One in two children worldwide experience some form of physical, sexual or emotional violence. How can we end child abuse and protect the children we care for deeply—those who are integral parts of our lives and those unknown to us around the world? 

While every child deserves to grow up safe and loved, the heartbreaking reality is that many children are without parental care—growing up alone or grappling with abuse or neglect. But there’s hope. With watchful community members like you and the tools provided in this guide, we can spot (and help) children in need. 

Do you suspect that your baby, toddler or very young child has undergone a traumatic experience? You want to help them get through it, but what if they’re too young to talk about it—or too young to even understand what happened?

When Rose’s* mother remarried after years of being a single parent, the young girl was ecstatic. She imagined their new life together—dinners filled with laughter, watching her parents dance in the kitchen while she did homework, a father figure who would bandage scraped knees and read bedtime stories.

Every year, more than one billion children worldwide—one in two—suffer physical, sexual or emotional violence.