Island Children Learn About Preventing Child Abuse at Safety Zone Fun Day

 

Cheryl Miller paints the face of Ben Terwilliger, who was visiting from New York, at the Safety Zone’s Children’s Fun Day at the Frank Powell Sr. Park on Saturday, April 14. The Safety Zone hosted the fun day in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The island’s parents and children enjoyed a fun day at the Frank Powell Park while gaining important knowledge at the Safety Zone’s Children’s Fun Day on Saturday, April 14, in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Pamphlets and coloring books focusing on how to prevent child abuse were distributed to children at the fun day, who enjoyed face painting and meeting with Miss Virgin Islands 2006.

“This event gives both children and adults information on how to help protect the children in our community against child abuse,” said Safety Zone Co-Director Shelley Williams. “It’s really for the entire family to enjoy food, activities and entertainment while receiving critical information on what to look for to prevent child abuse.”

A moment of silence was observed for 12-year-old Laquina Hennis, who was abducted and murdered on St. Thomas last week.
The Fun Day was just one part of a series of events sponsored by the Safety Zone, St. John’s abuse/neglect task force, in an effort to educate people on how to prevent child abuse.

“The most important thing is to provide the information that’s necessary to educate the community, and make them aware of what we need to do in order to prevent child abuse,” said Williams.

The Safety Zone also sponsored lectures at the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center as part of its Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign — one focused on recognizing child abuse, while the other offered an approach to preventing child abuse.

How To Prevent Child Abuse
“The subject matter was really good,” said Williams. “The speakers presented the material in a way that was very easy to understand, and they laid out what we need to do in order to prevent child abuse in the territory.”

Safety Zone counselors spoke, along with MKSCHC Dr. Joseph DeJames and a representative from the V.I. Department of Human Services.

For more information on Child Abuse Prevention Month, contact the Safety Zone at 693-7233.