Every year on the Fourth of July, we celebrate the values that define the United States—freedom, justice, and the pursuit of a better future. But for too many children in our country, these ideals are still out of reach. Protecting children from abuse and neglect isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a civic duty and a patriotic act. When we ensure every child is safe, nurtured, and given the opportunity to thrive, we are investing in the strength and future of our nation.1
Violent delinquency has had devastating effects on all sectors of US society, leaving victims, perpetrators, their families, and communities coping with its aftermath. Research with victims of sexual abuse has found that expressed shame and attributions of self-blame mediated the relationship between incidence and severity of abuse, and subsequent forms of psychopathology, such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Below are some statistics:1
- Abusive parenting associated with maltreatment delivers a consistent message that children are “bad.” These global, negative self-beliefs are the primary elicitors of shame. Highly shamed individuals are likely to convert their shame to blaming others and thus to show anger toward the individuals they believe to be judging them.
- Physical abuse in childhood is consistently identified with increased risk of violent criminal behavior in adolescence and adulthood.
- Abused children are 9 times more likely to become involved in criminal activities and to continue their delinquent behavior.
- The results indicate that abusive parenting impacts violent delinquency directly and indirectly through the effect of converted shame.
Creating a safer America starts with how we treat our children. It means: supporting early childhood programs that strengthen families and promote healthy development, championing trauma-informed education so schools can be places of healing and growth, investing in parental support initiatives that reduce stress and help caregivers succeed, and building communities where everyone— neighbors, teachers, faith leaders, employers—sees themselves as protectors of our children. True patriotism includes doing the hard work of building a culture where children’s safety and well-being come first—every child, every family, every time.1
This Independence Day, go beyond fireworks. Make a commitment to protect our nation’s most vulnerable: learn the signs of abuse and neglect, report all suspected abuse, support local programs that provide resources for at-risk children and families, and volunteer or donate to organizations working to prevent child abuse and support survivors. Let’s build a future where every child grows up protected, valued and free.1 If you are interested in becoming an Advocate for the Innocent member and gaining access to our Resource Center ($10/month or $99/annually), visit https://advocatefortheinnocent.org/memberships/ to learn more.