Blue silhouettes planted to raise awareness of child abuse in La Crosse and Winona
LA CROSSE, Wis. (LA CROSSE TRIBUNE) – Last year, maltreatment of 625 children was suspected within the La Crosse community. Nationwide that number is estimated to be more than 3 million. Both numbers are underreported.
In recognition of April being Child Abuse Awareness Month, the Family & Children’s Center is hosting events in La Crosse and Winona.
On Monday afternoon, FCC faculty members and their children planted blue silhouettes into their facilities’ lawns.
“We are planting the blue silhouettes on all of our properties and Family & Children’s Centers as a visible reminder of all the young ladies and young children that are being abused across the country and in our community alone,” said Tita Yutuc, president and CEO of FCC. “It’s just a visible reminder that child abuse should not be happening in our community.”
Yutuc hopes that events hosted throughout the month will raise awareness about the abuse and help ensure that cases do not continue to go underreported.
Some of the events being hosted include a ‘Hands are For …’ art contest in Winona on April 11 and April 18 and a walk to raise awareness about child abuse and sexual assault on April 22 being coordinated by Winona State University professor Ruth Charles.
“It’s hard to get exact numbers because child abuse neglect is an underreported crime; it’s about two-thirds underreported,” said Yutuc. “We’re hopeful that the word is getting out, that the stigma is being reduced — that if you are a parent that needs help, you can ask for help.”
According to the FCC, one in four girls and one in 13 boys will be victims of abuse.
“If you see something, say something, because that will help reduce the harms that are currently happening and prevent the future harm that is happening to kids in the community,” said Yutuc.
The article originally appeared on La Crosse Tribune on April 1, 2024.
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – Across the lawn in front of La Crosse’s Family and Children’s Center, staff and area children placed large blue cutouts of blue silhouette kids.
April 1 begins Child Abuse Awareness Month. The signs are a reminder to everyone that child abuse can and does happen in the community.
“There are things we can do in the community to help reduce child abuse and neglect and right now some of those things are simply about education,” said Tita Yutuc, President and CEO of FCC. “Helping support programs that strengthen economic support for families, enhancing parenting skills and those kinds of programs, all help in the long run.”
All month the center will be providing free awareness events at both their La Crosse and Winona locations.
The story originally aired on WXOW on April 1, 2024.
LA CROSSE (WKBT) — One in four girls and one in 13 boys will become victims of child abuse according to the Family and Children’s Center of La Crosse.
FCC hopes to bring awareness during this Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Staff and area children placed blue silhouettes of children on all properties of the FCC Monday.
The president of FCC says there are a number of ways the public can help in the fight against child abuse.
First, if you see something, say something. It will help reduce current harms of the child and prevent future ones from happening. Changing the stigma behind parental pressures can also have a dramatic impact.
“Certainly, changing social norms about how we look at parenting and reducing the shame that some parents feel when they’re feeling like inadequate parents, so we can reduce that so it will allow them to get more help that they need,” said Tita Yutec, president and CEO of Family Children’s Center.
Additionally, supporting economic and educational programs for parents facing hardships can bring stability to parenting skills.
Visit fcconline.org to learn more about FCC services and programs.
Story originally aired on WKBT on April 1, 2024.
