Kasi Rupert @kasibellerupert [Staff Writer]

Child abuse. It’s a serious problem that many people don’t acknowledge regularly. They might not be aware, but tons of children and teens in the United States are affected by it every day. Child abuse is such an immense problem that the month of April was made dedicated to awareness and prevention of it. Some students in Marion High have decided to take on the responsibility of telling people the shocking facts about child abuse and advertise the issue.

Kallie Kriegel, senior, is one of these students. Kriegel is glad to inform other students about child abuse. “I feel like people should know about the different types of it,” she mentioned. She started working on it in class, but she still thinks it is very important. “It’s a project, but I thought it would be more useful to our community than anything else,” explained Kriegel. Many people think child abuse just hurts the child’s body, but there are various forms of it. “The different types of [child abuse] are neglect, emotional, physical, along with some others,” lists Kriegel.

Child abuse awareness month is also important because of the hope of prevention. The effects of child abuse could last a lifetime. “You’re mentally affected after, even so much as ten years later. Bruises heal, memories don’t,” described Kriegel. Because of this, it is crucial to tell someone if you know or suspect someone is being abused. “Bring it up with a teacher or adult,” advised Kriegel. Also, if you think that you may have been abused or are still being abused, let a counselor know so you can get help.