While our children are heading back to school with new opportunities to explore and learn abound, we must also recognize it’s the busiest time of year at the child advocacy centers serving our child victims of abuse throughout the Granite State.
For too many of our children, time away from school also means time away from the care of the No. 1 reporters of suspected abuse and neglect: our teachers. Year in and year out, our teachers are responsible for leading more child victims of abuse to help than anyone.
Even with the committed work of so many, only one in 10 cases of child abuse and neglect are being reported, resulting in 90 percent of our suffering children not getting the care they need. We can and must do better.
Haunting news of child abuse is all too common in our country and very own communities.
Now it’s time to engage all professionals and caregivers, in fact all residents of New Hampshire 18 years and older, to recognize we are mandated by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect.
A recent UNH Crimes Against Children Research Center report showed that only 61 percent of adult Granite Staters recognized they are mandated reporters by law. That is not a passing grade by any measure.
An advisory board of child advocates, educators, physicians, law enforcement, legislators, business leaders, state officials and other community stakeholders has convened and developed a public education and responsibility program to teach adults to know the signs of child abuse and how to tell authorities when we suspect a child needs help.
Know & Tell, a program of the Granite State Children’s Alliance, New Hampshire’s network of child advocacy centers, provides free training for residents, companies and organizations.
We encourage you to learn more at KNOWandTELL.org.
We can all be educated to inform so we can protect our kids.
(Joy Barrett is executive director of the Granite State Children’s Alliance.)