Friday marked the start of Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month, so if you see an unusual number of people wearing blue - that's why.
"Everyone in our little world is wearing blue today in honor of child abuse survivors and to raise awareness about child abuse prevention," said Kristen Howell, CEO of the Children's Advocacy Center for North Texas.
Unfortunately, Howell says child abuse is more common than people would like to think.
"It's one of those unspoken, taboo subjects," Howell said. "People don't want to think it happens in their community and they think that they may not know anybody who's been affected by it." But she says the sad fact is that 1 in 10 kids will experience sexual assault before their 18th birthday.
Howell says it can happen to any child, anywhere. She calls it a major issue that transcends race and socioeconomics.
"It's one of the true epidemics that can reach into any community," Howell said. On top of that, Howell says reports of abuse started climbing in 2020 because of the pandemic, and even though people have started returning to work and life has somewhat returned to normal, abuse cases are still much higher than they used to be in North Texas.
"We're waiting for the spike to end," Howell said. "But as of right now, this appears to be our new normal."
That’s why she says it’s more important than ever to raise awareness and help prevent child abuse.
"Prevention education is the key factor in protection," Howell said.
If there's one piece of advice she can give to any parent or trusted adult out there, it's this: Always believe your child.
To learn more about the Children's Advocacy Center for North Texas and what you can do to help their mission, click here.
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