LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says calls to the state’s Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline have risen nearly 19 percent in five years. The department says calls increased from roughly 24,100 in 2006 to nearly 28,700 last year. Officials say April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
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Many of the people considered to be on the front lines in Pennsylvania’s fight against child abuse do not understand what they should do or have not been trained in reporting suspected cases, a new survey says. Hospital staff, clergy, teachers and other people known as mandatory reporters — those required to call the state’s abuse hot line any time they suspect a child has been abused — were among those expressing frustration in the survey.
It’s been almost a year since five siblings with special needs, all under 10 years old and victims of abuse and neglect, have been living in temporary foster care homes. Social workers with the Department of Public Health and Social Services have been trying to find a stable home for the children, but haven’t been successful. They’ve even tried to reunite the children with their birth mother, but determined the reunion may not be the best solution.
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It’s the headline du jour whenever a horrific case emerges of a mother killing her kids, as Lashanda Armstrong did when she piled her children into her minivan and drove straight into the frigid Hudson River. Our shock at such stories is, of course, understandable: They seem to go against everything we intuitively feel about the mother-child bond. But mothers kill their children in this country much more often than most people would realize by simply reading the headlines; by conservative estimates it happens every few days, at least 100 times a year.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/16/ap/health/main20054645.shtml
BOISE, Idaho — State officials say newly released data show a spike in the number of severe child abuse cases last year, at a time when many families were suffering from the effects of the recession. The number of cases of life-threatening injury suffered by children increased by 9 percent, with the biggest leap coming from the state’s southwest, according to a report Tuesday by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The data tracked a 15 percent increase in the Nampa/Caldwell area and a 13 percent spike in Boise compared to 2009.
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http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/e54a554cecd94dafb3175b3fa44a987e/ID–Child-Abuse-Report/
CHEYENNE — Nearly 250 pinwheels spun fiercely on the east lawn of the Wyoming Capitol in Wednesday’s brisk morning breeze. Each blue-and-silver flash sparked a reminder of what the simple toys represent — three children victimized in Wyoming last year. In total, 735 children were victims of child abuse in 2010. Nearly 450 of those cases were substantiated in Wyoming courts.
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http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2011/04/14/news/20local_04-14-11.txt
(Reuters) – The U.S. Roman Catholic Church and its insurers paid $124 million last year to settle allegations of child sexual abuse, up from $104 million a year earlier, a church-commissioned audit showed on Monday. There were 428 new allegations of sexual abuse against a minor filed in 2010, seven of which related to child abuse that was said to occur during the year, the U.S. Conference of Bishops said, citing the audit.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/11/us-usa-catholics-abuse-idUSTRE73A6LF20110411
The issue of sexual assault on college campuses is making headlines this week, thanks in part to a Title IX complaint against Yale for its handling of such cases. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s officially Sexual Assault Awareness Month and that the White House is kicking off an initiative to raise — here’s that word again — awareness about federal guidelines for dealing with sexual violence on college campuses. Most of us have heard the 1 in 4 statistic, but if you’re anything like me, this recent coverage might make you wonder: What’s the takeaway — is the reported rate of sexual violence on college campuses on the rise or what? It turns out the short answer to that is no.
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http://www.salon.com/life/sexual_abuse/?story=/mwt/feature/2011/04/06/college_rape
Students learn about Shaken Baby Syndrome
COPPERAS COVE — Crossroads High School students received a lecture Tuesday from a Fort Hood presentation educator and a fellow student about child abuse prevention. “I think it went very well. … They were very engaged,” said Sharon Jones, a presentation educator working with the Army Community Services Family Advocacy program who conducted the interactive lecture for the students. Jones spoke to the students mostly about Shaken Baby Syndrome.
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A new L.A. County report on the deaths of children who come into contact with its foster care system is, in one sense, depressingly unsurprising. It highlights with startling precision the short, brutal lives that so many of this county’s young people endure. Year after year, tens of thousands of children fall under the scrutiny of the Department of Children and Family Services — some glancingly or peripherally, others in more sustained ways — and 200 or so of those children die annually, victims of accidents, natural causes or, too often, suicide or murder.
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http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-dcfs-20110404,0,5408504.story
When staff members at the Healing Place were reviewing the number of clients they saw from June through December 2010, they found an alarming trend. Not only did the number rise considerably — by 46 percent — but they saw a dramatic increase in the number of children younger than 12 who were victims of sexual abuse. The number of children 12 or younger seeking help at the Healing Place jumped from 72 in 2009 to 115 in 2010.
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Padded push ups for seven year olds, sexting in middle school. Unfortunately childhood no longer equals innocence and the experts say technology is playing a role in the issue putting children in danger. This week, the National Children’s Advocacy Center is hosting its annual child abuse symposium. Experts are sharing the latest information on how children are being harmed and what parents and professionals can do to keep them safe.
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Fourteen-year-old Patrick abused a child – even though he is still a child. He is not unique. Shockingly, more than half of those who abuse children are teens or even younger. Patrick’s story is tragic. His violent father left when he was just seven. Since then his role models have been the steady stream of abusive boyfriends who beat up his often inebriated mother and abused both him and his younger half-sister. His victims have been fellow pupils at school.
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http://www.iol.co.za/sundayindependent/the-kids-that-prey-on-other-children-1.1048095
Southfield— Motorists accused of driving drunk with children in the car, like the Southfield woman whose daughter passed a note last month to a bank teller seeking help, have drawn attention to what authorities say is an under-reported problem that puts hundreds of kids at risk every year in Michigan. Child endangerment charges can be levied when an impaired person drives with a child under age 16. But because the young victims are often either unaware or incapable of knowing what’s happening, or reluctant or too fearful to report it, most cases never lead to arrests. Even the state Department of Human Services can’t say how often reported offenses occur across Michigan.
DREAMCATCHERS FOR ABUSED CHILDREN, INC. is an official non-profit 501(c)3 child abuse & neglect organization. Our mission is to educate the public on all aspects of child abuse such as symptoms, intervention, prevention, statistics, reporting, and helping victims locate the proper resources necessary to achieve a full recovery. We also cover areas such as bullying, teen suicide & prevention, children\'s rights, child trafficking, missing & exploited children, online safety, and pedophiles/sex offenders.
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