SPRINGFIELD – In recognition of the World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse on Nov. 19, State Senators Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) and Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) are applauding efforts by communities and child protection services professionals around the world who work to prevent child abuse and neglect.

“On this day, we celebrate the important role communities play in protecting children from abuse,” Bennett said. “It’s a reminder that it is our everyday task to put forth our efforts toward strengthening families and preventing abuse and neglect so that our children have a safe place to grow.”

Twenty years ago, on Nov. 19, 2000, the first World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse was launched by the Women’s World Summit Foundation. The foundation joined hands with an international coalition of advocacy organizations for women and children’s issues, and together, they started a movement to mobilize governments and societies to take action and prevent child abuse.

The purpose of the day is to encourage governments and civic organizations to play a more active role in the promotion of and respect for the rights of the child, especially with regards to the issue of child abuse and the need for effective prevention programs.

“Although many of us are only familiar with children in our immediate households due to the pandemic’s social distancing guidelines, I want to remind parents, seniors, teachers and other concerned adults to look out for the signs of child maltreatment,” Crowe said. “Education is one of our strongest tools to prevent a child from being abused.”

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), emotional abuse is one of the most common and most harmful forms of child maltreatment and can have a lifelong impact. Examples of emotional abuse include making fun of a child, name calling, always finding fault, using harsh words to criticize behavior and using fear to control behavior.

Visit the APA website for more information and tips for identifying and preventing child abuse.