Children at Risk, My Fight Against Child Abuse: A Personal Story and a Public Plea

When Hawkins, the first woman from Florida to serve in the Senate, announced at a forum on children's issues that she was a victim of sexual molestation as a youngster, she was inundated with responses from women with similar experiences. Her childhood trauma had been lessened by the intervention of a perceptive parent, yet few of the women Hawkins heard from had had such family insight or support. The author, who chairs the Subcommittee on Children, Family, Drugs and Alcoholism, here addresses the growing national problem of child abuse. She discusses case histories, outlines preventive steps, legislative and parental, recommends national and local resources, and provides a checklist to help individuals protect their children. (September 29)