Prevention and Advocacy

The Section for Child Safety and Well-Being is leading state efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect, and to promote healing of children and families who have experienced violence.

Preventing child maltreatment can prevent other forms of violence, including youth violence, domestic violence, sexual violence, self-harm and suicide.

The Challenge

In 2022, UNM launched the Child Health Grand Challenge, whose aim is to formulate a systematic approach to preventing child maltreatment in New Mexico, with the aspirational goal of improving the health of New Mexican children and of our state social ecology at large. The team includes academics from multiple medical and non-medical disciplines, community providers, and state agency stakeholders, working together to study and implement proven prevention programs, and improve the lives of children and families.

For more information about the Child Health Grand Challenge, click here.

Parenting Tips

• Catch them being good:
  Sometimes children’s behavior can be challenging, but it’s important to remember that children learn better from positive messages than from negative ones. Try to “catch them being good” as much as possible – praise them when they do the things that you expect of them.

• Spanking:
  Some parents may have grown up in households where spanking was considered to be a reasonable way to discipline children. But spanking is strongly linked to the risk of developing depression later in life, and it inadvertently teaches children that it’s o.k. to hit somebody when you are angry. UNM is a proud advocate of the international No Hit Zones program that advocates for alternatives to spanking and other forms of corporal punishment. Check out our Parenting and Discipline Tips handout for more information. Parenting and Discipline Tips [PDF]

• Infant crying:
  New parents may be surprised by how long their baby cries. Sometimes infant crying indicates that something is wrong, so you should always call your primary care provider if you are concerned. Crying can also be normal, however. Do not ever resort to shaking your baby to make her stop crying, as shaking can cause permanent brain damage and even death. Please see our Soothing a Crying Baby tip sheet for advice https://unmhealth.org/childrens-hospital/services/soothing-crying-baby.html

Join us on November 16 from 10 am – 2 pm at Explora for a community fair in recognition of National Injury Prevention Day 2024! More information can be found here: download flyer.