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San Antonio Youth Commemorate Child Abuse Awareness Month

By Patty Garza
Community and Family Relations Coordinator, South Parole District

In honor of National Crime Victim’s Week and National Child Abuse Awareness month, Ayres Halfway House and the TJJD San Antonio Parole office participated in an awareness program called Childsafe “Cardboard Kids” Campaign in San Antonio.

This multilayered project included picking up cardboard “kids” from Childsafe, decorating them, distributing them to the community, and educating youth and those involved on the importance of intervention and prevention of child abuse and neglect.

In 2018, there were 5,865 confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect in Bexar County. While that number is devastating, it’s even more alarming to know that only 1 in 10 sexually abused children ever report it, leaving nine others to keep a terrible secret. Those nine children are represented as these cardboard kids by giving them a voice.

Our youth had a good time decorating their “kids” and engaging in the conversation about the impact of child abuse and their part in preventing it through this project. The pictures of our youth and the cardboard kids were posted here and on the San Antonio Volunteer Council page with the #cardboardkidsSA for community wide reveal day April 4, 2019.


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