The phrase “child abuse” is unsettling to anyone who hears it. However, many people have no idea how common this is. There are approximately 1 in 7 children in the United States that are experiencing a form of child abuse. Unfortunately, there are likely to be even more child abuse cases that are never reported because children are often unaware that their experiences are not normal.
While there are many different resources educating on the subject of child abuse, the majority are directed at adults in the hope that they will notice warning signs in children’s behavior and step in to take action. And while this education is important, there is a huge gap in educating the victims of child abuse themselves since the subject is often seen as “too complicated for children to understand”.
Although difficult, I believe it is crucial to find age-appropriate ways to communicate these subjects to children, especially when they may affect a child’s safety and well-being. Through these two booklets, discussing emotional and physical abuse, I have visually addressed examples of “okay” and “not okay” behaviors of caregivers and adults. Along with additional information and resources, these booklets give the reader the ability to compare the way they are being treated by the adults around them with a reliable resource. With a better understanding of their current situation, this gives children the ability to ask for help. And makes us one step closer to bringing more hidden child abuse cases to light.
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