Worries mount as unemployment hits home, savings disappear, jobs become scarce, homes foreclose, insurance is lost, and there is little or no money to put gas in the car or food on the table. At this point, pressures can tip the scale to the breaking point.
As families stress out, tempers rise and violence can flair. It is by no means acceptable, but it is a reality.
Hospitals across the nation are reporting an increase in child injuries consistent with abuse, beatings, neglect and shaken-baby syndrome. In some regions, cases in the early months of this year have doubled over those from 2008.
This increase is a serious reversal of a downward trend our nation experienced not long ago.
With America’s total child population at 71 million, it was encouraging when federal reports showed that child abuse declined from 12.1 percent in 2006 to 10.6 percent in 2007. There remained plenty to do for more than 7 million children still suffering the affects of child abuse, but it was a step in the right direction for much of our country.
Regrettably, Ohio was not a part of that downward trend. Our state’s child abuse cases surpassed 100,000 for the first time in 2007 and have continued to rise.
It is unfathomable to consider where a spike in child abuse might take us.
While there is no easy answer to bring on a fiscal recovery, there are steps parents can take to help keep tempers in check.
If you find yourself overburdened, reach out to family, friends, neighbors, church members or others in the community for moral support and help. If one person is not available, do not let yourself get discouraged. Check with another. Clark County is a caring community filled with people who place value on helping those in need.
No matter how tempting it might be, do not allow yourself to use alcohol or drugs as an escape from problems. This has been at the core of many abuse situations, and can only lead to painful results.
When you feel frustration or anger building toward your child or spouse, step away from them until you are able to calm down, think clearly and speak rationally.
Should feelings become too intense, overwhelming and persistent, help ease your emotional burden by speaking with a professional mental health counselor.
Above all else, keep reminding yourself that your family, children and health matter most in life. Finances may come and go, but no amount of money is worth the risk of hurting or losing these treasures.
Curt Gillespie is senior vice president of Youth & Adult Services at Mental Health Services for Clark County,
937-399-9500; www.MHSCC.org
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