Col. Edwin C. Domingo
Ft. Buchanan Commanding Officer
In the early 1980's Congress made a commitment to identify and implement solutions to child abuse. In 1982, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives resolved that the week of June 6-12 should be designated as the first National Child Abuse Prevention Week. The following year, April was proclaimed the first National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Since then, this month has been set aside to increase public awareness on the need to ensure the safety and welfare of our children.
This is history. Now let's talk about the devastating story that gave way to the Blue Ribbon Campaign in 1989.
This campaign had its early beginnings following the death of a very young child. He was three-years-old when he died. His grandmother, Bonnie Finney, from Norfolk, Virginia, received the devastating news that her grandson had died of injuries inflicted by his mother's abusive boyfriend. In an expression of grief and outrage, this grandmother did something that has given us a symbol. She tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van as a way to remember the bruised and battered body of her grandson and to alert her community to the tragedy of child abuse.
Her simple idea, to wear or display a blue ribbon for child abuse prevention was picked up by other organizations across the country.
Today, the garrison commander gives way to the father in me to alert the Fort Buchanan community. Be an advocate for our kids and report the problem.
Reporting suspicions of child abuse and neglect is mandatory. There are many indicators of the types of child abuse and neglect. They could be physical abuse and neglect, sexual abuse or emotional maltreatment. There are also physical and behavioral indicators of such abuse and neglect.
Some physical indicators include unexplained bruises and welts, fractures, lacerations or abrasions; consistent hunger, poor hygiene; consistent lack of supervision, especially in dangerous activities or long periods; difficulty in walking or sitting; torn, stained or bloody underclothing; speech disorders, lags in physical development, to name a few.
Some behavioral indicators are: being wary of adult contact, apprehensive when other children cry, afraid to go home, wears clothing that covers body when not appropriate, constant fatigue, frequent school absences or tardiness; begging or stealing food; unwilling to participate in certain physical activities, sudden drop in school performance, suicide attempts and conduct disorders, among others.
The Army family is a place where we want all members to feel safe, secure and have a successful future. No one deserves to live in fear. Child abuse will not be tolerated. One abused and neglected child is too many. Let's work together to prevent these numbers from increasing by keeping our children safe, providing the support families need to stay together and by raising our kids and youth to become happy, secure and stable adults. Let's do it for our children, our future.
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