TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — April is child abuse prevention month and leaders from the community are working to stop the cycle of abuse happening in Tucson.
"'Not in my neighborhood,' sometimes people think, 'not among the circle of people that I know, not from the school where my children attend,'" Chris Magnus, Tucson Police Chief, said. "How wrong that assumption is."
Leaders stressed that abuse is happening in our community and that they need your help to stop it.
"You might think it's not your business, but it is your responsibility," Marie Fortney, Executive Director of the TPD Child Physical Abuse Unit, said. "You might think you are just a neighbor or a friend but since you're the only one seeing what you're seeing, you can be a hero for that child."
Fortney said that reported cases of child abuse dropped during the pandemic because mandatory reporters like teachers and counselors weren't seeing kids as often.
Another rising issue is online abuse against children. TPD says they want parents to be aware of the types of abuse that exist on the internet.
Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center has a number of resources available for parents here. You can also find their training to spot child abuse here.
