Child Safety

Issue Overview

Palm Beach County is on par with the rest of the country in terms of keeping children safe; however, there is plenty of room for improvement. Of particular concern is the recent increase in child abuse cases, both locally and nationwide.

• In Palm Beach County, the number of abuse cases (physical, sexual and neglect) rose to 12,183 up from 11,947 the previous year.

• Last year, Florida's Child Abuse Hotline received 220,354 calls - a 33% increase over the prior year. Of the perpetrators, 76% were parents.

• 201 children died from abuse or neglect last year in Florida.

• Children younger than 5 experienced the highest rate of fatalities, and physical abuse was the leading cause of death here in ...

  

...Florida.

That is a lot of suffering, and these numbers only represent reported cases.

Palm Beach County parents who were surveyed about child safety named many areas of concern: accidental drowning, bullying in school, cyber bullying, internet safety, car seat safety, children dying due to being left in hot cars, child abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and child and teen suicide, to name a few.

Why does it matter to me?

Child abuse is not just an individual problem. Children who survive abuse are more likely to negatively impact society as adults. In addition to handing down the legacy of abuse throughout generations, child abuse infects our communities with cynicism, anger and violence, and crime, drugs and disease.

According to childwelfare.gov, costs to society include:

• juvenile and adult criminal activity, mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic violence;

• loss of productivity due to unemployment and underemployment;

• the cost of special education services; and

• increased use of the health care system by both adults and children.

What can I do?

Many accidents and issues can be thwarted if we as a community discuss openly, providing children and parents with prevention education so they know how to keep their children safe. Here are a few ways you can help make a difference:

• Get educated. Child safety education helps us learn how to communicate with our children, so we can be attuned to potential threats. Ninety percent of the time when a child is hurt, it is by someone they know. It is our responsibility as the adults to be the first line of defense in our children's safety.

• Advocate. Make prevention education a required part of the curriculum in elementary schools. All children deserve the right to learn important skills to help keep themselves safe. Write to your local congressmen, state representative and Palm Beach County School Board Members.

• Volunteer or donate. Get involved with local organizations that care about child safety, such as the KidSafe Foundation. Kidsafe has taught prevention techniques to over 16,000 children, parents and teachers. Donations help bring prevention education to more communities in our area.