April 2, 2012
For Immediate Release
By Joan C. McKinney, news and publications coordinator
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - You might be noticing a lot of blue pinwheels in April on Campbellsville
University's Stapp Lawn and at Taylor County Elementary School in support of Child
Abuse Prevention Month.
A proclamation in support of the effort to educate communities about the event was
signed last week at Campbellsville University on the “Dialogue on Public Issues” TV
show of WLCU and featured live on WLCU 88.7 FM radio.
John Chowning, vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant
to the president at CU, is host of the show, which is aired on WLCU five nights a
week.
The press conference show on Child Abuse Prevent Week is airing at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30
p.m. Tuesday, April 3 on WLCU-TV.
Chowning said child abuse is “much too rampant in the state and nation.”
Campbellsville Mayor Tony Young and Taylor County Judge/Executive Eddie Rogers signed
the proclamation the purpose of which is to draw attention to the child abuse problems
in the commonwealth and nation.
The city and county will “dedicate our support to children and parents,” Rogers said.
Young urged parents to “let your children know they are special.”
Anthony Harris with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services' Department for Community
Based Services said Taylor County had about 200 calls in 2010 concerning child abuse
with 255 children involved in those calls. Sixty-eight of the calls were substantiated.
Harris said child abuse is “prominent and prevalent” in Taylor County, and Rogers
urged the need for mentors for children. Harris said the community needs to keep an
eye out on families in crisis, and abuse can be physical, neglect or sexual in nature.
Harris said child abuse in Taylor County is in line with other communities in Kentucky.
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| Lacy Mudd of Campbellsville, a student in copyediting at Campbellsville University, asks a question about what constitutes child abuse at the press conference. (Camp- bellsville University Photo by Joan C. McKinney) |
Kentucky Revised Statutes require everyone to report child abuse, and Harris said people should call about abuse “if you have a gut feeling something is not right.”
Claire Stephan, coordinator of donor development with Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky,
said everyone should “commit to prevent” child abuse and the blue pinwheels are symbols
of “hope and promise” as one envisions children running through fields with pinwheels
with the wind in their hair.
Dr. Helen Mudd, associate professor of social work, at Campbellsville University,
said the university's students and faculty in the Carver School of Social Work are
selling blue pinwheels for $1 each, with them being placed on Stapp Lawn on the CU
campus and at Taylor County Elementary School.
Mudd said universities in Kentucky graduate over 700 social workers each year and
most will work with child abuse or neglected children.
“We like to focus on prevention in the community,” she said. “Child abuse is a community
issue, and we want to help families as resources and assist before child abuse occurs,”
she said.
Dr. Lynda Wilkerson and Connie Foster with Lake Cumberland Community Action Head Start
discussed their program, which includes several upcoming programs dealing with child
abuse.
Wilkerson said a “Safe Sanctuary” program will be conducted Saturday, April 28 in
Pulaski County to be sure churches are safe places for children. Another “Safe Sanctuary”
program will also be conducted from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 21 at Campbellsville
Christian Church and is open to pastors and other church leaders.
She said a conference for students and professionals will be in Taylor County Thursday,
April 26 with Pam Eades, director of the Children's Advocacy Center talking about
how to keep children safe, and Melody Pollard, a certified alcohol and drug counselor,
as speakers.
Foster said their agency works with 10 counties, and she said it will not be unusual
to see 3 and 4-year-old children placing pinwheels on courthouse lawns and other places.
Foster, a family engagement manager, said there are parent meetings held to point
out and to report abuse.
Harris said child abuse can be neglect in the child's environment, lack of education
and lack of medical care that can risk the health and welfare of children.
Neglect is seen in 70 percent of child abuse.
Rogers said some children do not have food over the weekend and the “Backpack Program”
helps to discreetly provide food to hungry children over the weekend and during out-of-school
times.
Harris said children most of the time will “tell you what is going on in their homes.”
He said there has been an increase in reporting of child abuse, which could possibly
be attributed to the economic times when despair runs in families and there is unemployment
to contribute to parental problems.
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.