Is Your Child’s Friend Living in an Abusive Home?
As a parent, your number one priority is always the safety of your child. Protecting them as they grow from infancy to adulthood means there are countless things that you must consider in regards to your child’s safety. However, once you have implemented good morals, behaviour, and rituals in your child, it becomes important to act as a support system for others, including your children’s friends, who may also be in need of assistance.
Nearly 700,000 children suffer from living in an abusive home in the US each year. One way to combat this problem is to serve as a beacon of hope in your community, especially for the especially vulnerable, such as friends of your children. Here are several ways to assist those living in an abusive home who are too vulnerable to help themselves.
Be Present for the Child
One of the primary consequences of living in an abusive home is that the child involved doesn’t have the necessary adult presence in their life, to help them develop and grow naturally. Offering your time and attention to the child in question, even for only a few hours a week, can help to mitigate some of the psychological damage being caused by living in an abusive home.
An important part of this is to help the child realize that their situation is not their fault, as this is often the common reaction for victims of abuse. Acting as a positive adult role model, and pseudo-guardian, can help reduce the child’s chances of being stunted or damaged by their abusive situation.
Call Child Protective Services
If the situation at home for the child is clearly out of control, the most responsible step you can take is to call Child Protective Services. CPS protects millions of children from domestic abuse and neglect each year, and have the requisite skills and training to take over in this formative time of a child’s life. If you are in a situation where you believe the abuse of your child’s friend is living in an abusive home, you can report the situation to CPS.
Seek Legal Assistance
Regardless of the level of abuse that you suspect is happening to your child’s friend at home, it’s important to seek out legal assistance. A trusted law firm like Evergreen Personal Injury Counsel can help you navigate the difficult and stressful scenario caused by child abuse or neglect, to ensure the utmost safety for the child in question. Contact us today if you are in need of these services, and our caring team will help you through whatever means necessary.