April marks Child Abuse Prevention Month, a national observance dedicated to raising awareness, supporting families and strengthening communities to protect children from abuse and neglect.
The observance has occurred every April since 1983, stemming from the 1974 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. In 1989, Child Abuse Prevention Month was represented by a blue ribbon to generate awareness and honor survivors of Child Abuse.
The month serves as both a call to action and a reminder that child maltreatment remains a persistent issue affecting communities across the country, including North Texas.
“Child Abuse Prevention Month is trying to bring the focus in for people to realize that child abuse and neglect occurs every day,” said Kimberly Evans, Title IV-E program coordinator at the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work and child welfare professional with more than two decades of experience. “Children are important, and we want to make them safe. We need to have their needs met.”
A student from the UTA Department of Art and Art History Mural Painting class, paints a mural bringing awareness to Child Abuse Prevention Month. (Photo by Thomas Johns)
According to federal data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 600,000 children are victims of abuse and neglect each year in the United States. Locally, the impact is equally sobering. In the Dallas-Fort Worth region alone, dozens of child fatalities each year are attributed to abuse or neglect, a reality often symbolized since 2008 through blue pinwheel displays placed throughout communities during April.
Those pinwheels, Evans explained, are more than decorations.
“They represent the number of child fatalities to bring that awareness that this is happening every day, in this case, we have 37 this year,” she said. “The pinwheels pose a question, what can we do to help prevent it as a society, as a community?”
While the statistics are stark, experts emphasize that Child Abuse Prevention Month is not solely about highlighting harm, but also about encouraging education, prevention and support.
Jennifer O’Brien, associate professor at the UTA School of Social Work, said the observance provides an opportunity to better understand the complexities of abuse and the broader context of childhood adversity.
“When we look at things like the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, what we have learned is that most kids have adverse and potentially traumatic experiences,” O’Brien said. “Not all of them are maltreatment and abuse, but taking time to understand the differences and what that looks like is really important.”
O’Brien noted that prevention efforts operate at multiple levels, from education and early intervention to long-term recovery and healing.
“There’s primary prevention, which is what we do before abuse ever happens, it can look like public awareness campaigns and building access to quality childcare. Then we have secondary prevention which targets high-risk families and situations, like home visiting programs. Then there is tertiary prevention, which focuses on healing after abuse has occurred and preventing it from happening again,” she said. “Child abuse prevention has to look like all of those things at various stages.”
A mural, painted on the windows of the UTA School of Social Work and Smart Hospital building, brings awareness to Child Abuse Prevention Month. (Photo by Thomas Johns)
Along with prevention and efforts to reduce trauma and prevent abuse, community involvement plays a critical role across each of these levels. Evans pointed to local initiatives such as “rainbow rooms,” which provide essential supplies for children entering foster care, as one tangible way individuals can help.
“Foster children often come into care with just the clothes on their backs,” Evans said. “These rooms provide things like clothing, hygiene items and safe sleeping spaces for infants. The community can support by donating resources or volunteering.”
For many social workers and advocates, awareness also means recognizing the wide network of professionals involved in protecting children,especially in the profession of social work. These social work roles include educators, medical staff,therapists and caseworkers. In Texas, all residents are legally required to report suspected abuse, with professionals held to even higher standards.
Beyond awareness and reporting, both Evans and O’Brien emphasized the importance of shifting the narrative to include hope and resilience.
“I think oftentimes we get stuck in how awful this is,” O’Brien said. “But what I really hope people take away is the importance of resilience, building resilience, and honoring that resilience.”
Despite the challenges many children face, she noted that countless young people overcome adversity and go on to lead successful, healthy lives.
“We see a tremendous number of kids with incredibly difficult backgrounds who succeed and do amazing things,” O’Brien said. “The question is how we can foster more of that and support it for every child.”
As Child Abuse Prevention Month begins, advocates encourage individuals to start conversations, learn the signs of abuse and engage with local resources. Whether through education, volunteering or simply raising awareness, even small actions can contribute to a larger culture of prevention.
“It takes a village to raise a child,” Evans said. “We should all be aware of what’s happening and think about how we can help support children and families in our communities.”