The month of April is recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month which aims to bring awareness to this unthinkable issue.
According to Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas, 175 children in Texas will be victims of abuse today alone.
1 in 10 children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday in the Lone Star State. There are approximately 7.4 million children in the state which would equal 740,000 child victims.
According to an Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, children who experience trauma are more likely to turn to early smoking, sexual activity, drug use and potentially suicide.
The same study mentions that children with multiple traumas are at a significantly higher risk for heart disease, chronic pulmonary lung disease, hepatitis, depression and diabetes.
Along with health risks, abused and neglected children are nearly 60% more likely to be arrested for juvenile crime and nearly 30% were more likely to be arrested as an adult.
According to chron.com, Bell County ranked 12th on a list of Texas counties with the most child abuse victims with 1,089 total confirmed child abuse cases.
There were 794 victims of neglectful supervision, 107 victims of physical abuse, 75 victims of sexual abuse and 23 cases of medical neglect in the county.
According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, there are four major types of child maltreatment which include physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.
Some signs of abuse may range from unexplained injuries, changes in behavior, fear of certain places or people, changes in school performance or attendance and lack of personal care or hygiene to name a few.
If you believe a child is being abused, call 1-800-252-5400 and make a report.
