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A well-known quote credited to Frederick Douglass goes “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”. Child abuse has severe emotional, social, and behavioral consequences. The traumas brought into a child's life because of abuse can be never-ending. Children are abused on a frequent basis in all socioeconomic groups. Child abuse and neglect have far-reaching consequences for society also. Child abuse prevention promotes a more compassionate society that values the well-being of children. Child abuse is a societal issue in America, with numerous factors contributing. My major is sociology, with a minor in family and child sciences. I've learned that childhood abuse is strongly linked to other societal issues including juvenile delinquency, drug and alcohol addiction, and crime. Having worked with victims of child abuse in many diverse low-income neighborhoods, I'm very passionate about this issue because of the consequences I've witnessed. The three main points I'll discuss are the prevalence of child abuse, the consequences of child abuse, and what initiatives we can take as a society to prevent child abuse. To begin, I will discuss how widespread child abuse occurs, the statistics I have collected, and why this societal issue is so important. Child abuse is a global problem in today's day and age, and many victims suffer in solitude. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines child abuse as an any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation. According to the “World Health Organization”, almost 3 in 4 children aged 2-4 years often experience physical punishment and/or psychological violence at the hands of their parents and caregivers, while 1 in 5 women and 1 in 13 men report having been sexually assaulted as a kid. Every day, five children die because of child abuse. According to the “American Society for the Positive Care of Children”, 67.8 percent of all child fatalities are children under the age of three, and 80.6 percent involve at least one parent. 73.7 percent of the children who died were victims of child maltreatment, and 42.6 percent were victims of physical abuse, either alone or in combination with another type of maltreatment. There are several risk factors concerning child abuse and neglect. According to the “American Society for the Positive Care of Children”, children who are sexually or physically abused or neglected have a 43% higher risk of dying early in adulthood. Additionally, the “World Health Organization” reports that an abused child is more likely to abuse others as an adult, suggesting that violence is passed down from one generation to the next. It is important to end the cycle of violence and create positive intergenerational benefits. Now I'll discuss the long-term effects of child abuse on both children and society. Child abuse has long-term consequences for children and their families. Maltreatment is linked to stress that causes delays in early brain development, according to the “World Health Organization”. Extreme stress can impair the development of the nervous and immune systems. Adults who have been maltreated as children are more likely to have behavioral, physical, and mental health problems. Similarly, violence against children contributes to educational inequality. According to the “World Health Organization”, children who have suffered any form of violence as a child are 13 percent more likely to drop out of school. Many of the consequences of child abuse, such as poverty, crime, violence, imprisonment, addiction, teen pregnancy, truancy, and homelessness, have devastating effects on children, youth, families, and entire communities, according to the “Child Welfare Information Gateway”. Finally, I'll discuss child abuse prevention. To prevent and address child abuse in society, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary. According to the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, research suggests that improvements in preventative measures go beyond protecting children from abuse and neglect, but also preventing it's consequences. Early investigation and continued treatment for child abuse victims and survivors, as well as their families, can help to minimize the prevalence and consequences of abuse. Communities must educate the public and contribute to offering emotional, social, and financial assistance to families to prevent child abuse and neglect. According to the “World Health Organization”, through a series of home visits or in a community setting, social workers or trained lay workers can provide information and skill-building workshops to encourage the implementation of compassionate, peaceful parenting. Additionally, implementing programs focused on reforming restrictive and counterproductive gender and social norms around child raising, child disciplining, and gender equality, as well as promoting fathers' responsibilities at home, can help to prevent child abuse. According to the “Child Welfare Information Gateway”, the current strategy to preventing child abuse focuses on increasing the involvement of communities in establishing prevention programs in a child's environment and offering preventative services customized for diverse parts of society. I'd like to conclude with a Nelson Mandela quote: "The true character of society is revealed in how it treats its children." Ultimately, the purpose of my speech is to inform this audience on the prevalence of child abuse, its consequences, and how to prevent it. To recap the main points, I discussed I'll discuss are the prevalence of child abuse, the consequences of child abuse, and what initiatives we can take as a society to prevent child abuse. I hope you all recognize how important it is to go above and beyond by volunteering your time, supporting preventive programs, and educating yourself and others.