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Congressman
Elijah E. Cummings |
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Congressman
Elijah E. Cummings |
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by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
"Many of America's children are not safe, even in their own homes," the President declared last Monday as he designated April National Child Abuse Prevention Month. "Whether suffering neglect, harsh physical punishment, sexual abuse, or psychological trauma, the children who survive will carry the scars of their abuse for the rest of their lives."
Regrettably, President Clinton's words are all too accurate. More than 900,000 children were harmed by abuse or neglect during 1998 B 14,000 of them living in Maryland.
Nearly a quarter of these children suffered physical abuse, and almost 12 percent were sexually abused. Nationally, more than 1,100 children died (24 in Maryland alone) as a direct result of their maltreatment.
The repeated stories about abuse and neglect in our morning papers remind us, however, that these are real children who are being harmed, not mere statistics.
Yet, we are making progress against this deadly public health challenge. A nationwide movement continues the daily struggle that is making life safer for our children. In a trend that began five years ago, the number of American children abused and neglected each year has declined 11 percent from the record 1,018,692 who were harmed in 1993.
At the federal level, the President and Congress have worked to increase funding to the states for child protection programs. The recently enacted Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act, for example, gives State and local officials greater flexibility in using Department of Justice grant programs to prevent abuse and neglect.
Along with programs like the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the Adoption and Safe Families Act and the Safe and Stable Families Program, this federal support can make a difference in children's lives B if we all do our parts to protect the children in our own communities.
Keeping children safe is a community responsibility, and prevention must be a community task. By working together, we can implement the practical measures and programs that reduce the dangers facing children.
Parents can ask for help in overcoming addictions or controlling violent behavior. Teachers and physicians can become more skilled at recognizing the symptoms of child abuse.
We now know, for example, that there are a variety of risk factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect. Danger signs include parental substance abuse, lack of parenting skills and knowledge, domestic violence and extreme stress.
Preventing child abuse is our responsibility. That is why I hope that everyone concerned about our children will take a few moments next Tuesday, April 18, to join Maryland's Lt. Governor, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, and me (along with nearly 1000 other advocates for children) at the Baltimore Convention Center for the annual Governor's Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect.
In many ways, this annual conference is a testament to the persistence and dedication of a determined woman named Gloria Goldfaden.
I first met this remarkable former teacher over 15 years ago when I was a young member of the Maryland Legislature and she was a mother whose child had been harmed by a trusted neighbor. As Gloria Goldfaden testified in support of our effort to remove physical punishment from Maryland's schools, I could see that, even then, she was also engaged in a process of personal healing.
Hers was a personal journey that would transform her family's torment into a triumph for all Maryland children.
It took years, but citizen advocates like Gloria Goldfaden ultimately educated the public and prevailed on the corporal punishment issue. Today, through the persistence and dedication of organizations like Prevent Child Abuse Maryland, we are developing a comprehensive network to protect children from abuse and neglect in every setting.
I am honored to walk hand-in-hand with Gloria Goldfaden's family and all of the others whose children have been harmed. Ours is a shared journey from torment to triumph.
As President Clinton has declared, "we must continue our efforts to create a society where every child is cherished and no child bears the lasting scars of abuse or neglect."
-The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.
