Child Abuse Information
Learn about child abuse See our Child Abuse FAQs page for information on child abuse Here
Hear the stories of children in Tulare County Read Here
Be part of prevention in your family and your community. Get Great Tips Here
Get help. There are many in the community who are here to help parents and help children in order to prevent child abuse and instead, increase child well being. Find Lifelines Here
Get involved. You have a role to play in the children in your life and your community. Plug In Here
If you see abuse in public...
Don’t criticize or judge.
Offer to help in small ways - assist with the supervision of the child so the parent can take time to become calm, carry groceries, etc.
Find something positive to say about the child.
Remember that most parents love their kids and want to be good parents
Your intervention may help REDUCE ABUSE!
Five Protective Factors
The US Center for the Study of Social Policy has identified the following factors as important buffers to prevent child abuse:
Parental Resilience – The ability to cope and bounce back from all kinds of challenges.
Social Connections – Friends, family members, neighbors, and other members of the community who provide emotional support and concrete assistance to parents.
Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development – Accurate information about raising young children and appropriate expectations for their behavior.
Concrete Support in Times of Need – Financial security to cover day-to-day expenses and unexpected costs that come up from time to time, access to formal supports like Medicaid, and informal support from social networks.
Social and Emotional Competence of Children – A child’s ability to interact positively with others and communicate their emotions effectively.
These protective factors can be provided by neighbors and community members.
To find programs which assist families and children, see our resources in Support, contact 2-1-1 Tulare County (call 211), or visit 211tularecounty.org
What are some prevention tips?
- Build on family strengths: parent education, home visitation, and parent support groups.
- Reach out for help if you need it.
- Reach out to someone else. Just be a friend and listen, help out with household chores, take care of the children awhile, help a parent find help, be a friend to the children in a family under stress.
See more under Prevention and Get Involved
