April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time when communities nationwide come together to celebrate children and families. Prevent Child Abuse Iowa is honoring the month with awareness events and a children’s contest.
Child abuse is defined through state laws, so there is no federal standard throughout the country. In Iowa, the Legislature defines “child abuse” to include the following harm:
- Failure to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing or other care necessary for a child’s health and well-being
- Intended physical injury
- Sexual abuse of a child
- Presence of an illegal drug in a child’s body as a result of actions or neglect
- Allowing a known sex offender, who is not the child’s biological parent or the caretaker’s spouse, custody or access to a child
- Manufacturing a dangerous substance in a child’s presence
- Mental injury to a child
- Providing access to or showing obscene material to a child
Click on this link to learn more about Prevent Child Abuse Iowa: www.pcaiowa.org