Have you read The Hate U Give? Seen the movie maybe? If so, you’ve probably realized it has an important message at its core and it starts with the acronym “THUG LIFE.” According to the story, The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everyone. No truer words, my friends, because if we take a moment to consider the cost, the societal woes created, and the ripples that come from the source of both the abuser and the abused, we can surely agree that when we give hate, abuse, intolerance to our infants, we fracture not only our children, but EVERYONE. Consider the ripples created from just a few of the sources of hate we give our infants:
Abused and neglected children are 11 times more likely to engage in criminal behavior as an adult.
Men who witnessed intimate partner violence as boys are 2 times more likely to commit violent acts against their own partners and children as men who did not witness such acts.
3.6 million cases of child abuse are reported every year in the U.S. And the number of children involved in these reports is 6 million.
About 80% of 21-year-olds who were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.
Before the end of this day; approximately 5 children will die at the hands of their abusers.
Nearly 1 in 4 of our children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday – that’s roughly 7 in EVERY classroom.
Most children who are abused, become victims of abuse and neglect at 18 months or younger.
Though the statistics are overwhelming, the road to ending abuse is not complicated. Child abuse stops when WE stop it through prevention, intervention, and recovery. Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse. Serving the United States, its territories, and Canada, the Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who, through interpreters, can provide assistance in 170 languages. The Hotline offers crisis intervention, information, literature, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. All calls are anonymous and confidential.
Child abuse is everybody’s problem, and each of us can stop the hate we give and become a part of the solution.
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Laura Fogarty
Editor, Ask Lala
Laura Fogarty writes “Ask Lala” for the Stop Abuse Campaign. She is a mother, an advocate and the author of two children’s abuse prevention books: I’M THE BOSS OF ME! and WE ARE JUST ALIKE!