According to The Indianapolis Star, 2017 saw more than 29,000 abused children in Indiana—about 18 for every 1,000 children statewide.
The National Child Abuse Coalitionsays that “at least one in seven children has experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year. Some, but not all, of these children enter foster care.â€
More than 1,800 children died from abuse or neglect in the United States, according to the coalition.
There are different definitions of what child abuse is. Childhelp defines it as “any act of commission or omission that endangers or impairs a child’s physical or emotional health and development. Child abuse includes any damage done to a child which cannot be reasonably explained and which is often represented by an injury or series of injuries appearing to be non-accidental in nature.â€
The Indiana Department of Child Services say that volunteering your time, offering emotional support and help to parents, considering foster parenting, and just spreading the word can help prevent child abuse.
If you suspect a child needs help, Kids’ Voice of Indiana has a Neglect Hotline that can be called at 1-800-800-5556.
