Blue ribbon ceremony to raise awareness for child abuse

By Special to the E-E, Examiner-Enterprise.com, March 24, 2010

Child abuse prevention advocates at 11 a.m. Saturday in Earl Sears Park at Adams and Cherokee will dedicate a tree featuring 115 blue ribbons to symbolize the number of abused children in Washington County served by Ray of Hope Advocacy Center in 2009.

Sen. John Ford and State Reps. Steve Martin and Earl Sears will be in attendance in support of child abuse prevention and advocacy.

Mayor Ron Nikkel will declare a city proclamation on April 5 recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention month for the city of Bartlesville

“Oklahoma has more than its share of child abuse and neglect cases,” said Rhonda Hudson, director of Ray of Hope Advocacy Center. “By educating our community, we hope to change those statistics.”

Child abuse crosses ethnic, socioeconomic and religious lines, according to Hudson.

“Child abuse statistics show 65 percent of children growing up in the United States and Puerto Rico have been victims of child abuse,” Hudson said. “Child abuse statistics state four children in the U.S. die every day as a result of child abuse. Three out of four were under the age of 4. Child abuse statistics also indicate a report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds.”

Hudson said that according to a recent Geography Matters: Child Well-Being in the States report, from the Every Child Matters Education Fund, Oklahoma ranks 48 on the list and its children are 6.7 times more likely to die from abuse and neglect. In comparison, Oklahoma’s children are 13 times more likely to die from child abuse or neglect than children in Maine, she said.

To help raise awareness of child abuse prevention and promote family togetherness, Ray of Hope Advocacy Center will host its annual “h’ART of a Child” event from noon to 4 p.m. on April 18, from at the Richard Kane YMCA in Bartlesville. The free event consists of a variety of age-appropriate art stations including shoebox art, self portraits, decorative bowls, origami hats and a yummy ice cream and cookie decoration station, Hudson said. In addition to the art stations, there will be a silent auction with handmade jewelry, paintings, family entertainment baskets and kids’ art baskets.

Hudson said Ray of Hope Advocacy Center’s mission is to minimize the trauma to child victims during the investigation and prosecution of cases, and to improve the system’s response to child abuse and neglect by uniting the efforts of public agencies and enlisting community support. For more information, visit www.rayofhopeac.org.

To comment on this story, go to www.examiner-enterprise.com.