In child protection, the greatest liability is the silence. For months, as families across Israel sought refuge from geopolitical conflict, children were confined to bomb shelters and closed quarters. While these spaces offered physical shielding from the outside world, for many vulnerable children, they became pressure cookers of private terror. At ELI – Israel Association for Child Protection, we knew that a silent wave was building.
Now, the floodgates have officially opened. As children have left the shelters and returned to their school desks, ELI has witnessed a staggering doubling in the number of child abuse cases. The classroom has once again become the ultimate front line of discovery; it is where the vast majority of these cases are finally brought to light.
Schools Are Often the First Safe Place
When the routine of school resumes, the defense mechanisms built during isolation begin to crack. Our teachers, school counselors, and administrators are trained to spot these shifts. They are the eyes and ears of a critical societal safety net, uniquely positioned to notice a child’s sudden regression, behavioral changes, or explicit disclosures. ELI has comprehensive programs actively working within the educational system to ensure these professionals can act immediately.
But the safety net cannot end at the school gates. The hardest, most uncomfortable reality we must face is that we must learn the vocabulary to address threats inside our own living rooms.
Historically, child abuse in our society was met with institutional and cultural denial. There is the protective but dangerous narrative that "such things simply do not happen in our community." Today, that denial manifests as a powerful desire among family members to hide what is often hard to believe and deeply embarrassing for the family.
The Hardest Conversations Often Happen at Home
When a child drops a hint, or when behavioral warning signs appear at home, parents often experience a paralyzing cognitive dissonance. The instinct to protect the family’s reputation or to shield oneself from an agonizing truth frequently overrides the imperative to investigate.
We must dismantle this stigma. Transparency breaks the cycle. If we do not speak the hard truth, we leave the child completely isolated in their pain, reinforcing the abuser’s power.
Giving Children the Language to Speak
To combat this stigma, child protection must adapt. Through school-based prevention programs that use an 'edutainment,' a play or musical about the issue of child abuse, ELI gives children the language to recognize and name abuse, before a "bad secret" becomes a life-long scar. We teach them the difference between a good surprise and a toxic secret. But adults need this vocabulary just as desperately. Parents must learn to ask direct, non-judgmental questions, to actively listen without reacting in anger or disbelief, and to prioritize a child's safety over familial pride.
Acknowledging abuse within our closest circles is excruciating, but silence is an absolute betrayal. As we navigate the complex trauma of our current reality, let us commit to radical transparency. Look closely, listen fiercely, and speak up. Our children’s futures depend on our willingness to shatter the silence.
Eran Zimrin is the CEO of ELI – Israel Association for Child Protection, founded in 1979 to prevent and treat child abuse in Israel. To learn more or support our mission, visit eli-usa.org.