May 11, 2016
For Immediate Release

 

By Hanna Hall, student news writer

April was Childhood Abuse Awareness Month and Campbellsville University's Child Abuse and Neglect class participated in a national symbol for child abuse prevention by putting pinwheels on Stapp Lawn to show their support.

In 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel as the new national symbol for child abuse prevention through Pinwheels for Prevention®.

According to Kimberly N. Mudd-Fegett, adjunct instructor in social work at Campbellsville University, “What our research showed, and what our experiences since then have borne out, is that people respond to the pinwheel.

“By its very nature, the pinwheel connotes whimsy and childlike notions. In essence, it has come to serve as the physical embodiment, or reminder, of the great childhoods we want for all children.”

In Kentucky in 2013 there were 78,056 referrals of child abuse/neglect. Between 2012 and 2013 there was an 14.8 percent increase rate in victims of child abuse/neglect.

In 2013 a total of 23 children died in Kentucky as a result of child abuse/neglect, and a total of 7,162 children resided in homes separate from their families.

Haley Minch and Chesney Lancaster put pinwheels in the ground. (Campbellsville University Photo by Drew Tucker)

The ultimate goal of the pinwheel campaign is to raise awareness to issues surrounding child abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, issues surrounding child welfare are not limited to specific areas or ethical groups but rather impact each of our schools, communities and ultimately our society, Mudd-Fegett said.

“It is our moral responsibility as a community, state and nation to give a voice to the those who cannot defend themselves,” she said.

“This pinwheel demonstration brings attention to Child Abuse Awareness Month and education to the most vulnerable members of our society and assist in safeguarding the protection of children,” she said.

For more information about Child Abuse Awareness Month and Pinwheels for Prevention® please contact Mudd-Fegett, at Kimberly.Mudd@ky.gov.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.