Jefferson County, OH — As Child Abuse Prevention Month continues, experts in Jefferson County are working to raise awareness about how adults can help create safe environments for children to thrive.
According to the Nationwide Children’s Alliance, child abuse remains a significant public health issue in the United States, with more than a half a million children identified as victims annually. Experts also warn that child abuse does not always come with clear warning signs and can be difficult to spot.
Amy Lingerfelt said changes in a child’s behavior can be a sign something is wrong. “They might suddenly be more emotional, more dramatic, or withdrawn. They may act out at school. They may be angrier or they may go out of there way and lean into perfectionism,” Lingerfelt said.
Lingerfelt said the center uses the “Darkness to Light” Stewards of Children curriculum, a training designed to help adults protect children from sexual abuse. The training is broken into five steps: learning the facts, minimizing opportunity, talking openly about issues, recognizing signs and reacting responsibly.
Lingerfelt emphasized the importance of staying calm when a child opens up. “If you remain calm, you’re telling the child that this is a safe thing to talk about, which is opening that door to ongoing communication,” she said.
Internet safety is also a concern experts urge caregivers to take seriously, including the risk of online predators through social media and game chats. Lingerfelt encouraged adults to keep a close eye on what children are doing online.
“Make sure that you’re monitoring their devices. Make sure that they’re only going on apps and websites that are approved by you and that you’ve done your research on them. Don’t blindly approve them. Please look them up,” Lingerfelt said.
Lingerfelt said adults can help prevent child abuse by maintaining open communication with children, calling it a key predictor of safety. She also warned that predators may target children who appear isolated.
“Preditors go out of their way to identify children that are lonely, withdrawn, isolated. So if you can be a safe person in a child’s life, if you can be a safe adult for them, you are safeguarding them that much more from abuse,” Lingerfelt said.
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