Help the Children A child walks home from school. He arrives at home and slowly opens the door. He creeps silently through the house and quietly closes his bedroom door behind him. There he sits and waits for the inevitable. His stomach is in knots and every bone in his body is filled with fear. The boy's fear, an angry two hundred-pound man who finds pleasure in hurting this boy. Normally such a man would be immediately locked up, but this just happens to be the man he calls dad. Now everyday the boy waits in fear. Maybe it won't happen today but sooner or later it will happen again, and it is going to hurt. So now everyday this boy carries the pain both in his heart and in the marks across his back. He wonders why he is such a bad person, why does he make his father do this to him? Is this any way for a child to grow up? Unfortunately it happens everyday, in every country, in every state, in every city and in every school district. You know a child that has been abused wheth!
             er you actually realize it or not. Child abuse is not an issue that can be ignored and swept under the carpet. Children must be protected, and yet, they cannot protect themselves. Protecting children involves everyone. What can be done to prevent child abuse? There are many forms of child abuse and all of them leave scars, if not on the skin then on the soul. The key to preventing child abuse is to understand the different types, and to be able to recognize the signs. There are several types of abuse, each leaving its own unique mark on a child. Children who are mistreated can be emotionally abused, sexually abused, or physically abused; neglected; or abandoned. Sexual abuse is any act of molestation against a minor child. Emotional abuse can be caused by constantly rejecting a child, exposing a child to domestic violence, or threatening a child's safety. Physical abuse is any injury resulting from beating, biting, burning or otherwise harming a...