Social workers encourage the community to ‘Stop The Hurt’

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Social workers from across Northeast Mississippi are trying to combat violence against children.

Hundreds of people attended the “Stop the Hurt” kickoff festival at Fairpark in Tupelo. The event gave various community groups an opportunity to share information about their services with the public.

The festival is held one week before the annual “Stop the Hurt” conference, where social workers, and other professionals who work with children, learn ways to better protect minors.

Organizers said it’s important for people to know signs of potential abuse, and report anything suspicious.

“Of course physical abuse, there’s physical indicators of that, also emotional abuse, and sexual abuse that we also, physical neglect, those are all the things we have to assess,” said social worker Blair Rice.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month.