JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month—a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect.
Many times military families will be under more stress than others which can lead to a higher risk for violence in the household.
“Transition is one of the most stressful periods of time and it opens up the door for child maltreatment,” said Suzette O’Donnell, Family Advocacy Program outreach manager. “As military families, the only thing you can count on is change, which means we are already a population who is highly stressed in that capacity.”
At any point or any stage of added pressure, the military community has services that can provide assistance, O’Donnell said.
“In Family Advocacy we offer a lot of secondary prevention and education on communication, couples, anger management, parenting and more,” O’Donnell said. “We want to give people these skills and build their toolboxes so they can learn to cope with situations in a healthy way.”
Parents having the necessary tools is one of the most important things to prevent abuse or maltreatment, she said.
“It’s not a career breaker to go and talk to somebody, especially when you’re stressed,” O’Donnell said. “The hardest part is making that first appointment or taking that first step through the door.”
For a full schedule of classes offered and further information, visit the Family Advocacy Program Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/673-JBER-Family-Advocacy-Program-567981006626728/.
This year, Family Advocacy will host an event to raise further awareness on abuse and the dangers posed to children.
The event will take place April 27 at the Frontier Theater, with two different sessions of 1 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m., to accommodate work schedules. Several resource information booths will be set up throughout the entire event and attendees will be able to receive two hours of resiliency credit.
Guest speaker Carine McCandless will speak about her journey from a troubled childhood to mother and activist who speaks out against domestic violence and its effects on children.
Carine McCandless is the sister of Chris McCandless, whose life story has been told to millions of people through the book and film “Into the Wild.” Chris McCandless left everything behind in 1992 and took on the new name of Alexander Supertramp before heading for the wilderness of Alaska. He was later found dead after only four months.
“But ‘Into the Wild’ wasn’t Chris’s entire story and what remained unsaid lived within me,” said Carine McCandless, according to her website. “It took me twenty years to comprehend what a disservice I had done remaining silent about the tumultuous childhood that pushed Chris to extremes within the solace of nature.”
Carine McCandless has since published a book to fill in the blanks of her brother’s story.
“Writing ‘The Wild Truth’ emboldened me to speak out beyond classrooms and campuses about the devastating effects that domestic violence has on children, families and communities regardless of demographics,” she continued.
Representatives from the Office of Children Services will also be in attendance to speak on how people can help children in foster care.
“There are [more than] 3,000 children in foster care throughout the state of Alaska,” said Olivia Shears, OCS community care licensing specialist. “There is a significant need for families who can care for [children], and all you need is a stable home and a heart that can open to a child [in need].”
A panel of former foster youth who aged out of the system, will also speak on their experiences and the support they have received or made for themselves.
For further information on the event call 580-5858.
To report suspected domestic violence or child maltreatment call Family Advocacy at 580-5858 or the 24/7 Domestic Abuse Victim Advocates hotline at 519-9993.
For further information about Carine McCandless visit www.prhspeakers.com.