Child Abuse Prevention Month - April 2025
This April, the Children's League joins our national partners in recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month. We believe it is critical to uplift the needs of children and youth who are most at risk of child abuse, and to ensure that we speak out for those that are facing discrimination based on recent changes in federal policy.
Preventing child abuse starts with recognizing that children, youth, and families have the right to have their basic needs met and have access to the opportunities and resources they need to succeed. We believe communities only succeed when all of our children, youth, and families thrive. We also believe that families are made up of loving adults caring for children who are nurtured and accepted for all the potential of who they are and wish to be.
If we are serious about preventing child abuse, it means adequate investment in making sure that children and their families have access to safe housing, food, healthcare, education, and violence prevention in their communities.
This year in particular, we are putting a spotlight on the real dangers that the LGBTQIA+ community faces relative to child abuse. Despite only making up 1.8% the general population nationally, Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming and Expansive (TGNC+) youth make up 13.8% of the child welfare system. 73% of these youth have experienced psychological abuse, 39% physical abuse, and 19% sexual abuse. Familial Rejection is the key driver for LGBTQIA+ youth involvement in the child welfare system, with 40% of TGNC+ youth being kicked out, abandoned, or needing to run away, and 17% of LGB+ youth experiencing the same. (citation, citation)
Together with our partners we recommit to combatting the actual risks of child abuse in communities. We also commit to use data and facts -- not misinformation and fear -- when reimagining what abuse prevention looks like all for children, youth, and families. We urge the Commonwealth to continue building up the availability of protective factors in support of all youth.
Safe Kids Thrive provides free tools and resources to Massachusetts schools, childcare centers, and other youth-serving organizations to prevent child sexual abuse.
Additional resources on protective factors and child abuse prevention: