How to Help Victims of Child Abuse
Children are entitled to a life in a safe, loving, and supportive home. In these early years, parents and caregivers have a significant impact on the development of a child’s self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth. However, the unfortunate reality for many children is that their parents and caregivers betray this sacred trust and fail to protect the child or even purposefully cause them harm.
This year, we have settled a number of cases in which children were horrifically abused and neglected. These children needlessly suffered and died at the hands of their parents and caregivers: Anthony Avalos, who was murdered at the hands of his biological mother and the mother’s boyfriend. Sema’j Crosby, a seventeen-month-old, was found dead under a couch. Ta’naejah McCloud, was repeatedly abused at the hands of her mother and her mother’s girlfriend and ultimately died of a brain bleed caused by head trauma.
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, we recommend taking the following steps to protect the health and safety of the child:
- Call the police – Law enforcement officials can contact the appropriate social services agency or handle the investigation themselves.
- Do not get personally involved – Do not directly approach the parents and tell them that you think they are mistreating the child. You could put yourself in danger by doing so.
- Call an anonymous hotline – Many hotlines are available if you suspect a child is being abused. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has a 24-hour child abuse hotline.
- Simply call 800-252-2873. You do not have to give your name. But you could be making a huge difference in a child’s life.
- Contact a social services agency – Each state has a social services agency created to help protect the health and welfare of children. Contact them and let them know something is wrong.
- Call our law firm – At any point, don’t hesitate to contact us immediately. We can help you every step of the way.