09/09/2026
First Witness Child Advocacy Center’s I Stand With Kids campaign focuses specifically on child abuse prevention, but why? 1 in 7 children (~600,000 children) experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year in the United States. While this number is accurate to the statistics and research available, the real number is likely higher due to underreporting. Child abuse exploits children and can damage their cognitive, social, and emotional development. The effects of trauma can be short or long-term, impacting relationships, childhood development, the ability to learn, and appropriate sexual development. It can lead to acting out behaviors, self-injurious behaviors, depression, and anxiety. As a society, we have a collective responsibility to prevent child abuse. In order to do so, we must also promote research, training, and public education to strengthen protective factors that buffer risk factors for child abuse.
Learn more about First Witness, ISWK, and how to prevent child sexual abuse here: https://firstwitness.org/i-stand-with-kids/
