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Child Abuse Costs All of Us

Kaile Thomas (Community Education)
March 30, 2017

It’s Child Abuse Prevention Month: time to stand up and step out. Join us online and in-person at San Francisco City Hall (April 4 @ 11AM) to show your support for the children of San Francisco. Every child deserves a safe and happy childhood; yet, our city continues to have one of the highest rates of child abuse in the Bay Area. While the widening economic divide in the City puts more children at risk for abuse, child abuse crosses all zip codes, socio-economic levels, ethnicities, and family structures.

Research shows that the impact of child abuse is devastating for individuals, families, and communities, costing San Francisco an estimated $300 million for just one year of substantiated cases (read The Economics of Child Abuse: A Study of San Francisco). Abused children are more likely to experience negative educational, health, and behavioral outcomes and are more likely to be involved in risky behaviors or criminal activities as adults.

Together, we are making important progress towards ending abuse. With many years of strong collaboration within the community, San Francisco has created an important network of programs and policies that prevent child abuse and improve the response when abuse does happen.And, we have more work to do. Last year, there were more than 5,500 reports of child abuse in San Francisco, and about 58,000 in the Bay Area. Each one of us has the power to protect kids in our community.

This April, join us by taking one or all of these easy steps to help end child abuse.

Reach Out
If you need or someone you see needs support, call 415-441-KIDS

Be Aware
Know the signs of abuse & teach the children in your life how to stay safe.

Always Report Suspected Abuse
Don’t hesitate; if you have a suspicion, report it.

Step Out
Join us April 4 at 11:00 AM at San Francisco City Hall to rally for child safety & child abuse prevention, more info.

Speak Up
Talk to your friends & family about child abuse & share information through social media, sample posts.

Details + more Info: http://sfcapc.org/April

Child Abuse Prevention Month, first declared in 1983 by presidential proclamation, seeks to raise awareness about child abuse and its prevention and acknowledge the many accomplishments of families and communities working together to keep children safe and families healthy. Since 1989, a blue ribbon has stood as the symbol of child abuse prevention after a grandmother seeking to memorialize the grandson she had lost to abuse, tied a blue ribbon to her car antennae.

Like this grandmother, we cannot let up — not when children are still growing up looking for a lifeline, and not when more than half a million young people are robbed of their basic right to safety every year. Child maltreatment is everyone’s problem. Please help us send the message that by working together, we can keep all of San Francisco’s children safe.

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