Tears were flowing during the fourth annual Child Abuse Awareness Healing Field Saturday.

Cartoon Wah reached underneath his glasses to wipe away tears during a song dedicated to his daughter, Hser Ner Moo, the most recent of the 38 Utah children who have died from abuse in the past five years.

On Friday, American flags were posted at the Veterans Memorial Park in West Jordan in memory of the 1,400 children across the nation who die from child abuse every year. Thirty-eight blue-ribbon flags were posted during a ceremony remembering Utah victims on Saturday morning. The ceremony started off with nearly 100 members of Bikers Against Child Abuse, one of the event organizers, riding motorcycles through West Jordan. The event was co-sponsored by the Salt Lake Valley Exchange Clubs and was hosted by West Jordan city.

"This could be the generation that can stop child abuse the way another generation 30 or 40 years ago stopped child labor," said Anne Freimuth, director of Prevent Child Abuse Utah.

Utah sees fewer fatalities from child abuse than other states but often ranks close to the top 10 in number of abuse cases, said Pam Gunderson, chairwoman for the Healing Field. Of the 1,400 abused children nationally, 79 percent are under the age of 4, she said.

Utah needs to do better at prevention, Freimuth said. The state spends $4 million to $5 million on prevention, but the cost of dealing with abuse after it has occurred is close to $1 billion due to investigation, prosecution, foster care, medical care and counseling costs. She hopes a reversal of those numbers over the next 20 years will help save more children.

J.P. Lilly, founder of BACA, asserted his belief in the need for immediate action to support at-risk children. He said he's worked with abused children in his therapy office but said abuse perpetrators aren't confronted in these settings.

"The perps aren't in the office, they're in the community. They're in the street. BACA rides in the street," he said.

Lilly said his members visit children in their homes to let them know they have friends and support. They give out phone numbers children can call for help at any time and said he isn't afraid of acting as a vigilante if it's required to help a child.

Representatives of various organizations dedicated to assisting at-risk children also spoke at the meeting. Most emphasized that reducing stress within a troubled home is the most effective way to prevent the type of environment in which abuse occurs.

Kathy Fairbanks of PJ's Forgotten Children said her group provides low-income children with school supplies so they can attend school and participate without being stigmatized. They also collect Christmas gift donations to relieve pressure for low-income parents.

"No one has a child to abuse them," Fairbanks said. "But stress and strain during hard times can lead to abuse. Support allows parents to cope in ways that avoid harm to children."

Suzanne Mitchell of the Children's Justice Center listed several ways to teach children to prevent abuse, including using the buddy system when away from home, learning to be assertive and self-confident, and trusting instincts about unsafe situations.

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