Cuddly teddy bear toys are displayed at the Tour de France official shop on July 14, 2010 prior to the start of the 179 km and 10th stage of the 2010 Tour de France cycling race run between Chambery and Gap, south eastern France. (Credit: NATHALIE MAGNIEZ/AFP/Getty Images)
Reporting Nancy Harty
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CHICAGO (CBS) — Daley Plaza will resemble a child’s bedroom Monday, in an effort to draw awareness for the victims of child sexual abuse.
As WBBM Newsradio’s Nancy Harty reports, 3,000 teddy bears and other stuffed animals will be on display at the plaza, at 50 W. Washington St., from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Nancy Harty reports
Each one symbolizes a young victim of sexual abuse in Chicago that goes unreported, according to the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center.
The exhibit comes at the tail end of National Child Abuse Prevention Month and designed to encourage adults to speak up when they suspect someone is being abused.
The CCAC cites studies that 25 percent of adults at some point thought a child was being abused and didn’t say anything.
The warning signs include mood swings, sexual knowledge or behavior beyond a child’s years, and unusual fear or discomfort around an adult or older child.
The center serves about 2,000 children each year, but believes the number of unreported cases is 1.5 times that figure.
