PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

"HOW YOU CAN HELP"

Help Parents You Know
One of the best ways to prevent the abuse and neglect of children is to reach their parents before or as soon as possible after the child is bom. Providing programs for all first-time parents, so that new families get off to a good start, can avert possible serious problems in the future. Maybe you know a parent under stress. Why not give him or her a break? Offer to take care of the children for a little while, and let the parent relax from the constant responsibilities of child care.

You can also encourage anyone you know who you think is having difficulty dealing with their children to attend a parenting program. These programs can give parents vital information on health care, child development, and the importance of supervising their children. These programs also serve as support groups, helping parents to realize they are not alone. Parenting programs can play an important role in preventing early childhood injury and death, and the information can also contribute directly to enhancing and strengthening all family relations.

Volunteer at a Local Child Abuse Program
You can volunteer your time in crisis programs for parents and children under severe stress. Programs include hotlines, parent support groups, respite care, drop-in centers, crisis nurseries, and self-help groups. By providing relief and support at the moment of crisis, these programs help parents handle their stress without resorting to abusive behaviors.

Help Yourself
You are not alone if you think you need help yourself. Being a parent isn't easy for anyone and for some people it's very hard. If you answer "Yes" to several of the questions below, chances are you need some support and help:

• Do you feel troubled or nervous?
• Do you feel lonely and isolated with no one to turn to?
• Do you feel inadequate as a parent?
• Are you often depressed?
• Do your problems seem overwhelming?
• Are you frightened about what you might do to your children?
• Unable to cope?
• Do you sometimes physically hurt your children?
• Do you feel that you were mistreated as a child and are now repeating your past?
• Do you feel confused concerning your sexual feelings toward your children?

There are other people who feel as you do and there are people who can help you to cope with life and family relationships. Take this first step: reach out for help. Check your community's resources and see if there is a child abuse hotline, crisis referral line, self-help group, or a crisis nursery where you can drop your child off for a short time until the crisis passes.

Reprinted with permission from Act Now To Prevent Child Abuse, 1990, by permission of the publisher, the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse, Chicago, Illinois.