Several Bracken County High School students are working to bring about awareness to child abuse in honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month.
The Bracken County High School Superintendent’s Council spent its Wednesday afternoon putting out signs and pinwheels near the roadway in front of the high school to catch the attention of drives passing through the area to bring more attention to the issue of child abuse.
Colton Jones, a senior at BCHS and a member of the council, said he and the other students involved felt bringing attention to the issue was important.
“We want people to realize that some kids have bad home lives and get abused,” he said. “We need to realize that these kids don’t know why their parents are doing the things they do and we need to step up and help those kids.”
Jones said students will also be presenting pinwheels to the preschool students in Bracken County and releasing balloons with the younger children to show them the importance of awareness.
“We’re going to give pinwheels to the kids on Tuesday in order to help show them they’re important,” he said. “We need to have more awareness to show what kids are going through. They shouldn’t be going through this, especially at such a young age. Having friends who have been through it, I realize it’s harder on them as they get older, so it’s important to start now, while they’re little, in order to help them get through.”
Lyndsey Monahon said she feels what the students did with the pinwheels is very important.
“I’m really passionate about what we’re doing today,” she said. “No child deserves being abused. That follows you through your whole life. So, today, we wanted to come out here and raise awareness for child abuse and try to prevent it in our community.”
Monahon said she also believes the younger children need to be taught about awareness.
“We’re going to try to show them that this isn’t right and there are people there for them,” she said. “We want the pinwheels to be a physical symbol that there is hope.”
Monahon said she hopes people will see the pinwheels and realize what is happening to children all across the country.
“I’m really hoping people are going to stop and see them,” she said. “It’s such a big deal.”
Cameron Ashcraft said he believes bringing about awareness is important.
“The pinwheels are for child abuse awareness,” he said. “We’re doing this for the children. We’re hoping people will see the sign and wonder what it’s for and stop to read it.”
Ashcraft said the students putting together the pinwheels for Child Abuse Awareness Month are a part of the superintendent’s council, which works to improve the community.
“We work to make our schools and our communities better,” he said. “It’s not just our own communities. We want to make all communities better and make education better. We often work with the younger kids, too, in order to help them. It’s something I look forward to doing.”
Superintendent Jeff Aulick said his student council chose to put together the pinwheels and balloon release, because members understood the importance of bringing about awareness for the problem.
“With one in three child abuse cases reported and five children dying each and every day from neglect or abuse, it is imperative that we pledge to protect children of all ages,” he said. “The superintendent’s advisory group along with the (Family Resource and Youth Service Center) has teamed up to make a difference and we appreciate their leadership.”