Letter of the Week: End child abuse

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Hopefully, this letter will motivate others to educate themselves about the prevalence of child abuse in our area.

There are 3 million reports of child abuse made every year in the United States, and many more cases are unreported. We need to be aware of the devastating effects these cases have on our society.

We all need to recognize neglect and abuse affecting the most vulnerable persons in our community. We need to educate people about risk factors and available services.

Children are the future, and it is our responsibility to be aware of their needs and celebrate them as important members of our community. Advocating for children will not only help end child abuse, it will improve our community and our future.

Kim Glackin of Overland Park was born and raised in the Kansas City area and is a psychology instructor at Metropolitan Community College-Blue River. She serves on the Kansas City Child Abuse Roundtable discussion group and on the board of directors of Comprehensive Mental Health Services. She is married with two children.

This story was originally published March 29, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Letter of the Week: End child abuse."