We Can’t Just Investigate Our Way to Preventing Child Abuse

“Every April, we raise awareness about child abuse prevention. We wear blue. We post statistics. We urge people to “see something, say something.”

But most of what we call prevention still begins after a family is already in crisis. There are cases where children are experiencing real and serious harm, and investigation is both necessary and urgent. But those cases are not the majority of what brings families to the attention of the system.

Investigating harm is not the same as preventing it.”