Department of Family and Protective Services Universal Prevention – A service that targets and is available to the population-at-large, rather than a population exhibiting risk factors associated with the condition to be prevented. A good example of a service targeting the general population is a public awareness or prevention campaign.

 

On Line Training


New Horizons STAR Universal Child Abuse Prevention (UCAP) Specialist develop child abuse prevention program activities and increase community awareness of child abuse prevention and the Services To At-Risk (STAR) program. UCAP Specialists accumulate child abuse prevention information and provide the services through active involvement with the many community activities and continued collaboration with participation in parent expositions, health fairs, educational presentations and public awareness campaigns, providing brochures at community organizations, schools, clubs etc., School Open Houses, Parent Teacher Meetings, CRCG meetings, county fairs, church festivals, physician’s office, Civic Clubs and groups, other local community services i.e. Boys & Girls Club, etc. Free monthly community-wide parenting programs will be provided. UCAP Specialists develop PSA’s for the local newspaper and radio. UCAP Specialists use community collaboration meetings to develop community-specific materials (police, Child Protective Services, schools)


UCAP Specialists are involved with the community’s April Campaign for Child Abuse Prevention and most community Awareness Programs in Taylor, Jones, Brown, Coleman, Mills, McCulloch, San Saba counties.


To contact UCAP Specialists for programs, information, etc:


Taylor, Jones and Coleman Counties

UCAP Specialists: Lori Bunton, 500 Chestnut Suite 1101 Abilene, Texas 79602 (325) 437-1852… loribunton@newhorizonsinc.com


Brown, Mills, McCulloch, San Saba Counties

UCAP Specialist: Cathie Lehman, 901 Ave B, Suite 200 Brownwood, Texas 76801 (325) 643-3422 cathieff@newhorizonsinc.com

What is Child Abuse Prevention?
Child abuse prevention is stopping child abuse and neglect before it happens. The best way to prevent child abuse and neglect is to support families and provide parents with the skills and resources they need.

Why Does Child Abuse Occur?
Although all the causes of child abuse and neglect cannot be summed up, certain issues make people more at risk. For example, stress, relationship problems, substance abuse, money problems, depression, and other mental health problems can all lead to abusive or neglectful behavior. Some parents may have been abused as children and in turn abuse their children. Others have not been taught good parenting skills and are not prepared for the challenge of having children.

These concerns and others can result in well-intentioned parents causing their children harm or neglecting their needs.

How Is Child Abuse Prevented?
Prevention efforts build on family strengths. Through prevention activities such as educating parents, visiting homes, and parent support groups, many families are able to find the support they need to stay together and care for their children. Prevention efforts help parents develop their parenting skills, understand the benefits of nonviolent discipline techniques, and understand and meet their child’s emotional, physical, and developmental needs. Prevention programs also can help parents identify other needs they may have and offer assistance in getting that additional support.

Source: Prevent Child Abuse Texas, Austin, TX Child Abuse and Neglect: Protection and Prevention

What is Child Abuse?
There are four major types of child maltreatment: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.

Physical Abuse is physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child, or the genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child. The physical injury (ranging from minor bruises to severe fractures or death) can result from punching, beating, shaking, kicking, biting, throwing, stabbing, hitting, burning, choking, or otherwise harming a child. Such injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caretaker intended to hurt the child.

Suspect Physical Abuse When You See:

  • Frequent injuries such as bruises, cuts, black eyes, or burns without adequate explanations
  • Frequent complaints of pain without obvious injury
  • Burns or bruises in unusual patterns that may indicate the use of an instrument or human bite; cigarette burns on any part of the body
  • Lack of reaction to pain
  • Aggressive, disruptive, and destructive behavior
  • Passive, withdrawn, and emotionless behavior
  • Fear of going home or seeing parents
  • Injuries that appear after a child has not been seen for several days
  • Unreasonable clothing that may hide injuries to arms or legs

Neglect is failure to provide for a child’s basic needs necessary to sustain the life or health of the child, excluding failure caused primarily by financial inability unless relief services have been offered and refused.

Suspect Neglect When You See:

  • Obvious malnourishment
  • Lack of personal cleanliness
  • Torn or dirty clothing
  • Stealing or begging for food
  • Child unattended for long periods of time
  • Need for glasses, dental care, or other medical attention
  • Frequent tardiness or absence from school

 

Sexual Abuse includes fondling a child’s genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and exploitation through prostitution or producing pornographic materials.

Suspect Sexual Abuse When You See:

  • Physical signs of sexually transmitted diseases
  • Evidence of injury to the genital area
  • Pregnancy in a young girl
  • Difficulty in sitting or walking
  • Extreme fear of being alone with adults of a certain sex
  • Sexual comments, behaviors or play
  • Knowledge of sexual relations beyond what is expected for a child’s age
  • Sexual victimization of other children

Emotional Abuse is mental or emotional injury that results in an observable and material impairment in a child’s growth, development, or psychological functioning. It includes extreme forms of punishment such as confining a child in a dark closet, habitual scapegoating, belittling, and rejecting treatment for a child.

Suspect Emotional Abuse When You See:

  • Over compliance
  • Low self-esteem
  • Severe depression, anxiety, or aggression
  • Difficulty making friends or doing things with other children
  • Lagging in physical, emotional, and intellectual development
  • Caregiver who belittles the child, withholds love, and seems unconcerned about the child’s problems

 

 

 

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