LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Children's Protection Center in Little Rock has been making it their mission to be more vocal about how to help children who have experienced sexual and physical abuse.
This comes after a police operation, where Faulkner County law enforcement exposed nine men, including a Cleburne County deputy, for their involvement in human trafficking and the exploitation of children.
Director of Clinical Services, Mark Bryant explained how it's important to know the signs that a child might be in trouble.
"We frequently give to parents, you know, being aware of what your kids are doing as much as possible. We know we can't be aware of everything, but what we can do is try to create an open, supportive dialog with our children," Bryant explained.
He said having important conversations can help children open up more when they encounter strange things or alarming things that could make them feel uncomfortable.
Bryant also explained how usually around the summertime and at the beginning of the school year, they see an uptick in abuse cases.
"When school starts, we also frequently see a spike in cases, because children go back to school and they're around more mandated reporters with teachers, so there are more people that actually report child abuse as well," Bryant said.
Reporting abuse can also help children feel more comfortable with disclosing abuse. This could help support them mentally.
Bryant urges the community to abide by the motto of "if you see something, say something" because it could help save a child's life.
For more information on how to report child abuse and neglect you can reach out to the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-482-5964, or click here.