The voices of those who cannot defend themselves often go unheard. Because they are unable to defend themselves, they have to rely on those that are able to stand up for them. More often than not, those that are capable of doing so, choose not to. The voices are those of abused children. Worse, they’re the ones that people know about but turn a blind eye.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Abusing a child is wrong anytime. But while three members of the paper’s editorial board were talking on campus this past week, that is what happened.
A child was spanked so hard by his grandma, he fell to the ground. She knocked him on the head. One of us approached the grandmother to criticized her . She defended her actions. We realized just how big a problem this is in America. Settled into the hearts of those involved.
According to the organization, Child Help, over three million reports of child abuse are made in the United States each year. In 2007, approximately 5.8 million children were hurt. A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds. That means in a single minute police report a child is being beaten, neglected, or sexual abuse comes into the ears of law enforcement. This does not, however, count the beatings that go unheard. Five children die every day as a result of child abuse. Between 60-85 percent of the fatalities are due to maltreatment and are not recorded on death certificates.
This is not okay. But when this epidemic rears its ugly head on a college campus, it becomes not only a family issue but a community issue and a third party must intervene. When five helpless children who can’t even speak to defend themselves die every day from neglect or abuse. That adds up to 1,825 children who will never get to run in the park, learn to read, fall in love, get married, and have children of their own.
That’s a lot of lively little flames that are extinguished far too early in their lives. These are innocent souls who did nothing wrong but cry because they were hungry and couldn’t feed themselves.
There are no simple solutions to this problem. But if you are unsure you are capable of  raising a child, then put him or her up for adoption. Or take extra caution to not get pregnant. If you witness someone beating his or her child, and approaching them does Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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t help, call the authorities immediately. File a report.
There is no reason to beat a child. Kids are defenceless. It must be stopped before another 1,825 children lose their lives from the neglect. Take a stand and Lobby for laws to help prevent Child abuse. When a person brings a child into the world, it is their job to take car of them.

afriar@mesastate.edu