National attention has increasingly been focusing on family violence, since one in four children are exposed to family violence in his or her lifetime, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Advocacy has broadened across legal and political arenas to include activities that support individuals, families, communities and issues that may be of concern to us all, like child abuse.

In 2011, 231 Texas children died from abuse or neglect, according to the Family Guidance and Outreach Center of Lubbock. Child abuse includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and/or neglect.

“It is clearly a public health issue, so finding ways to strengthen families to promote a reduction in child abuse and neglect has been at the center of many national studies and programs,” said Lisa Dillard, MSN, R.N., School of Nursing Nurse-Family Partnership supervisor.

Dillard has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate for six years, and is also a member of the South Plains Child Abuse Prevention Coalition. She encourages nurses and other health care professionals to increase child abuse awareness.