Anti-child abuse groups end monthlong celebration

The Division of Youth Services under the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs wrapped up its monthlong celebration of raising awareness and preventing child abuse and neglect by hosting a roadside waving with partnering agencies yesterday at the Atkins Kroll intersection in Oleai.

Students, parents, parish members, anti-child abuse organizations, government officials, agencies, and other anti-domestic violence advocates held up signs and waved to cars, urging them to honk in support of the goal to stop child abuse.

Green Meadow School students wave to passing motorists to support Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Awareness Month. DYS, other schools, advocates, government agencies, and churchgoers also participated in the roadside waving yesterday. (Jayson Camacho)

Signs in different colors such as “Honk Against Child Abuse,” “Stop Domestic Violence,” “Help Children,” and many more were held up for motorists, who not only slowed down to honk but also rolled down their windows to wave back and show support.

“The roadside waving is to wrap up the April activities in honor of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Awareness Month and today we bring out our partners to support our mission to help stop child abuse in the CNMI,” DYS administrator Vivian Sablan said.

Sablan cited that DYS had a total of 216 child abuse cases in fiscal year 2014 alone, involving a total of 528 children.

This was their first roadside waving and Sablan it couldn’t have been made possible without the help of partners such as the Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

“We plan to do it again and continue to do our outreach in the schools so that the awareness can go stronger,” she said.

Aljanah Manabat, 10, said she was there with her classmates from Green Meadow School and they support what DYS and its partner organizations are doing.

“Child abuse is bad and we should stop it because we need to protect the children and stop hurting them,” she said.

Arnold Mesa, a referee under the CNMI Referee Association, said that Abner Venus from DYS informed him about the roadside waving. Joining Mesa were his colleagues and young referees. Mesa said he supported this campaign in Guam for 30 years.

“I urge the community to speak out. Our children are the most vulnerable but I hope with all these things we are doing, more incidents are reported and we’re no longer afraid to step up to the plate and bring the attention to proper authorities,” Sablan said.

DYS representatives will be continuing to provide prevention programs and intervention services to highlight and build on family protective factors while also working toward reducing risk factors in its continued efforts to strengthen families in the CNMI.