge to take action to keep kids' lives free from violence.   

I pledge to:

1) Call the police (911) immediately if I suspect that a child is in immediate danger.

2) Learn and watch out for the 10 common signs of child abuse:

* Unexplained injuries. Visible signs of physical abuse may include unexplained burns or bruises.

* Changes in behavior. Abused children often appear scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn or more aggressive.

* Returning to earlier behaviors. Abused children may display behaviors shown at earlier ages, such as thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, fear of the dark or strangers.

* Fear of going home. Abused children may express apprehension or anxiety about leaving school or about going places with the person who is abusing them.  
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I pledge to:

1) Call the police (911) immediately if I suspect that a child is in immediate danger.

2) Learn and watch out for the 10 common signs of child abuse:

* Unexplained injuries. Visible signs of physical abuse may include unexplained burns or bruises.

* Changes in behavior. Abused children often appear scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn or more aggressive.

* Returning to earlier behaviors. Abused children may display behaviors shown at earlier ages, such as thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, fear of the dark or strangers.

* Fear of going home. Abused children may express apprehension or anxiety about leaving school or about going places with the person who is abusing them.

* Changes in eating. The stress, fear and anxiety caused by abuse can lead to changes in a child's eating behaviors, which may result in weight gain or weight loss.

* Changes in sleeping. Abused children may have frequent nightmares or have difficulty falling asleep, and as a result may appear tired or fatigued.

* Changes in school performance and attendance. Abused children may have difficulty concentrating in school or have excessive absences, sometimes due to adults trying to hide the children's injuries from authorities.

* Lack of personal care or hygiene. Abused and neglected children may appear uncared for.

* Risk-taking behaviors. Young people who are being abused may engage in high-risk activities such as using drugs or alcohol or carrying a weapon.

* Inappropriate sexual behaviors. Children who have been sexually abused may exhibit overly sexualized behavior or use explicit sexual language.

Some signs that a child is experiencing violence or abuse are more obvious than others. Trust your instincts. Suspected abuse is enough of a reason to contact the authorities. You do not need proof.

3) Share the signs of child abuse in order to build a community protecting children.
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