Mount Pleasant proclaimed a ‘pinwheel town’ to support child abuse prevention

A local child advocacy center assisted roughly 1,000 children experiencing physical and sexual abuse in Berkeley and Charleston counties in 2022. Ten percent of those children were from Mount Pleasant, according to Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center.

Child abuse is a scary, life-altering experience for survivors. For many, it’s difficult to reckon with the idea that it’s happening so close to home. To raise awareness of the issue, Mayor Will Haynie proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in a ceremony on April 5. If only one more child were to experience abuse, it would still be too many, he said.

“Abuse is a reality for too many,” Haynie said. “Mount Pleasant is very blessed. We have great health demographics, great economic and educational demographics, but that does not exempt us from the problems of child abuse, neglect and trauma, which is often overlooked.”

As Haynie finished his proclamation, a strong wind caused the shiny blue pinwheels that decorate the front lawn of town hall to whir determinedly. The pinwheels will be a fixture on the grounds for the rest of the month. Pinwheels symbolize the carefree innocence of childhood, said Sue Williams, the CEO of Children’s Trust of South Carolina.

Mayor Will Haynie proclaims April as Child Abuse Prevention Month on the Town Hall rotunda on April 5. Photo by Anna Sharpe.

 

“The pinwheel stands for happy, healthy childhoods, something that we want every child to experience. However, we know that there are too many children who experience challenging childhoods and trauma,” Williams said.

South Carolina had nearly 16,000 founded investigations of child mistreatment in 2022 — enough children to fill 29 elementary schools. Dee Norton Executive Director Beverly Hutchison said the first step to eliminating child abuse is arming oneself with knowledge. Having conversations on consent, body boundaries and healthy relationships can foster an environment where a child feels comfortable speaking up if something is wrong.

“It takes at most five minutes a day to start building this bond that is lifelong. If you talk to your children about the easy things, you can talk to your children about the harder things,” Hutchison said.

Haynie also praised the Mount Pleasant Police Department’s work in dealing with internet crimes against children. Last year, 12 people in Mount Pleasant were arrested for crimes related to children.

“We are also committed to pursuing those who would do harm to our children by any means,” Haynie said. “This is a place where if you mean harm to children, you better look elsewhere because we’ve got people here who will find you and deal with you.”

Dee Norton will share tips and resources on creating a protective community and preventing child abuse throughout April. For more information, visit their website at www.deenortoncenter.org and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @deenortoncenter.