NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The City of North Charleston is donning blue in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, decorating its city hall with pinwheels in the name of protecting the innocence of children.
City leaders stood alongside child maltreatment nonprofits Dee Norton and Children’s Trust of South Carolina on Monday. The group planted a garden of blue pinwheels in solidarity with child victims and families of child abuse and neglect.
Children’s Trust Board member Shawan Gillians reports that 1,100 children within Charleston County are impacted by adverse childhood experience investigations in 2024, enough to fill two elementary schools. Across the state, nearly 15,000 children are associated with a case.
The nonprofit claims 62% of adults report one of these experiences, but Dee Norton claims only 40% of children who experience a form of abuse or neglect report it in the moment and seek help.
“Speak up. Sometimes you may be the only person who speaks up for a child. Be brave. Trust your gut. If something feels off, say something. Protect a child,” Dee Norton Executive Director Beverly Hutchinson said.
While it is Child Abuse Prevention Month, both nonprofits pushed these issues as ones to be addressed across the board, not just within a recognized month.
If you are a child victim or know of one who may be going through a similar experience, you can find resources for Dee Norton here and for the Children’s Trust of SC here.
Source: Live 5 News
