Love Our Children USA Observes the 31st Anniversary of National Child Abuse Prevention Month This April

NEW YORK, NY, March 26, 2014 (Press-News.org) This April marks the 31st anniversary of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It is a time dedicated to child abuse education, awareness and prevention.

With the month of observance around the corner, these stories must serve as a wake-up call to raise awareness for child abuse prevention.

In the month of March alone:

• Man charged with child abuse, drug trafficking, Albuquerque, NM
• Two women have been arrested after police in Salinas said they found three malnourished and abused children. According to authorities, one of the children was found chained to the floor. The children were so emaciate, one was compared to a person found in a concentration camp. The home was in great squalor as well.
• Chicago ...Police Seek Help Identifying Toddler Found In Apartment Building
• Hampton, VA ... There have been 223 child abuse deaths in Hampton Roads since 1996, according to the Hampton Roads Child Fatality Review Team
• RALEIGH, NC -- Police arrested a Raleigh woman Saturday for child abuse; they allege she burned and bruised her two-year-old son.
• A girl approximately one year old was found alone in an apartment lobby in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood and now police are asking for the public's help.

These are only a handful of stories.

Love Our Children USA, (a national organization headquartered in New York whose mission is to break the cycle of violence against children) begins its 12th annual GET BLUE campaign - a national effort to educate and raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention.

Everyone is urged to take this national call to action. People can help prevent child abuse, assist families in achieving positive parenting practices through education and resources, empower individuals to report the abuse and intervene in situations where violence and neglect hurt children.

Children must know they are loved. To signify the importance of the month, Love Our Children USA announces the 12th Annual National Love Our Children Day on Saturday, April 5th. Created by Love Our Children USA, National Love Our Children Day is celebrated annually to honor children, strengthen families and raise awareness for efforts to keep children safe.

According to Love Our Children USA founder and Chief Executive Officer: "the number of children being abuse is growing. In 2012, an estimated 1,640 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States. An estimated 686,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect, and those were only the ones reported. The actual number of abuse cases is three times greater."

As reported by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children & Families. Child Maltreatment 2012:

• 51 states reported approximately 3.8 million children received preventative services from Child P protective Services agencies in the United States.
• Children younger than one year had the highest rate of victimization of 21.9 per 1,000 children in the national population of the same age.
• Of the children who experienced maltreatment or abuse, over 75% suffered neglect; more than 15% suffered physical abuse; and just under 10% suffered sexual abuse.
• Approximately 80% of reported child fatalities as a result of abuse and neglect were caused by one or more of the child victim's parents.

Ellis said: "We must reeducate and re-educate parents helping to create positive parenting practices before the abuse starts. By wearing blue, it is a time to create a national awareness so that not just parents understand the importance of positive parenting, but the public does as well."

National Child Abuse Prevention Month is our collective responsibility to protect America's children and strengthen America's families. We must work together to break the cycle.

Contact: Media Relations
Love Our Children USA
888.347.KIDS / 212.629.2099
http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org
media@loveourchildrenusa.org

About Love Our Children USA
Love Our Children USA is the leading national nonprofit and 'Go-To' prevention organization fighting all forms of violence against children in the U.S. Since 1999, it has broken ground in preventing violence against children. Love Our Children USA teaches effective parenting solutions by creating valuable programs that empower positive changes in parenting and family attitudes, bullying and cyberbullying prevention, Internet safety and school violence prevention through public education. The goal of Love Our Children USA is Keeping Children Safe and strengthening families.