To the editor:

“April is “Prevention of Child Abuse Month” for the National Exchange Club, a month in which we would normally hang blue ribbons around Market Square.”

Nick Bittner, William Bittner, and Cameron Bittner helping their Mamma, Barbara Griffith, with the Club’s Child Abuse Prevention Month

“Children are society’s most vulnerable members. What happens to them in their early years can impact the rest of their lives, resulting in lost personal potential and a greater cost for society.”

“The measure and the consequence of child abuse is “the failure to thrive,” whether physically, emotionally, or cognitively.”

“Child abuse can involve physical harm, sexual abuse, emotional trauma or simple neglect, all of which may mean that a child could ultimately be less than he or she could be. That also means, of course, that society as a whole is less than it could be.”

“Abused children often do less well in school, face more dire medical issues, suffer emotional issues, come in more frequent contact with the law, and often require a lifetime of economic support.”

“So what to do?”

“The most desirable solution is to prevent it, to begin with. Stable families in decent housing with a sustainable income are under less pressure and therefore less likely to transfer stress onto a child.”

“If, however, such an environment does not exist, early intervention may be necessary to break the cycle of abuse. The Michael B. Christensen Community and Family Support Center in Lawrence is the New England District Exchange Clubs’ model for changing parenting behaviors in the Greater Merrimack Valley.”

“Reads the website: “The Michael B. Christensen Community and Family Support Center teaches parents skills and information to raise a stable family. The center seeks to reduce child abuse and neglect by helping families to develop the necessary social supports and coping skills that may be lacking.”

“Goals are: Increasing parental and child resiliency, helping develop a network and concrete support system available when needed, developing effective parenting skills, helping parents understand child development, developing social and emotional competency in all family members, and increasing effective decision-making skills. Services include Strength-based family education, financial literacy, parent education classes, a parent aide program, a supervised visitation center, home visits, and referral to other programs and resources.”

“Said one parent, “I’ve learned more about myself, my children, and the parent I want to be than I would have ever imagined.” Failure to prevent in the first place or to remediate along the way means that the problem continues to ripple over time and potentially throughout society, often at great cost to the taxpayer in social services and even incarceration.”

“As the old saying goes: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” But the deeper gain is in the development and the dignity of each individual child.”

“Reporting abuse to the Department of Children and Families (DCF), by the way, maybe done anonymously.”

Note:

Child-at-Risk Hotline 800-792-5200

Open 24 hours to report child abuse and neglect

JANE COLLINS  is the 2020-2021 President of the Exchange Club of Greater Newburyport

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