April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Parmele Law Firm is proud to partner with and support the Springfield-based non-profit, the Child Advocacy Center, and their mission to end the abuse and neglect of children in our communities.
Did you know:
- Young children are the most vulnerable: children in the first year of their life are 15% of all victims, and more than a quarter (28%) of child maltreatment victims are no more than 2 years old.
- More than 600,000 children are abused in the U.S. each year. This translates to 1 in 7 children experiencing abuse and/or neglect.
- 77% of offenders are the victim’s parent or guardian.
- Staggeringly, one-third of child victims grow up to continue a pattern of seriously inept, neglectful, or abusive rearing as parents.
WHAT IS THE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER?
The Child Advocacy Center (CAC) exists to provide a safe, comfortable place where young abuse victims feel safe to talk about what happened to them and, at the same time, make this process a coordinated process among all members of the investigative team. This environment allows victims to tell their story once, thus limiting the added trauma they may endure by having to repeat the event over and over.
Since opening its doors in 1995, the CAC has expanded to serve not only Greene County but fourteen other counties in southwest Missouri. Sadly, in 2023 alone, the CAC served over 1,560 children. This is 1,560 lives devastated by child abuse. 1,560 families torn apart by an evil most cannot comprehend.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT CHILD ABUSE?
“See something, say something.” Turning a blind eye is not an option. If you have the slightest suspicion a child is being abused, contact the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child. If you feel the child is in immediate danger, call 911.
Support. Whether supporting financially, or by donating time or resources, the non-profit CAC exists because of donations from people like you.
Learn the signs of child abuse. Becoming familiar with and recognizing the signs of abuse and symptoms is paramount in making a difference and stopping the behavior.
Parmele Law Firm is proud to partner with and support the CAC for Child Abuse Prevention Month. Join us in showing your support: purchase a CAPM t-shirt and post a picture of you in your swag using the hashtag #childabusepreventionmonth. For information on the CAC, how to support them, and more, visit childadvocacycenter.org.
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