The media can be an effective partner in disseminating prevention messages. The news media have specific criteria for determining what is worth covering, so program planners need to frame the issue in an appealing way to get their attention. By planning effective and newsworthy activities, communities can help promote healthy parenting practices, child safety skills, and protocols for reporting suspected maltreatment.
Use the following resources to get ideas for planning an activity or program in your community.
National examples
Children's Trust Funds
State Children's Trust Funds (CTFs) and their local councils and affiliates coordinate child abuse and neglect prevention and public awareness activities in each State.
Darkness to Light
A media campaign to reduce the incidence of child sexual abuse through public awareness and education.
Leading With Prevention
American Public Human Services Association (2021)
Access resources for State and local leaders to help advance prevention strategies to better build child and family well-being.
The Period of Purple Crying
National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome
Addresses the age when babies cry more than any other time and equips caregivers with strategies to soothe the baby and cope with stress.
text4baby
National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
Presents a program that sends expectant mothers or new mothers free text messages with pregnancy tips and parenting tips to care for their babies. The messages are timed to a baby's due date or birth date.
Discussion Toolkit 1: Explore the Basics
National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds. National Child Abuse and Neglect Technical Assistance and Strategic Dissemination Center. United States. Children's Bureau. (2017)
Guides users through a training designed to define and increase the understanding of child neglect, including its causes and potential protective factors, among multiple audiences.
Discussion Toolkit 2: Fact or Fiction?
National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds. National Child Abuse and Neglect Technical Assistance and Strategic Dissemination Center. United States. Children's Bureau. (2017)
Debunks common myths and misunderstandings associated with child neglect and includes information on how to gauge its severity and associated risk factors.
Discussion Toolkit 3: Everyone's Responsibility
National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds. National Child Abuse and Neglect Technical Assistance and Strategic Dissemination Center. United States. Children's Bureau. (2017)
Presents six protective factors and personalized steps to support individuals in recognizing and implementing methods for preventing child neglect.
Discussion Toolkit 4: What We All Can Do
National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds. National Child Abuse and Neglect Technical Assistance and Strategic Dissemination Center. United States. Children's Bureau. (2017)
Discusses individual-, family-, community-, and society-level methods for reducing the prevalence of child neglect.
Social Media Toolkit - Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Children's Advocacy Center
A toolkit intended to be used to help educate parents and community members about child abuse prevention from the National Children's Advocacy Center.
State examples
Arkansas Child Abuse Prevention
Offers a list of tips for parents with infants that can be easily shared with community members.
Child Abuse and Foster Care Prevention
Virginia Department of Social Services
Presents information on Child Abuse Prevention Month efforts in Virginia. Resources include a prevention packet and tip sheets for parents that address positive parenting, child development, raising healthy and happy children, and preventing abuse or neglect.
Child Abuse Prevention Month
Alaska Children’s Trust
Includes community outreach materials such as posters, social media templates, and event suggestions to support National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Child Abuse Prevention Month/Day Activities
Oklahoma State Department of Health, Family Support and Prevention Service (2022)
Includes Oklahoma’s Child Abuse Prevention Month newsletter with event schedule and resource links.
Community Awareness Initiatives
Prevent Child Abuse Delaware
Overviews Delaware’s initiatives to connect with the community, including Pinwheels for Prevention, bilingual resource guides, and activity guides for promoting parent-child engagement.
Pinwheels for Prevention Community Resource Guide
Prevent Child Abuse America New York
Describes an effort to change the way individuals think about child abuse prevention by focusing on community activities and public policies that prioritize prevention right from the start to make sure child abuse and neglect never occur.
Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Board
Wisconsin.gov
Overviews Wisconsin’s Five for Families campaign, which promotes awareness of the five protective factors for preventing child abuse. The Five for Families website includes a step-by-step guide with messaging tips and graphic design examples.
Local examples
Cardboard Kids
ChildSafe
Highlights a child abuse prevention campaign in San Antonio, Texas, that uses two-foot-tall cardboard kid cutouts to draw attention to the pervasiveness of child abuse and get the conversation started around child abuse prevention.
EveryChild
Describes a variety of local and regional activities organized by EveryChild, formerly the Child Abuse Council.
Face It
Presents a campaign in Louisville, KY, that addresses best practices in child abuse prevention and community engagement and promotes effective policies to improve the child welfare system.
New in NOVA/Upcoming Events
Stop Child Abuse Now of Northern Virginia
Find information on numerous past and present local activities.