According to www.bordaslaw.com/blog-posts/national-child-abuse-prevention-month/, since 1974, we in America have taken steps to prevent child abuse and neglect against our young people. During that year, President Richard Nixon signed a legislative enactment into law, known as the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), to provide programs, laws, and agencies within the States to fight against child abuse and neglect. Nine years later (1983) on April 4th, the CAPTA inspired President Ronald Reagan to issue a proclamation, known as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, to call on America to recognize and take action to prevent abuse, mistreatment, and neglect of children. Since then, our nation has observed National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April every year.
In honor of this month, and to support the families in our community, I offer the following Biblical scriptures to serve as a reminder to parents and guardians of the profound impact our words and discipline have on a child’s spirit:
EPHESIANS 6:4:
AMPLIFIED BIBLE: Do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with loving kindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION: Don’t be too hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.
COLOSSIANS 3:21:
AMPLIFIED BIBLE: Do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by favoritism or indifference; treat them tenderly with loving kindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated [with their spirits broken].
CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION: Don’t be too hard on your children. If you are, they might give up.
DARBY TRANSLATION: Do not vex your children, to the end that they be not disheartened.
EASY ENGLISH BIBLE: Do not cause your children to be upset. If you do, they might think that they never do anything that is good.
J.B. PHILLIPS NEW TESTAMENT: Don’t over-correct your children, or they will grow up feeling inferior and frustrated.
THE LIVING BIBLE: Don’t scold your children so much that they become discouraged and quit trying.
MESSAGE BIBLE: Don’t come down too hard on your children, or you’ll crush their spirits.
Additionally, I want to include an intercessory prayer in support of this month:
Heavenly Father, as we in America continue to honor the legislative CAPTA that was signed by President Nixon and President Reagan’s proclamation to observe National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we humbly ask that Your Spirit join the child and youth advocates and mentors as they celebrate this awareness.
Call out ordained child and youth ministers, child and family social workers, and child protective service workers to organize seminars at the Big Brother/Big Sister organizations, Boys and Girls’ Clubs, churches, schools, Young Men’s Christian Associations (YMCA), and the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) to educate the following resources for parents and legal guardians: positive parenting skills, non-violent conflict resolutions, building healthy relationships with their children, and ways to develop positive discipline techniques for children without producing abuse or mistreatment.
We also pray that You will grant other professionals, such as coaches, counselors, principals, and teachers in schools, and child and youth psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists, the wisdom and discernment to recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect and to report it to child protective services or the police.
May your favor surround all our children and youth with a shield in this month and forevermore (Psalm 5:12, New King James Version)!
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
—Kenneth Sullivan.