Children's Safety Center Hosts Child Abuse Prevention Training

Free workshops teach participants how to recognize and respond to signs of abuse during National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 12:49am

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a parent and child playing together in a park, with soft pools of warm, earthy colors and blurred background elements, conveying a sense of care and connection.The Children's Safety Center's training aims to help adults recognize and respond to potential signs of child abuse in their community.Washington Today

The Children's Safety Center of Washington County, Arkansas hosted free child sexual abuse prevention training sessions during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The training aimed to help participants recognize warning signs of abuse, including online risks, and provided guidance on using parental control tools to keep children safe.

Why it matters

Child abuse remains a serious issue, with the Children's Safety Center seeing a 20% increase in cases over the previous year. Providing education and resources to the community is crucial for empowering adults to identify and respond to potential abuse.

The details

The training sessions covered a range of topics, including recognizing abuse signs in everyday life, such as through online gaming platforms where predators may target children. Participants also learned about parental control tools like device agreements, app permission requirements, screen time limits, and keeping phones out of children's bedrooms. The goal was to help adults feel more confident and equipped to respond to potential warning signs of abuse.

  • The training sessions were held during National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April 2026.
  • The Children's Safety Center said they hold these trainings on a quarterly basis.

The players

Children's Safety Center

A nonprofit organization in Washington County, Arkansas that provides services and support for victims of child abuse.

Casey Atwood

The director of operations at the Children's Safety Center, who noted the growing need for their services.

Evie Hartman

An intern who plans to share the training information with counselors and parents.

Olive Shuffield

A social work student who said the training reinforced the importance of awareness and communication about child abuse.

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What they’re saying

“Our numbers are increasing, we are at maybe close to probably a 20% increase over the amount of kids we saw last year. We saw 16 new children yesterday.”

— Casey Atwood, Director of Operations, Children's Safety Center

“A lot of these topics will definitely be beneficial to talk to the kids about, but also send home things to the parents.”

— Evie Hartman, Intern

“Any type of awareness and education is important and impactful.”

— Olive Shuffield, Social Work Student

What’s next

The Children's Safety Center said they hold these child abuse prevention training sessions on a quarterly basis, so the next set of workshops will likely be scheduled for July 2026.

The takeaway

This training highlights the ongoing need for community education and resources to help adults recognize and respond to signs of child abuse. By empowering parents, counselors, and other community members, the Children's Safety Center aims to create a safer environment for children in Washington County.