Children are our future. If we aren’t advocating to protect our children, we aren’t advocating to protect our future. Whether you are a parent or not, I believe it is every adult’s responsibility to protect children. They are innocent and can’t protect themselves. According to the National Institute of Health, children ages 5-7 are beginning to learn to reason and children ages 10-12 are beginning to learn cognitive differences. Children’s minds are not fully developed at younger ages and they aren’t able to respond appropriately to situations the same way adults normally would.1
One day I was working from home and heard loud voices outside. I looked out of the window and saw about 8-10 junior high and high school students across the street by the school. There was a car parked in the street and it appeared that two groups were having a heated conversation. The next thing I knew two of the kids started fighting. For so many reasons, I didn’t want to get involved initially. Screaming out of the window was not the impression I wanted to give to my neighbors, I didn’t know if any of the kids were carrying weapons, and if I screamed out the window they would know where I lived. When one kid pulled the t-shirt of the other over his head, he fell to the ground and the other started punching him repeatedly. Justice overrode any fear at that moment and I opened the window and screamed “You better stop right now or I’m calling the cops.” Within a few minutes, everyone had dispersed and went on their way. I often wonder about the outcome if nobody stepped in.
- Embrace the radical idea that children are people; offering respect will lead to trust
- Educate yourself on child abuse and child welfare to increase your awareness
- Complete mandatory reporter training; every state offers training
- Bring child safety training to your home and community; it’s not implemented in all schools
What if I was too fearful to take action that day those kids were fighting? Aren’t we responsible as a community to ensure our children arrive home safely from school? It’s important to understand that every adult can make a significant difference in the life of a child. Even the smallest action or step can change the course of a child’s life and make a world of difference in their future. I encourage every adult to be more aware of the children in your life and do your part to influence a child’s life today. If you want to advocate for children and prevent child abuse, please contact Renee Medema at renee@advocatefortheinnocent.org.
1 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216770/#:~:text=In%20diverse%20cultures%20the%205,in%20their%20families%20and%20communities.
2 – https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/guides/resources-for-homeschool-parents/childrens-rights-child-protection/how-to-become-anadvocate-for-child-safety/