All-Stars Ken Griffey, Jr. and Mark McGwire Step Up to the Plate for Child Abuse Prevention Month

CHICAGO, April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- This year, in an effort to draw attention to the serious issue of child abuse and neglect, Major League Baseball All-Stars Ken Griffey, Jr. and Mark McGwire have teamed up with Major League teams around the country to help promote Child Abuse Prevention Month 2000. The program, ``SAFE AT HOME(TM),'' is being held in partnership with Prevent Child Abuse America and its state chapters across the country.

Participating teams include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals.

All-Star outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. of the Cincinnati Reds is serving as the national spokesperson for the SAFE AT HOME program. ``As a father, I realize the important role we all play in the lives of our children,'' said Griffey. ``By increasing public awareness and education about this important issue we can all help prevent child abuse before it starts. The SAFE AT HOME program is a great way to bring people together to learn about child abuse prevention and what they can do in their communities. I encourage everyone to step up to the plate and get involved with Child Abuse Prevention Month.''

The SAFE AT HOME program has also received the endorsement of St. Louis Cardinals All-Star first baseman Mark McGwire. ``I support Prevent Child Abuse America's SAFE AT HOME program because it is raising awareness of a serious issue that I am personally committed to: preventing child abuse and neglect,'' said McGwire. ``I encourage everyone to take this opportunity to learn more about child abuse prevention, and discover how you can help end child abuse, neglect and abandonment in your own community.''

Each SAFE AT HOME event will include the distribution of blue ribbons, the symbol of child abuse prevention, to the first 5,000 fans entering the ballpark. Information on child abuse prevention will be available at special booths and the public service messages will be aired throughout the game. Baseball players from each team will serve as spokespersons for SAFE AT HOME and will participate in on-field, pre-game festivities. The SAFE AT HOME schedule for participating teams is as follows: Arizona Diamondbacks, April 8; Cincinnati Reds, April 22; Kansas City Royals, April 26; Los Angeles Dodgers, April 29; Minnesota Twins, April 16; New York Yankees, last weekend in April; and St. Louis Cardinals, April 22.

New Survey Reports on Frequency of Abusive Impulses in U.S. Parents

A new survey, released by Prevent Child Abuse America, reports that nearly one half of Americans with children believe parents find themselves in situations where they are afraid they might abuse or neglect their child more than just occasionally. Fifteen percent of surveyed parents believe these situations occur ``very often.''

In terms of their own personal behavior, 43 percent of parents reported spanking or hitting their child within the last 12 months, 37 percent reported insulting or swearing at their child, and two percent reported having kicked, bit or punched their child. More than 3 million children were reported to child protective service agencies as alleged victims of child abuse or neglect in 1998, and approximately 1 million of these reports were confirmed.

Drawn from a telephone survey of 1,251 adult Americans, the study was commissioned by Prevent Child Abuse America. The survey was conducted in February by Schulman, Ronca and Bucavalas, Inc. of New York City, and is subject to a sampling error of +/- three percentage points.

Prevent Child Abuse America (formerly the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse) is the leading organization working at the national, state and local levels to prevent child abuse in all its forms. Headquartered in Chicago, Prevent Child Abuse America has approximately 40 chapters and is supported by private and corporate donors. The organization is widely known for its public awareness, education, prevention programs, advocacy and research.

More information about child abuse prevention is available by calling Prevent Child Abuse America at 1-800-CHILDREN or by accessing the organization's website, www.preventchildabuse.org.