National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2009

It's hard to believe that 1982 marked the first National Child Abuse Prevention Week; I can only wonder what went through the minds of those individuals who first called upon us as a nation to recognize the tragedy of children dying at the hands of those in whom we trusted to aid them as they grew into their own. The next year, April was designated National Child Abuse Prevention Month; I wonder, nearly 30 years later, how many Americans are still unaware of this and how many wonder about the significance of the blue ribbons we're already seeing on car antennas.

Child abuse, for all our efforts, remains a largely private issue. There have been some few high-impact cases over the last few decades, but the everyday realities of most of these children remain hidden behind closed doors, unremarked by neighbors, teachers, and family members who cannot bring themselves to voice their suspicions--if they can even bring themselves to suspect so horrible a crime. We, as Americans, believe in the sacrosanctness of the family unit and the reliability of parents to provide for their children. Unfortunately, we often fail to account for the difficulties of our modern lives--particularly in this time of recession, when the stress of finding or keeping work and of providing for the necessities of life for oneself and one's family can be overwhelming for those who can't be sure when or if they'll be "downsized."

Parents are stressed, overworked, and desperate to maintain the financial security of their families, and this can easily lead to behaviors and actions to which they would not have resorted in past years. This year, in these circumstances, National Child Abuse Prevention Month is more important than ever. As a nation and as a global community, we should take these few precious moments to consider how our actions are affecting those who depend upon us, not only financially but physically and emotionally. We, as a society, have an obligation to see to it that our failures and the failures of those who came before us are not taken out upon those who depend upon us.

I'm going to leave you with the words of our president, whose rhetoric is far more exalted than my own.