Scott Satchfield / Eyewitness News
NEW ORLEANS - As the child sex scandal at Penn State has unfolded, many in the metro area have been paying close attention from afar.
"I think it's devastating across the board,” said Jessica Oddo with Child Advocacy Services in Luling. “I think any adult or even our agency, it's devastating to think that it went on for so long and it wasn't stopped."
Oddo and others work with children and even intervene in suspected abuse cases.
She said her group's primary goal is to stress that child abuse can be prevented altogether, but when it isn't, there are key signs to look for in victims.
"Really, it's a behavior change, when one day they're acting out or reclusing and staying away from people. Sometimes their eating is disrupted, definitely sleeping patterns. It's really a behavior change that you notice first," Oddo said.
In the Penn State case, someone witnessed abuse and allegedly didn't report it correctly, something Benjamin Francois with the state Department of Child and Family Services says should be a wake up call.
"The thing we can learn from this is that, whenever we see anything where children are at risk, we need to report it immediately," Francois said.
Across Louisiana, thousands of reports of abuse or neglect are coming in each month.
In October, officials said they fielded around 9,500 calls about possible abuse statewide, and more than 6,500 of those, they said, are being followed up on or investigated.
Francois says even with a slight suspicion, it's best to report.
"Call law enforcement. That's the very first thing that they need to do. Our involvement generally comes in after law enforcement goes out and assesses the situation, but any time you see a child at risk, you've got to call the authorities," he said.
Again, advocates we talked with stress the importance of preventing abuse situations.
This includes the very important step -- they said -- of minimizing the opportunities for abuse.
That is -- eliminating or reducing one-on-one time between children and adults.
To report child abuse or neglect in Louisiana, you’re urged to dial (855) 4-LA-KIDS.
