April 2022 is National Child Abuse Prevention Month CYbertraps 120 Cybertraps Podcast

White House Proclamation Goals Condemn and combat child abuse – physical, emotional, sexual, and online sexual exploitation Heighten awareness of risk factors Highlight importance of supporting families Child abuse occurs at all socioeconomic and educational levels, and in all religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds Key tool for fighting child abuse is prevention Child Abuse Statists – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention At least 1 in 7 children have experienced abuse or neglect in the past year In 2019, there were 73 million children in U.S. In 2019, 1,840 children died from abuse and/or neglect Long-term economic burden of child abuse and neglect is enormous 2015 estimate – $428 billion, comparable to economic costs of strokes and Type 2 diabetes Risk factors Risk Factors for Individual Perpetrators Caregivers with drug or alcohol issues Caregivers with mental health issues, including depression Caregivers who don’t understand children’s needs or development Caregivers who were abused or neglected as children Caregivers who are young or single parents or parents with many children Caregivers with low education or income Caregivers experiencing high levels of parenting stress and economic stress Caregivers who use spanking and other forms of corporal punishment for discipline Caregivers in the home who are not a biological parent Caregivers with attitudes accepting of or justifying violence or aggression Risk Factors for Families Families that have family members in jail or prison Families that are isolated from and not connected to other people (extended family, friends, neighbors) Family violence, including relationship violence Families with high conflict and negative communication styles Risk Factors in Communities Communities with high rates of violence and crime Communities with high rates of poverty and limited educational and economic opportunities Communities with high unemployment rates Communities with easy access to drugs and alcohol Communities where neighbors don’t know or look out for each other and there is low community involvement among residents Communities with few community activities for young people Communities with unstable housing and where residents move frequently Communities where families frequently experience food insecurity Role of Technology Number of children using a mobile device has more than doubled in last few years Parents have legitimate concerns about online safety “Sad fishing” – Predators search “for kids who seem sad, lonely, or depressed based on their public profiles on a variety of social media platforms.” “Online sexual exploitation” Grooming Live streaming consuming child sexual abuse material Coercing and blackmailing children for sexual purposes (“sexploitation”) Preventative Measures Child Abuse in General Individuals Caregivers who create safe, positive relationships with children Caregivers who practice nurturing parenting skills and provide emotional support Caregivers who can meet basic needs of food, shelter, education, and health services Caregivers who have a college degree or higher and have steady employment Families Families with strong social support networks and stable, positive relationships with the people around them Families where caregivers are present and interested in the child Families where caregivers enforce household rules and engage in child monitoring Families with caring adults outside the family who can serve as role models or mentors Communities Communities with access to safe, stable housing Communities where families have access to high-quality preschool Communities where families have access to nurturing and safe childcare Communities where families have access to safe, engaging after school programs and activities Communities where families have access to medical care and mental health services Communities where families have access to economic and financial h