A 21-year-old Texas man got thrown in the slammer for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in order to get revenge on her family.  The criminal, Charles Andrew Capps, was allegedly sending lewd photos through Facebook to the 14-year-old when the teens mother found out, reports ABC News.  READ MORE HERE

An app called Snapchat boasts 50-million “snaps” a day, but each of the images come and go in a matter of seconds. Our sister station, KMGH, investigates the dangers of the easy-come-easy-go picture app. “Anytime you can only show an image for 2 seconds to 10 seconds, you have to wonder why,” said Detective Mike Harris with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office. That is exactly what Snapchat is about, sending images that disappear. “Why limit it and what’s the reason of limiting it? Because obviously you’re letting strangers who you don’t know have access to those pictures and often times those strangers are what we call ‘predators’ and what law enforcement and the kids call ‘creepers,'” said Harris.  READ MORE HERE

Afghan police ‘sell weapons to Taliban, are addicted to drugs and kidnap and rape young boys’

Police in an area of Afghanistan where 109 British troops died and hundreds were wounded trying to secure peace are riddled with corruption, child abuse, drug taking, kidnap and murder, a devastating investigation by Panorama revealed last night. Weapons, ammunition and fuel paid for by UK taxpayers are being openly sold by Afghan officers – possibly to end-up with the Taliban – while senior police refuse to crackdown of the abuse of young boys by their officers. Some officers appear drug-addicted, others are kidnapping civilians for ransom while in the past five weeks, four boys suspected of having been used as ‘sex slaves’ have been shot – one in the face – while attempting to escape from police commanders believed to have abducted them from their families. Three have died. READ MORE HERE

Jon Snow told yesterday how the Jimmy Savile scandal has forced him to relive the abuse he suffered as a child. The Channel 4 News veteran described how when he was six years old he was ‘abducted’ by a member of the domestic staff at the school where his father taught. ‘He took me to his room and undressed me, and then himself. Thank heavens someone saw the abduction and eventually a member of staff intervened and rescued me,’ he said. READ MORE HERE

Plea deal calls for just 45 days in jail

A 76-year-old Wisconsin woman accused of killing her infant daughter more than a half-century ago will serve 45 days in jail and 10 years’ probation, under a plea agreement approved Monday. Ruby Klokow was charged with second-degree murder in the 1957 death of her 6-month-old daughter, Jeaneen, only after her son, James Klokow Jr., came forward in 2008 with horrific stories of childhood abuse. District Attorney Joe De Cecco cited Klokow’s advanced age and health as factors in the agreement approved by Sheboygan County District Judge Angela Sutkiewicz. READ MORE HERE

BOYLE HEIGHTS, CA — Los Angeles Police Monday asked for the public’s help in identifying additional victims of an accused child molester, who worked at a daycare in Boyle Heights. Police arrested Enrique Ramos, 45, Thursday and booked him on three counts of lewd acts on a child. Ramos is accused of molesting three of the children whom he cared for at Cano & Ramos Child Care Center on Pennsylvania Avenue in Boyle Heights. Ramos is a co-owner of the facility. READ MORE HERE

People are rightly horrified by abuse scandals at Penn State and in the Catholic church. But what about children who are molested by their own family members?

Last year offered plenty of moments to have a sustained national conversation about child sexual abuse: the Jerry Sandusky verdict, the BBC’s Jimmy Savile, Horace Mann’s faculty members, and a slew of slightly less publicized incidents. President Obama missed the opportunity to put this issue on his second-term agenda in his inaugural speech. Child sexual abuse impacts more Americans annually than cancer, AIDS, gun violence, LGBT inequality, and the mortgage crisis combined—subjects that Obama did cover.  READ MORE HERE

Patients always thought Dr. Nikita Levy was creepy. The Maryland gynecologist was a little too “eager” to see young patients, according to ABC News sources. It wasn’t until investigators reportedly found inappropriate photos and videos and Levy killed himself that the pieces fell into place. Levy was found dead in an apparent suicide in his Towson home this week, CBS News reports. Detectives found more photos and videos of Levy’s patients in his home, though parents may never get the answers they wanted. READ MORE HERE

A man from Whitewater, Colo. called 911 to say his wife was accusing him of child molestation — and deputies booked him for just that. Tillman Clifton, 38, was arrested and charged with sexual assault on a child, according to the Daily Sentinel. Clifton called 911 after his wife allegedly caught him masturbating next to a sleeping underage girl, the Denver Channel reported. His relationship to the girl is unclear. READ MORE HERE

To This Day Bullying Project

Shane Koyczan was bullied a lot when he was a kid. So he took that pain and made this stunning video with the help of some amazingly talented people. It’s kind of breathtaking and powerful, just a warning. Also, it has a happy ending.  ORIGINAL: By Shane Koyczan, whom you should like on Facebook, and an amazing group of animators as part of the To This Day project. You can learn more about confronting bullying at Bullying.org.

————————————————————————————————————

A video of two young girls being forced to fight each other in a New York City park has surfaced, catching the attention of authorities, Gothamist reports. As of Thursday morning, the location and the identities of the girls and those exhorting them to brawl remain unknown. Police were analyzing the clip for clues, the New York Daily News reports. READ MORE HERE

—————————————————————————————————–

The man accused of slapping a toddler during a flight has been fired by his employer. Joe Rickey Hundley, 60, of Hayden, Idaho, is no longer an employee of AGC Aerospace and Defense, Composites Group. Al Hasse, the company’s president, released a statement saying, “Reports of the recent behavior of one of our business unit executives while on personal travel are offensive and disturbing.” Hasse also called the behavior “embarrassing” and “contradictory to our values.”  READ MORE HERE

The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) is an international resource and training center at Alliant International University. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals on local, national and international levels by sharing & disseminating vital information, improving collaborations & networking, conducting research & trainings, assisting with direct professional services, program evaluation, & consulting to promote violence-free living.

The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) strives to be a comprehensive resource, training and research center dealing with all aspects of violence, abuse and trauma.  IVAT interfaces with Alliant International University’sacademic schools and centers, which provide resource support and educational training. Through a focus on collaborations with various partnering organizations, IVAT desires to bridge gaps and help improve current systems of care on a local, national, and global level. READ MORE HERE

What do we mean by childhood trauma?

Academics and practitioners often disagree over definitions of childhood trauma, and about how common it is. Nevertheless there is general agreement that childhood trauma is caused by abuse that falls into three categories. These are: emotional abuse; physical abuse; and sexual abuse. Although sexual abuse has traditionally been considered the most damaging, recent research shows that all three types of abuse can have serious consequences and result in difficulties for the subject which may continue into, or arise in, adulthood. READ MORE HERE

Child Trauma Academy

Your Child – Childhood Trauma and Its Effects

Early Childhood Trauma | National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Childhood Trauma Leaves Legacy of Brain Changes