Mental Health Apps, Websites, Online Support, and Forums; 

Hotlines and Call Centers, Addiction & Other Support Groups

Sure, pretty much everyone could benefit from therapy. But not everyone can afford it. Thankfully, there’s a whole world of free or affordable mental health care out there designed to help you with just about every issue, whether that’s kicking an addiction, managing your emotions, finding a group of like-minded peers, or recovering from trauma. Even better? Some of these resources are available whenever you need them. (No need to schedule an appointment between the hours of 9 and 5.) Support groups, hotlines and call centers, websites and online forums, and even apps can be put into action when you have a crisis or just need extra support. But finding out which resources are best for you takes some legwork. We’ve rounded up 81 of the very best affordable (or free) mental health resources. Keep this list handy whenever you need some backup. READ MORE HERE

Note: Resources are listed alphabetically by type.

Changing attitudes and more women cops are behind the soaring numbers of female teachers being prosecuted for sexual assault

A Saturday Night Live skit about a male student having sex with his female high school teacher painted the relationship as every teen boy’s dream, but drew a firestorm of criticism on social media. The reaction to the comedy sketch reflected a growing view among law enforcement and victims’ advocacy groups that it is no laughing matter when a woman educator preys on her male students. In U.S. schools last year, almost 800 school employees were prosecuted for sexual assault, nearly a third of them women. READ MORE HERE

Women Arrested for Indecent Behavior With Kids – Crime

Female Teacher Sex Offenders -Sexual Predators- Registry

The big list: Female teachers with students

Female Sex Offenders

Female Offenders Driven by More Than Sex 

‘Sexpidemic’: Female teachers preying on minors

90% of images now show victims aged ten or less

The number of web pages containing child pornography has more than doubled over the past year. Researchers have also revealed the material features increasingly young children. Nine out of every ten images of child sexual abuse found online in 2014 showed children aged ten and under, according to the Internet Watch Foundation. That was a dramatic increase from the year before, when around two-thirds of the child porn it found featured children of such a young age. They were part of a worrying rise in the amount of child abuse the IWF discovered online. Overall, experts from the regulator removed more than 31,000 web pages featuring vile images of sexual abuse in 2014, soaring 136 per cent from around 13,000 the previous year. READ MORE HERE

Online child sex abuse images soar

How to Report Child Pornography – US Department of Justice

Warning Signs in Children of Possible Sexual Abuse 

Stop It Now! has developed a warning signs tip sheet to help identify possible warning signs. Any one sign does not mean that a child was sexually abused, but the presence of several suggests that you begin asking questions and consider seeking help. Any one sign doesn’t mean that a child was sexually abused, but the presence of several suggests that you begin asking questions and consider seeking help. Young children often do not report sexual abuse to a parent because they are ashamed, feel loyal to the person who is abusing them, or have been threatened not to tell. You may notice some changes in your child, however as a parent it is imperative that you are aware of what signs to look for that may indicate child sexual abuse.

Behavior you may see in a child or adolescent:

• Has nightmares or other sleep problems without an explanation
• Seems distracted or distant at odd times
• Has a sudden change in eating habits
• Refuses to eat
• Loses or drastically increases appetite
• Has trouble swallowing
• Sudden mood swings: rage, fear, insecurity, or withdrawal
• Leaves “clues” that seem likely to provoke a discussion about sexual issues
• Develops new or unusual fear of certain people or places
• Refuses to talk about a secret shared with an adult or older child
• Writes, draws, plays, or dreams of sexual or frightening images
• Talks about a new older friend
• Suddenly has money, toys, or other gifts without reason
• Thinks of self or body as repulsive, dirty, or bad
• Exhibits adult-like sexual behaviors, language, and knowledge

What to look for in adults and children

What is considered child sexual abuse?

Child sexual abuse includes touching and non-touching activity. Some examples of touching activity include:

• touching a child’s genitals or private parts for sexual pleasure
• making a child touch someone else’s genitals, play sexual games or have sex putting objects or body parts (like fingers, tongue or penis) inside the vagina, in the mouth or in the anus of a child for sexual pleasure

Some examples of non-touching activity include:

• showing pornography to a child
• deliberately exposing an adult’s genitals to a child
• photographing a child in sexual poses
• encouraging a child to watch or hear sexual acts
• inappropriately watching a child undress or use the bathroom

Warning signs in children and adolescents of possible child sexual abuse

What to watch out for in children:

• Acting out in an inappropriate sexual way with toys or objects
• Nightmares, sleeping problems
• Becoming withdrawn or very clingy
• Becoming unusually secretive
• Sudden unexplained personality changes, mood swings and seeming insecure
• Regressing to younger behaviors, e.g. bedwetting
• Unaccountable fear of particular places or people
• Outburst of anger
• Changes in eating habits
• New adult words for body parts and no obvious source
• Talk of a new, older friend and unexplained money or gifts
• Self-harm (cutting, burning or other harmful activities)
• Physical signs, such as, unexplained soreness or bruises around genitals or mouth, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy
• Running away
• Not wanting to be alone with a particular child or young person

Any one sign doesn’t mean that a child was or is being sexually abused, but the presence of several suggests that you should begin to ask questions and consider seeking help. Keep in mind that some of these signs can emerge at other times of stress such as:

• During a divorce
• Death of a family member or pet
• Problems at school or with friends
• Other anxiety-inducing or traumatic events

Physical warning signs

• Pain, discoloration, bleeding or discharges in genitals, anus or mouth
• Persistent or recurring pain during urination and bowel movements
• Wetting and soiling accidents unrelated to toilet training

Signs that an adult may be using their relationship with a child for sexual reasons

The signs that an adult is using their relationship with a child for sexual reasons may not be obvious. We may feel uncomfortable about the way they play with the child, or seem always to be favouring them and creating reasons for them to be alone. There may be cause for concern about the behaviour of an adult or young person if they:

• Refuse to allow a child sufficient privacy or to make their own decisions on personal matters.
• Insist on physical affection such as kissing, hugging or wrestling even when the child clearly does not want it.
• Are overly interested in the sexual development of a child or teenager.
• Insist on time alone with a child with no interruptions.
• Spend most of their spare time with children and have little interest in spending time with people their own age.
• Regularly offer to baby-sit children for free or take children on overnight outings alone.
• Buy children expensive gifts or give them money for no apparent reason.
• Frequently walk in on children/teenagers in the bathroom.
• Treat a particular child as a favourite, making them feel ‘special’ compared with others in the family.
• Pick on a particular child.

Child abuse among children and young people

Age appropriate sexual behavior

We all know that children pass through different stages of development as they grow, and that their awareness and curiosity about sexual matters change as they pass from infancy into childhood and then through puberty to adolescence. Each child is an individual and will develop in his or her own way. However, there is a generally accepted range of behaviors linked to a child’s age and developmental stage. Sometimes these will involve some exploration with other children of a similar age. It can be difficult to tell the difference between age appropriate sexual exploration and warning signs of harmful behavior. Occasionally we may need to explain to children why we would prefer them not to continue with a particular behavior.

This is a chance to talk with them about keeping themselves and others safe and to let them know that you are someone who will listen. Disabled children may develop at different rates, depending on the nature of their disability, and they can be more vulnerable to abuse. Children with learning disabilities, for example, may behave sexually in ways that are out of step with their age. Particular care may be needed in educating such children to understand their sexual development and to ensure that they can communicate effectively about any worries they have.

It is important to recognise that while people from different backgrounds have different expectations about what is acceptable behaviour in children, sexual abuse happens across all races and cultures. Remember that each child develops at his or her own pace and not every child will show the behaviours described below. If you have any worries or questions about a child you know, talk to someone about it.

Pre-school children (0-5) years commonly:

• Use childish ‘sexual’ language to talk about body parts
• Ask how babies are made and where they come from
• Touch or rub their own genitals
• Show and look at private parts

They rarely:

• Discuss sexual acts or use sexually explicit language
• Have physical sexual contact with other children
• Show adult-like sexual behaviour or knowledge  

School-age children (6-12 years) commonly:

• Ask questions about menstruation, pregnancy and other sexual behavior
• Experiment with other children, often during games, kissing, touching, showing and role playing
• Masturbate in private

They rarely:

• Masturbate in public
• Show adult like sexual behaviour or knowledge

Adolescents:

• Ask questions about relationships and sexual behavior
• Use sexual language and talk between themselves about sexual acts
• Masturbate in private
• Experiment sexually with adolescents of similar age

NB. About one-third of adolescents have sexual intercourse before the age of 16.

They rarely:

• Masturbate in public
• Have sexual contact with much younger children or adults 

Warning signs of sexually harmful behaviour

One of the hardest things for parents to discover is that their child may have sexually harmed or abused another child. In this situation, denial, shock and anger are normal reactions. If it is not responded to quickly and sensitively, the effect on the whole family can be devastating. For this reason it is vital to contact someone for advice about what to do as soon as you suspect that something is wrong. The positive message is that early help for the child or young person and their family can make a real difference. Evidence suggests that the earlier children can get help, the more chance there is of preventing them moving on to more serious behaviour. It is important to be alert to the early warning signs that something is going wrong. If you are in this situation, remember that you are not alone. Many other parents have been through similar experiences, and, as a result, the child and family found the help they needed are were able to rebuild their lives. The first step is to decide that it would be helpful to talk it over with someone else.

Do you know a child or adolescent who:

• Seeks out the company of younger children and spends an unusual amount of time in their company?
• Takes younger children to ‘secret’ places or hideaways or plays ‘special’ games with them (e.g. doctor and patient, removing clothing etc.) especially games unusual to their age?
• Insists on hugging or kissing a child when the child does not want to?
• Tells you they do not want to be alone with a child or becomes anxious when a particular child comes to visit?
• Frequently uses aggressive or sexual language about adults or children?
• Shows sexual material to younger children?
• Makes sexually abusive telephone calls?
• Shares alcohol or drugs with younger children or teens?
• Views child pornography on the internet or elsewhere?
• Exposes his or her genitals to younger children?
• Forces sex on another adolescent or child?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should talk to the child or young person and seek advice.

What you can do if you see warning signs

If you are concerned about the sexualized behaviors in a parent, cousin, sibling, friend, or neighbor, you should consider contacting the police or children’s services in your area, they can take action if appropriate. If you choose not to do that, care enough to talk to the person whose behavior is worrying you.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CHILD SEX ABUSE CLICK HERE

Perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) may gain the trust of potential child victims and their caregivers by methodically “grooming” them. This process begins with identifying potential victims, gaining their trust, and breaking down their defenses. These grooming tactics are often directed at potential youth victims as well as the adult caregivers—parents, other youth-serving professionals, and the community-at-large. After gaining access to children and youth by achieving this trust, the perpetrator initiates some kind of contact that s/he finds sexually gratifying. This sexual contact may range from voyeurism to rape and other forms of child sexual abuse. Grooming helps the offender gain access to the victim, and sets up a relationship grounded in secrecy so that the crime is less likely to be discovered. READ MORE HERE

Child Sexual Abuse – 6 Stages of Grooming – Oprah.com

Grooming Children for Sexual Molestation

The Grooming Process | Department for Children and Families

Child Sexual Abuse & Grooming

Sexual Offender Tactics and Grooming

The cold hard fact is that far too many of us are going through pain. I know, I’ve spoken to enough of you about it. But if you know me, even after you’ve seen my documentary and read my book about it and heard me speak – you know that I am all about moving on. Yes, life is hard and the worst nightmare – child sexual abuse – is so prevalent it can make you ill. But I believe that the more survivors and loved ones of survivors heal and move forward, the more we will end the epidemic by not repeating it.

The majority of people who read my blog and know me from speaking gigs have told me that me speaking about moving on (and doing it with cursing and laughter) is way they love me. Ah, I love you too! Those who hate what I talk about will always be haters and should read this list too. A DM from a Twitter friend promoted this list by asking me, surprised, if I really had moved on from my story and how in the world I did it. Here you go! READ MORE HERE

1. Unexplained injuries: There may be unconvincing explanations for a child’s injuries.

2. Changes in behavior: Abused children often appear scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn or more aggressive.

3. Returning to earlier behavior: Abused children may display behaviors shown when they were younger, such as thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, fear of the dark or strangers. Loss of basic language or memory problems may occur.

READ MORE HERE

10 Signs of Child Abuse & Neglect

Criminal Victim Resources

Crime victims often are asked to testify in court or make a statement under oath in order to help prosecutors convict the perpetrator, and occasionally may receive restitution. Additionally, victims may claim monetary damages in civil court. But crime victims may also require assistance outside of the justice system, such as counseling; shelter; and other such needs. The following is a list of crime victim resources, including non-profit organizations and government agencies.

• CrimeVictims.gov – Portal maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice to help crime victims, including a directory of local assistance resources and summaries of victims’ rights.
• Directory of Crime Victim Resources – National directory of services and other resources for victims of crime; may be searched by location, type of victimization, service needed, and agency type (Office for Victims of Crime, DOJ).
• Justice in Indian Country – Information and resources pertaining to Native American tribal law, tribal justice systems, and related matters (National Criminal Justice Reference Service).
• RAINN – The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network advocates on behalf of sexual crime victims and maintains the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-66-HOPE).
• National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women – Provides legal references to victims of domestic violence who are facing criminal charges.
• ChildHelp – Involved in advocacy and education with the goal of preventing child abuse and neglect; ChildHelp also maintains the National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD).
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – Works toward reuniting missing and exploited children with their parents and loved ones; provides many different kinds of services and educational resources.
• National Crime Victim Law Institute – Provides resources to help crime victims learn about their rights and their access to certain types of assistance (Lewis & Clark Law School).
• National Domestic Violence Hotline – Connects domestic violence victims with advocates and counselors 24/7 in a confidential setting (1-800-799-SAFE).
• National Human Trafficking Resource Center – Provides educational materials and advocacy to combat human trafficking; maintains the Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-3737-888).
• National Organization for Victim Assistance – Provides general crime victim advocacy; maintains a state-specific list of advocacy resources.
• U.S. Resource Map of Crime Victim Services & Information – Interactive U.S. map provides links to state-specific resources for crime victims (Office for Victims of Crime, DOJ).
• Victim Notification System – The DOJ and most state jurisdictions have laws giving crime victims the right to be notified about the status of their perpetrator’s criminal case (Office for Victims of Crime, DOJ)
• Online Directory of Crime Victim Services—Database that can be searched locally, nationally, and internationally for public, private, nonprofit, and community agencies that provide assistance and services in the victim’s local area.Help for Crime Victims—Provides information on how to contact victim assistance and compensation programs in your state, as well as links to resources, organizations, and publications.Victim Assistance and Compensation Programs—Interactive map that connects you to crime victim services and compensation programs that help reimburse victims for out-of-pocket costs through their state’s Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) administrative office, which is funded by the Office for Victims of Crime.Resources for International Victims—Links to international centers, publications, and Web sites related to crime victim issues.Helplines: Toll-Free Telephone Numbers—Hotlines and 1-800 numbers for national victim serving organizations, clearinghouses, and referral organizations.
• • Victim Rights Law Center – For victims of rape and sexual assault seeking civil legal services
  • Immigration Legal Services – For help finding an immigration lawyer
  • National Crime Victim Law Institute – Works to ensure that victims of crime are informed of their rights and can find resources to enforce their rights
• • Crime Victims’ Rights Program
  • Requesting Your Rights as a Crime Victim
  • Enforcing Your Rights as a Crime Victim
  • Post-Conviction Advocacy Program
  •  Victim Assistance Program
  • • Find Local Assistance – Connect Directory
    • Get Help Bulletins for Crime Victims
    • National Hotlines and Helpful Links
    • Civil Litigation – National Crime Victim Bar Association
    • Coping with Trauma and Grief
    • Sexual Assault Awareness Month

_________________________________________

Legal Aid and other Low-Cost Legal Help

If you cannot afford a lawyer, legal aid may be able to help you:

There are legal aid offices (also called legal services) throughout the United States. Legal aid offices are not-for-profit agencies that provide free legal help to people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer.  While many legal aid offices only help people with very low incomes, some offices have more flexible income rules.

Legal aid usually handles cases involving:

• Domestic violence– if your partner is abusing you, legal aid can help you obtain a protective order, a child custody order and divorce.
• Family law– if you have a child custody or divorce case, legal aid may be able to help.  Call your local legal aid office or ask the Judge in your case to appoint a legal aid lawyer to represent you in court.
• Housing– if you are being evicted from your home or if your house is in foreclosure, legal aid may be able to help.
• Public Benefits– if you have a problem with welfare, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Social Security, legal aid may be able to help.

Many legal aid offices may be able to handle other problems including immigration, consumer, and disability issues.   Some legal aid offices focus on one area of law, such as disability law, or housing law.  Some legal aid offices get funding from the government and that may limit the kind of cases they can take.

To find a legal aid office near you:  Go to www.LawHelp.org and select the state where you live to find out who in your state may be able to help with your legal problem.

_________________________________________

SOURCES:

http://www.crimevictims.gov/crime.html

https://www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims

https://www.victimlaw.org/victimlaw/commonAction.do?invoke=loadResources

http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-legal-help/crime-victim-resources.html

http://avda-tx.org/victim-advocacy/249794

90% of child sex abuse victims are abused by a family member or someone they know and trust

How can I overcome the pain of betrayal?

Betrayal is a gross violation of trust and can be one of the most devastating forms of pain inflicted upon a human being. The suffering of betrayal is often magnified by a sense of vulnerability and exposure. For many, the pain of betrayal is worse than physical violence, deceit, or prejudice. Betrayal destroys the foundation of trust. It’s a shame when innocent people are betrayed and hurt by people they once loved and trusted. The emotional and physical pain inflicted with this type of betrayal can traumatize the victim for a lifetime. The closer the relationship, the greater the pain of betrayal. 

Betrayal is one of the most painful human experiences. Discovering that someone we trusted has deeply hurt us pulls the reality rug from under us. When we see the word “betrayal” we may immediately think “affair.” But betrayal comes in many forms. Abandonment, vicious gossip, and spreading lies also may be experienced as betrayal. A damaging aspect of betrayal is that our sense of reality is undermined. What felt like solid trust suddenly crumbles. Our innocence is shattered. We’re left wondering: What happened? How could this happen? Who is this person? Some betrayals leave us with little choice but to heal and move on with our lives, such as when we’re suddenly abandoned.

Abuse is another form of betrayal that can have long-term consequences for an individual’s adjustment. According to betrayal trauma theory, if you’ve been the victim of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of the person caring for you, you may repress or block the experiences from your memory in order to continue to survive. The closer you are to that abuser, the greater the degree of trauma you experience. and the higher your risk for long-term mental health problems.

How to Deal With Betrayal: 8 Steps

What to Do When You’ve Been Betrayed

25 Ways To Deal With Betrayal – Discovering Purpose

So You’ve Been Betrayed – 7 Steps on How to Survive

One of the prime areas of focus on this website is providing environmental education for our children. In doing so, we would be remiss if we did not provide alarms to both children and parents concerning internet safety. KidsHealth, the most-visited site on the Web for information about health, behavior, and development from before birth through the teen years, recently posted a short article that addresses the disturbing and sometimes tragic effects associated with cyberbullying. READ MORE HERE

Bullying Statistics

Cyberbullying Statistics

Social Media Safety

Facebook’s New Anti-Bullying Tools

Whitehouse Conference for Bullying Prevention

Michigan ranks No. 2 for human trafficking sex trade behind only Nevada. In an effort to crack down on adults and juveniles abducted and used as sex slaves Gov. Rick Snyder is announcing a new team to fight crime.  Snyder has appointed Cpl. Erin Diamond from the Wayne County Sheriffs Department. Diamond will chair and lead investigations for the state’s new Human Trafficking Commission. You may recognize Diamond, he’s arrested thousands of sex offenders over the years investigating online with the Wayne County Sheriff Department.  This new team picked by Snyder will enhance the crime fighting strategy, Diamond said. “Before it was just enforcement,” he said. “‘Let’s go get the bad guy assaulting children and move on with it.’ This is a whole different aspect where we’ve realized that the victims need help. “We’ve always talked about helping the victims. This is the first major efforts to bring all the players to the table and say what can we do as a team.” The team played a big role in the safe return of 16-year-old Aaron and his 13-year-old sister Emma Blackwell. The teens were abducted at gunpoint in Indianapolis, Indiana at the start of this week. READ MORE HERE

Recognizing the Signs

How to Identify a Human Trafficking Victim

Identify and Assist a Trafficking Victim

20 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking

REPORT CHILD TRAFFICKING – United States:  (888) 373-7888

National Human Trafficking Resource Center

Once your identity has been stolen, recovery can be a long, tedious process. Protecting your kids’ identity can be especially difficult. Babies, toddlers and teens can all become victims of the recent Anthem breach. Since many of them have little or no credit, thieves could use their Social Security numbers for no good. That could be devastating to these kids’ futures. There are ways to protect them. Anthem offers two years of free credit monitoring through All Clear Pro – which offers protection for kids via its Child Scan service. READ MORE HERE

Child Identity Theft | Consumer Information

FS 120 | Fact Sheets – Identity Theft Resource Center

Child Identity Theft | TransUnion

Child Identity Theft Education Kit – Equifax

Protect Your Child’s Identity | Protect My ID

Your child is safe. But is his identity?
Find out with a Free ChildScan Report.

How to Spot A Sex-Offender 101

The information that I want to share was gathered in a five-year “field study” in which I lived with, worked with, socialized and shared daily therapy with hundred of sex-offenders. This information is not born of debate or ivory tower theories, but from experience, including my own journey, which I published in book form, with the blessings of those men who shared. The basis of this disorder is trauma; the nature of it is insidious, widespread, dangerous and often subtle. A combination of behaviors in certain settings, in context, can provide a signal, a warning – a discordant note – possibly saving the innocence of a child without destroying all innocent bystanders. These are the common themes, and certainly not all offenders fit them. Offenders often appear normal and blend into mainstream society. My intent is to shine a light on these individuals while at the same time not casting dispersion on innocent people.   This is a start in prevention. READ MORE HERE

Grooming: How Child Molesters Create Willing Victims 

There’s an old urban legend that if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, he’ll naturally hop out; however, if you place a frog in a pot of cool water and gradually increase the heat, you’ll end up with a cooked frog. I can’t say whether this is true for frogs, but it certainly is true for many children who are sexually molested. The gradual cooking process is known as “grooming,” and the increased heat is the evaporation of physical and emotional boundaries. The Webster’s Dictionary definition of “grooming” includes “training for a particular purpose.” For child molesters, that purpose is a sexual relationship.

The Real Danger

Most people still want to believe that child molesters are deviant strangers who abduct children or entice them with candy and puppies. We teach our children to be wary of strangers, to shout “NO!” or run away and tell a trusted adult if anyone should ever approach them in such a manner. We teach them about “good touches” and “bad touches” and believe they will tell us immediately if they receive a “bad touch.” Our intentions are good, but we’re preparing them for the exception, not the reality in sexual abuse.

In reality, the molester is more likely to be the trusted adult and the touch is more likely to feel good. There are family members, friends and neighbors, even teachers, coaches and clergy who treat children better than most adults, listen to what they are really saying and strive to meet their emotional, physical and spiritual needs as a means of fulfilling their own sexual needs and desires. The “nicer” the molester appears and the more “troubled” the child appears, the more difficult it is to detect and believe the sexual abuse. READ MORE HERE