Over 3 million reports of child abuse are made every year in the United States. This statistic, dispatched by Childhelp®, a leading national nonprofit dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect, indicates the alarming prevalence of this disturbing form of violence. Author C.L. Thompson details her own story of abuse in the emotive memoir If Only Regrets Were a Good Thing (published by AuthorHouse). Detailing a childhood of molestation, brutality and grief, Thompson writes with candor and introspective acumen.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/7/prweb8613095.htm

ADA — An Ada woman was sentenced Thursday to serve time in prison for committing lewd acts with children and child abuse. Mary Elizabeth Russell, 30, was sentenced to 25 years for each of three counts of lewd acts with a child under the age of 16, 25 years for sexual abuse of a child, and 25 years for each of two counts of child abuse by injury.

READ MORE HERE:

http://adaeveningnews.com/local/x357287077/Woman-sentenced-for-lewd-acts-with-children

A Virginia man charged with eight felonies on charges of severely hurting his 2-month-old son is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. According to law enforcement officials, the infant suffered several broken bones — including a femur — and other injuries at the hands of Christopher Warren Heinrich, 24.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/203519/group/homepage/

PENNSYLVANIA–Given that the latest state report on child abuse shows the numbers are going down, it’s easy to assume everyone would be relieved. Unfortunately not. Doctors are raising serious red flags about how Pennsylvania’s narrow definition of child abuse is causing too many cases to go undetected, too many children unprotected. Dr. Rachel Berger of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC wrote recently in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “We believe statistics about abuse and neglect of children in our state do not accurately reflect what our children are experiencing. And without reliable data, we cannot address the safety, health and vulnerability of Pennsylvania’s children.”

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2011/07/pa_child_abuse_numbers_raise_q.html

When child abuse has been substantiated, a number of risk factors can predict the likelihood that abuse will be repeated if the child is returned to the care of the abuser, according to a prospective cohort study. For instance, when the parents or caregivers were in their teens or twenties, were survivors of abuse, and had never taken parenting classes — the child faced a 54% risk of being harmed again, wrote Suzanne R. Dakil, MD, and colleagues from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/DomesticViolence/27417

Casey Anthony: Not Guilty of 1st degree murder, Manslaughter, Child Abuse

ORLANDO, FL — The jury, after only 11 hours of deliberation, reached a verdict on the charge of 1st Degree Murder in the Casey Anthony murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee – Not Guilty. They reached a verdict in the count of manslaughter – Not Gulity. They reached a verdict on the count of aggravated child abuse – Not Guilty. They reached a verdict on counts 4, 5, and 6 – providing false information to a police officer – Guilty.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.examiner.com/missing-persons-in-national/casey-anthony-trial-not-guilty-1st-degree-murder-manslaughter-child-abuse

DREAMCATCHERS FOR ABUSED CHILDREN: BLOGTALK RADIO SHOW

Child abuse continues to be a huge concern in this country, but society still remains to be silent on the issue. As I fight daily with a wonderful team of men and women from Dreamcatchers for Abused Children for the rights of children I am sometimes overwhelmed and concerned by the amount of people who continue to have a blind eye to child abuse, and neglect to see or admit children are being abused. Not only does this concern me greatly as a parent and grandparent, but this greatly concerns me as a member of society and for the future generations of children in this country to come.

Did you know… Every 13 seconds a child is physically abused in the United States. One in three girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18. Over 85 percent of teenagers who run away from home flee in an attempt to escape some form of abuse; physical, emotional or sexual. Every 10 seconds a child is sexually abused or raped. Today, five children alone will die from neglect and child abuse. By the time you finish reading this article a child’s life will forever be changed by abuse. This has to change, the lives of innocent children depend on it.

It seems everything I was taught as a child; morals, values, respect and dignity went out the window and was replaced with ignorance and no repsect or value for life or children. When will we as a society take a stand and say no more? When will we put our foot down and stop these monstors from hurting, neglecting and killing our children?

Dreamcatchers for Abused Children is Michigan’s largest non-profit organization that offers a free nightly radio talk show Dreamcatchers Talk Radio that is dedicated to promoting child abuse awareness by educating society on the signs, symptoms, statistics, prevention and steps towards recovery. Join Dreamcatchers five days a week in their attempt to educate the public and save children’s lives.

Dreamcatcher Talk Radio Schedule:

Monday:
11- 11:30p.m. EST.
Join us for Family-to-Family Community Outreach Program.

The class is taught by DFAC mentors to give families information about child abuse and neglect and their treatment for recovery, coping skills, and the power of advocacy.

Tuesday:
11-11:30 p.m. EST.
Join us for Peer-to-Peer Community Outreach Program.

This class is taught by DFAC mentors for survivors. The class focuses on empowerment, family and peer support, prevention, communication skills, and recovery.

Wednesday:
11 – 11:30 p.m. EST.
Join us for Use Your Voice Community Outreach Program.

A 30 minute presentation by DFAC mentors sharing education on awareness and prevention, as well as the journey through HOPE and recovery

Thursday:
11- 11:30 p.m EST.
Education for Teens Community Outreach Program.

New program dedicated to teens and teen issues: teen dating violence, bullying, cyber-bullying, low self esteem and suicide. This will allow teens to call in anonymously with their questions or concerns.

Friday:
11-11:30 p.m. EST.
Join us for Child Abuse Headlines.

Discussion on the daily child abuse headlines.

Listen live @ http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dreamcatchers (Monday-Friday at 11pm EST)

Let today, our nations birthday, be the day you take a stand against child abuse!!!

For more information on Dreamcatchers Talk Radio, visit their website @ http://www.dreamcatcherstalkradio.weebly.com

FAIRBANKS — A grand jury indicted a Fort Wainwright man Thursday on 13 counts of possession and distribution of child pornography. State troopers and Army investigators arrested the man, 27-year-old Whitney Cole, on Friday, one year after state investigators seized five computers and three hard drives from his Army post home. The teams later downloaded 346 images of child porn from the equipment.

A 12-member jury said he was guilty. But Martin Romero refused to believe it. He had just listened to a week of testimony from medical experts and his 17-year-old daughter describing years of sexual abuse that started when she was 4 years old. The physical evidence was overwhelming. The girl had internal injuries consistent with sexual abuse over a long period of time.

READ MORE HERE:
http://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/article_2b0205c6-a5d9-11e0-afaf-001cc4c03286.html#vmix_media_id=71119631

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — An 11-year-old boy is being charged with murder in the shooting death of his 6-year-old brother.Andrew Frye was shot in the head with a .22-caliber gun at his home south of Martinsville on Thursday afternoon, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department said.The 11-year-old was the only other person at home, just east of State Road 37, at the time of the shooting, and he called 911 afterward, police said.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/28422930/detail.html

Tyrone Hill, 37, is charged with trying to kidnap a 2-year-old boy at North Avenue Beach on July 2, 2011.

CHICAGO– Bond was denied Sunday for a convicted sex offender charged with trying to kidnap a 2-year-old boy from North Avenue Beach. Tyrone Hill, 37, has been charged with one count of attempted aggravated kidnapping of a child under 13 and one count of unlawful restraint, according to the Chicago Police Department.

READ MORE HERE:

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/07/03/man-charged-with-trying-to-kidnap-toddler-at-north-avenue-beach/

Family members said the search will continue daily through Wednesday. The search by volunteers comes a day after law enforcement authorities completed their ground search. The Mason County Sheriff’s Department, the Michigan State Police, the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard conducted the search.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/07/volunteers_continue_search_for.html

All cribs now must pass tough new safety rules

As of Tuesday, law forbids selling older models — even used — that don’t meet stringent regulations

Starting Tuesday, it will be illegal in the U.S. to sell or even donate a crib that fails to meet the toughest crib safety rules in the world. Newly required safety tests are so stringent that few cribs in American homes — even those that have escaped recall after recall — are sturdy enough to pass them. As a result, federal regulators recommend that families that can afford to do so buy new cribs and destroy their old ones.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/sc-nw-new-crib-standards-20110627,0,2353657.story

Casey Anthony trial: Now, we wait

After 35 days, dozens of witnesses, the jury begins deliberations.

Jury deliberations are now underway in the first-degree murder trial of Casey Anthony. Following several weeks of testimony, the 12 member jury will be taken into a deliberation room, where they will stay until a verdict is reached. All 17 jurors were escorted from the courtroom, but the alternates were separated from the 12 members who will decide Casey Anthony’s fate.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/os-casey-anthony-deliberations-20110704,0,5082079.story