The View of Prevention Advocates on the Alec Baldwin Verbal Abuse Case

Prevention Supports and Resources Are Available to Parents

    CHICAGO, April 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As ABC's daytime
 television program The View prepares to host guest Alec Baldwin on its
 Friday, April 27 show, the issue of verbal abuse and parents feeling
 'pushed to the edge' remains a focus of national attention. In the
 aftermath of Mr. Baldwin's now- famous voicemail message to his daughter,
 Prevent Child Abuse (PCA) America wants to ask whether parents are
 receiving the kinds of help and support they need, while letting all
 parents know about resources to help them deal with anger and frustration.
     "If we view Mr. Baldwin in isolation, we are missing an opportunity to
 identify changes in the way we can more systematically help parents promote
 healthy child development," said PCA America President Jim Hmurovich.
 "While Mr. Baldwin must be held responsible for his actions, we believe
 this is a situation that highlights the reality that every parent has, at
 some point, experienced times of extreme stress, frustration and even
 anger. Stress can lead to behavior that is unquestionably abusive."
     Emotional abuse - which can involve belittling, criticizing, and
 ignoring - is child abuse, plain and simple. Even divorced parents need to
 work together to make sure their children are protected from it. Emotional
 abuse can happen when a parent is under stress and does not know how to
 properly manage that stress; children who are emotionally abused may go on
 to experience depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, if not worse
 emotional and mental health issues.
     "This situation reminds all of us that emotional abuse can happen in
 families of every race, religion, and socioeconomic status," continued
 Hmurovich. "We want the public to ask how each of us can help parents to be
 the type of parents we really want to be and we would like all parents to
 know there are steps that can be taken to prevent directing stress toward a
 child. There are resources - like a national child abuse hotline - that are
 free and available at any time, day or night."
     PCA America gives the following tips on how parents can manage stress
 and prevent verbally abusing their children. If you feel you're about to
 lose your temper, you can:
     -- Put Yourself in a Time-Out Chair. Think about why you're angry - is
        it your child, or is your child simply a convenient target for your
        anger?
     -- Be Aware of What Triggers Your Temper. Just recognizing your 'temper
        triggers' can help you stay calm during such situations and enable you
        to try to avoid certain circumstances in the first place.
     -- Phone a Friend.
     -- Splash Cold Water on Your Face.
     -- Close Your Eyes and Imagine You're Hearing What Your Child is About to
        Hear.
     -- Take a Deep Breath ...  and Another.  Then Remember: You are the Adult.
     Parents who feel overwhelmed and fear losing their temper can, 24 hours
 a day, call a toll-free child abuse hotline like the Childhelp USA National
 Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (www.childhelpusa.org) or The
 Covenant House Nineline at 1-800-999-9999 (www.covenenathouse.org).
     Other resources for parents:
     -- Crisis Baby-Sitting.  There are local organizations that provide
        immediate baby-sitting services if parents need to deflect a would-be
        crisis situation.   There are also crisis nurseries and crisis
        counseling resources.
     -- Parent Support Programs.  Many communities have support groups for new
        parents, and for parents with children of all ages.
     For more tips, and for additional information on services and support
 resources in your community, go to the Prevent Child Abuse America website
 at www.preventchildabuse.org.
     ABOUT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA
     Prevent Child Abuse America, founded in Chicago in 1972, is the
 nation's leading organization working solely to prevent the abuse and
 neglect or our nation's children. Through its chapters in 42 states and its
 voluntary home visitation services provided by Healthy Families America(R)
 in more than 400 communities nationwide, Prevent Child Abuse America helps
 provide healthy, safe and nurturing experiences for more than 100,000
 families every year. For more information, please visit
 www.preventchildabuse.org.
 
 

SOURCE Prevent Child Abuse America