NORWICH – April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to promote awareness and outreach for children who are abused either physically or sexually, maltreated or neglected.
In Chenango County, child abuse is all too prevalent. Of the 62 counties in New York State, Chenango ranks fifth in the number of child abuse instances - a concern at the forefront for Chenango’s team of physical and mental health professionals, law enforcement and crime victim advocates.
According to Mike Middaugh, director of the Chenango County Child Advocacy Center (CAC), Chenango County’s ranking is based on percentage, meaning the actual number of child abuse cases may not top those of more metropolitan areas, but there are more cases per capita, which is equally alarming.
“We have been aggressive at looking at these child abuse complaints very closely,” Middaugh said. The CAC is just one component of a team that also includes: Chenango Head Start; the Perinatal Network; Bassett Healthcare, Tri Town Health Centers and UHS Chenango Memorial; the Office of the District Attorney; Chenango County Department of Social Services; Chenango Public Health and Mental Health departments; and the Catholic Charities Crime Victims Program. “All of us have a place at the table and all have a role in preventing child abuse.”
The number of child abuse claims have climbed steadily in the last two years. In 2011, the CAC handled a total 100 cases of abuse. That number jumped to 142 last year; a 42 percent increase. And if trends heeded by the CAC continue for 2013, Middaugh predicts the number of claims to increase again by the end of the year.
Daniel Auwarter, director of Catholic Charities of Chenango County Crime Victims Program, plays a leading role in the county’s battle against child abuse. He stressed that while Chenango’s fifth place ranking in child abuse is based on percentage, it is nothing to be taken lightly.
“It is easy in a tight knit community to say those are issues that are more prevalent to urban areas, but those problems exist everywhere,” he pointed out. “We have to do the same amount of outreach, or even more, than they do in other areas. We think our kids need the same amount of compassion and care that they get anywhere else.”
Although Auwarter called it unfair for the actual number of abuse cases in Chenango County to be compared to more urban areas, he reassured that the CAC was still receiving the monetary support needed to address the issues of child abuse in the area.
“It is important to make sure the right amount of money is there for the right amount of cases,” he said, adding, “For the month of April, our program is really hoping to bring this issue to the forefront of people’s minds but really, we want it on the forefront every month ... We have concerns, but we also know our community is there to support us.”
Despite the grim reality of Chenango’s status when it comes to child abuse, increased numbers seen by the CAC aren’t necessarily a bad thing, Middaugh clarified. Those increased numbers may not actually reflect escalating instances of child abuse but instead, reflect more reports of child abuse that are made.
“People often don’t know what child abuse is or what they can do if they suspect it. I see those numbers as an increase in the awareness of the community as a whole,” he said.
Middaugh also noted that the county’s high percentage of population at or below the federal poverty level, combined with a moderate number of residents with some type of diagnosed mental disability, is taken into consideration in the CAC’s push to be more proactive in child abuse prevention.
“We are trying to be more balanced on the overall needs and the specific needs of each abuse claim that comes in,” he explained.
In the ongoing effort to spotlight child abuse prevention, the CAC is taking part in the Prevent Child Abuse America Pinwheels for Prevention campaign throughout the month of April. For the next two weeks, pinwheels will be planted across the county as a symbol of childlike notions and a representation of the chance for a healthy and happy life for each child.
The CAC will also host a series of events next week designed to educate and spread the word of child abuse prevention, capped by an open house event at the CAC, 8 Silver St., Norwich, on April 26. An upcoming training program for CAC advocates will train them to better educate on the issues of abuse and be more proactive in the community.
Said Middaugh, “We have a great resource here for children and families to come to for help ... Child abuse isn’t something we should talk about once a year; it’s something we need to talk about year round. It isn’t the child’s job to protect themselves. It is our job as adults. You can make the decision whether abuse continues or you can help put a stop to it.”
For additional information about the CAC or make a report of child abuse, call 334-5437.