The first 19 Days of November may have come and gone but the impact is long-standing.
For the seventh year, the Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford County partnered with several local agencies and participated in the international 19 Days of Activism Campaign for the Prevention of Violence Against Children and Youth.
The Women's World Summit Foundation sponsors the event each year and takes place November 1 through the 19.
The Campaign is used as an organizing strategy in the fight against child abuse.
"We can create a safer environment for our children by raising public awareness of child abuse, establishing partnerships with local agencies, and providing prevention education," explained Brittnie Noble, Community Education Coordinator for the Child Advocacy Center.
"The 2019 campaign consisted of nearly 25 press releases aimed to educate Rutherford County on the prevalence of child abuse and its lifelong consequences in hopes we can ultimately prevent child abuse from happening in the first place," said Brittnie Noble, Community Education Coordinator for the Child Advocacy Center. Simultaneously, LaunchPad Early Education, Learning Zone, Middle Tennessee State University, and R Kids R Small Wonders Day Care hosted a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training, Darkness to Light, that provides simple and practical actions adults can take to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
Each year during the 19 Days of Activism Campaign, the Child Advocacy Center hosts a flag raising ceremony to honor victims and survivors of child abuse.
On Nov. 13, 2019, the District Attorney Jennings Jones, Sarahi Castillo-Green from the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, and Detective Andrea Knox from the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office spoke on behalf of child abuse victims and their families. Afterward, the Child Advocacy Center and partners came together and raised the Children's Memorial flag and had a moment of silence to reflect on the children who have lost their lives due to abuse.
If you are interested in being part of the solution to end child abuse you can partner with the Child Advocacy Center for the 8th annual 19 Days of Activism happening November 2020. For questions about partnership, please contact Brittnie Noble at bnoble@cacrutherford.org.
For more information on the "19 Days of Activism" and the "World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse" visit the Women's World Summit Foundation website.