A lot of Texans are wearing blue Friday to raise awareness about child abuse. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services urged people to wear blue Friday.
The CDC estimates one in seven kids is abused or neglected. The agency said the number is likely higher because many cases are not reported.
"It is a very prevalent problem. Just increasing awareness in the community is important so we can have more protection for kiddos," said Nicholas La Mere, the therapy, trainee and intern coordinator at Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. The organization coordinates services to investigate and prosecute cases of physical and sexual abuse while also providing healing services for victims.
La Mere was attending a conference organized by UNT Dallas Friday. UNT Dallas hosted a group of education, healthcare and non-profit groups to talk about how they had to change their missions during the pandemic. UNT Dallas earned a $150,000 research grant from Texas Health to conduct a series of surveys and interviews about organizations' responses to COVID-19.
DCAC's La Mere said a tool they have relied on was teachers who report the signs of abuse. When many schools went virtual , he said teachers may have been less likely to notice those signs. He said kids also lost a safe place to go during the day.
"Our concern came up during the pandemic. When children are physically at school, there is that safety of being with teachers," La Mere said.
Long-term, he hopes relationships with other organizations like those at the UNT Dallas conference can lead to more people noticing the signs of abuse in their neighborhood.
"I would like to do more community outreach programs and talk about how to make a report if they suspect child abuse," he said.
More information about the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center is available here.
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