Dr. Lewis First (Provided photo)

Since this month is national Child Abuse Prevention Month, I thought it wouldn’t be harmful for me to talk about this most serious topic.

More than one million infants and children are abused or maltreated every year in this country physically, sexually, or emotionally.

The sad thing is oftentimes children know their abusers and the abuse usually occurs in the home thus making it tough for children to speak up.

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Who is at risk for abusing a child?

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– Unfortunately, there is no classic description and abusers come from all walks of life across all socioeconomic classes, races, and ethnicities.

– They can be parents, other family members, family friends, teachers, or coaches.

– Sometimes the abuser has been abused as a child themselves.

– While anyone with access to a child can mistreat a child, the vast majority of people don’t.

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How can you suspect abuse may be ongoing?

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– Bruises on the torso, ears, or neck region in a child between 4 months to 4 years of age can be a sign as can recurrent abdominal pain or headaches with no clear cause.

– There can be emotional signs too — such as when a child becomes withdrawn, fearful, sad or develops low self-esteem.

– They may act out in class, drop their grades, or start to bully others because they are being bullied by adults themselves. While these signs might mean other things — you need to at least consider abuse as a possibility.

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What if you suspect a child you know is being abused?

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– Take action to further protect that child!

– Anyone can and should call the Department of Children and Families in Vermont or New York and report your concerns — doing so can be lifesaving.

– If you are a child who is being physically or emotionally hurt or harmed or worried that you will be, talk to someone you trust — whether that is a parent, relative, teacher or family friend.

– If you feel so stressed that you may want to hurt your child, place the child with a friend or relative where they’re safe and seek help by calling the national child abuse hotline whose phone number is 1-800-4-A-CHILD.

The earlier abuse can be suspected and stopped, the better the outcome.

Hopefully, tips like these will not hurt at all when it comes to knowing more about what we all can do to reduce the incidence of child abuse in our communities.

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Lewis First, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. You can also catch “First with Kids” weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and NBC5.