MOLINE, Ill. — More than 600,000 kids are victims of child abuse every year according to the National Children's Alliance. Scott County Kids is doing its part to raise awareness of the various forms of abuse and how to prevent them.
Tuesday, Aug. 15, the organization held a multi-sensory exhibit at Bethany for Children & Families in Moline. The experience allowed participants to step into someone else's shoes and see, smell and listen to different depictions of abuse.
"During COVID, and I know we're getting past that now, it was definitely something that was happening more than I think people were aware of, just from the isolation that was going on," Scott County Kids Special Projects Coordinator, Terry Hanson, said.
Viewers experienced a condensed version of the exhibit that Scott Count Kids presents to high schools and colleges around the mid-west.
"Neglect may be one that is easily overlooked because of the fact of the nature of what it is, but it's definitely still one of those things that falls in line with a form of child abuse," Hanson said.
It may be overlooked, but neglect is the most common form of child abuse, making up 76% of all cases nationwide according to the National Children's Alliance. Furthermore, 77% of all child abuse victims are abused by their parents.
"I think what this is able to do, it's able to educate and bring more awareness to the fact that there are preventative measures, and we hope to provide some of them," Hanson said.
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