SNOW HILL, Md. -- This is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. On Wednesday morning, Snow Hill Middle School students found a colorful way to raise awareness.
Dozens of pinwheels have been planted outside Snow Hill Middle School. The garden, popping with streaks of blue and silver, presents a striking and effective message.
"April is the month of child abuse and to prevent it," said Thomas Gordon, an 8th grader at Snow Hill Middle. "So we decided to put this out here as a decoration or a sign of just being aware and being grateful that you're not in the position that some kids are."
Across the country, more than 550,000 children are known to be abused, according to National Children's Alliance. That's eight out of every 1,000 children.
Through their pinwheel garden, staff and students are trying to raise awareness locally.
"I want them[people in the community] to be aware that everyone's childhood is not necessarily their childhood, and be a listener, be open with the community and look for warning signs," said Beth Shockley-Lynch, a teacher at Snow Hill Middle.
Those signs can stem from all types of abuse: alienation, neglect, andphysical abuse.
"Sometimes children are very isolated, there's a drastic change in their behavior, their friends notice that they're acting very differently than they normally act and they will often communicate with other children about things that are going on," said Shockley-Lynch.
So, the garden aims to influence people to pay attention and, when necessary, intervene.
"The longer anyone has to endure something that's negative, the more effect it has on them," said Shockley-Lynch. "Our goal is to produce productive citizens that are looking out for each other, and this is a way of looking out for each other."
Snow Hill Middle School offers multiple methods to help students deal with abuse. Guidance counselors, mental health support, peer support and support from staff are always available.
For more resources, you can contact The Cricket Center in Worcester County at 410-641-0097.