CASA Spreads the Word During Child Abuse Awareness Month

One in four girls is sexually abused before the age of 18, and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. Nearly 70 percent of all reported sexual assaults, including assaults on adults, occur to children 17 and year, according to CAPstone of Western Nebraska, a child advocacy center.

Child abuse by definition is not limited to sexual assaults. It is neglect. It is emotional assaults. It is mistreatment that threatens the person mentally, emotionally and physically. According to the Child Welfare League of America, Nebraska had 32,605 total referrals for child abuse in 2016. Of...