At age 14, Jane’s mother began dating a man who made Jane feel uncomfortable. He soon began to sexually abuse Jane. When Jane tried to tell her mother, she defended her boyfriend and called Jane names, blaming the abuse on her. With her home unsafe, Jane ran away. Within 48 hours, Jane was approached by a […]
Jane Doe, age 4
Jane is 4. Her parents are divorced. Her dad is a truck driver and her mom lives in an assisted living facility because of a terminal illness. Jane’s loving grandparents care for her except when her father is in town once a month. After spending time with her father, Jane often describes adult activities that […]
Jane Doe, age 12
Jane is the oldest of three siblings. Her mother and father fight often, and she shields her siblings from the abuse and chaos in their home. Exhausted at school, she was written up for sleeping in class. Jane’s mother senselessly beat Jane for getting in trouble in school and began to strangle her, causing her […]
John Doe, age 10
John is a champion soccer player whose parents always try to provide the best for – including his soccer league and coach. John loved soccer and was pretty decent at the sport, and his coach listened as John expressed the pressures of his home life – being the youngest of four while his parents were […]
We Are Grateful for You!
Thank you for your unwavering support of DCAC! With your help, DCAC coordinates a heroic team of experts who work every day to restore hope in victims’ lives. This past fiscal year: Over 28,000 reports of abuse were read by our staff, and the cases meeting our criteria were coordinated so children received the help they need. Over 7,300 children and […]
Types of Child Abuse
Neglect The leaving of a child in a situation where the child would be exposed to a substantial risk of physical or mental harm, without arranging for necessary care for the child, and the demonstration of an intent not to return by a parent or guardian of the child. Definition taken from Texas State Family […]
How to Protect Your Child
Be calm and confident before discussing this topic with your child. Do not scare your child; your tone should be neutral, educational and empowering. Let your child know that you are always there for him/her and always want to protect him/her. Teach your child that the parts of their body that a bathing suit covers […]
Signs and Symptoms of Abuse
The following are signs commonly associated with abuse, but they are not absolutes. This list is not a checklist but a guide to help identify abuse when it is present. Physical Abuse Frequent injuries that are unexplained and/or when the child or parent cannot adequately explain injury causes such as: bruises, cuts, black eyes, fractures, […]
Survivors
Sometimes after a child abuse education training or after taking one of DCAC’s online courses, members of the group realize that they have their own childhood abuse issues that need to be attended to. Know that hope and healing can occur at any time of your life and that there are resources to support your […]
Jane Doe, age 3
Jane was born into poverty to drug-addicted parents. To make sure that Jane slept when her parents wanted to sleep, they overdosed her with over-the-counter allergy medicines. Jane was rushed to Children’s Medical Center (TAG), and the Reach Clinic was contacted on suspicion of this incident being child abuse. DCAC partners investigated the crime and […]
