On April 2, our Professional Development Program Manager Coco McAtee appeared on Fox 4's morning news show to discuss the the red flags for potential child abuse or neglect. Click here to visit Fox 4 News.

Not all kinds of abuse and neglect are as obvious as a black eye or broken bone. More than 15,000 cases of child abuse or neglect are reported yearly in the Kansas City area. It's Child Abuse Prevention Month ... do you know the red flags for potential abuse or neglect?

What you can do

• Get to know kids in your community
• Look for changes in:
  • Behavior / mood
  • Eating / sleeping patterns
  • Interests / usual activities
• Listen to your gut, report your suspicions
• Let the authorities investigate further

To report suspect abuse or neglect

• In Missouri: 1-800-392-3738
• In Kansas: 1-800-922-5330

Types of abuse

• Physical abuse - hitting, shaking, burning, scalding, beating, shoving
• Emotional abuse - intimidation, threats, ridicule, bullying, curses, isolation
• Sexual abuse - any touching or misuse of private body parts, can include voyeurism, exhibitionism or the child being forced to touch an adult
• Neglect - not providing adequate food, clothing, housing, medical support or basic human attention

Help for parents under stress
Parent Stress Hotline 800-548-2480

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