For our second fieldwork, we went to the NY Center for Children on 333 E 70th St #1. There we met with Sarah McNamara, a social worker that works at the organization. She told us more about the organization and different things they do to prevent child abuse in the U.S.. Their center is a therapy and tutoring organization for children ranging from 4-21 in New York City. They take in 90 clients per week, no charge. They also host Christmas parties and other fundraisers for their children. They are unable to take us as volunteers because we are under the age of 18, however, we can help them by raising money and/or awareness against child abuse. Something that struck me, was that after our interview, there were two girls in the waiting room, ready for their sessions. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to presume that these girls were victims of child abuse in any other situation. They looked exactly the same as any other little girls walking down the street, or in our school. Child abuse can happen to anyone, it has no face. This made me remember the statistic that only 1 in 10 child abuse cases are reported. It really made me realize how real this problem is, and that any of my friends could be facing this issue behind closed doors. Maybe when I do become 18, I will be able to go and help out in tutoring or playing with children in the center.
