Video: What Can You Do About Child Abuse?

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WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a serious problem that affects thousands every year.

Even though you might not see it, child abuse plagues every community.
In 2014, statistics show around 8,700 child abuse cases in Mississippi.

Now, an 11-year-old boy remains in the hospital while his mother is behind bars charged with child abuse.

Whitney Fountain is charged with child abuse in two counties.

Webster County deputies alerted Calhoun County investigators that the child was possibly abused there as well.

“We have come to learn this woman did live in Calhoun County latter part of 2015 and during that time, the child in question was in pretty bad shape. Hopefully we can get this woman charged and this wont happen again,” said Calhoun County Deputy Kenneth White.

Shelia Brand is the Executive Director of the Sally Kate Winters Home in West Point.

The shelter serves as temporary housing for children and teens who have been abused or neglected.

“It is children that our children go to school with, that our children ride the school bus with. It is among all kids in every community,” said Brand.

Brand says there are several types of abuse.

“Child abuse is physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse and neglect,” said Brand.

While abuse isn’t limited to one socioeconomic group, there are some with greater risk factors.

“Real young parents who are not really prepared emotionally to be parents those kids are at greater risk. Also single parent homes where the parents have very little support and so they are just kind of trying to balance everything on themselves, and then families that are experiencing poverty, or divorce or a child with special needs,” said Brand.

Sally Kate Winters has several programs to keep children safe, including a national program called “Safe Place”.

“What we have done is coordinated with different businesses within each community to identify safe places for kids to go when they are in crisis. A child that’s in crisis can walk to the fire station and ask for help, and those individuals have be trained to contact our agency,” said Brand.

Brand says people should report any suspicion they have about child abuse to the hotline at 1-800-222-8000