More than 2/3rds ( two-thirds) of survivors of childhood sexual abuse, who sought help from the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) last year, had been abused by more than one perpetrator, new figures show. The finding was described as “shocking and astounding” by Fiona Neary, RCNI director. Speaking at the publication of the network’s annual statistics yesterday, she said it was the first time they had gathered such detailed data. The 13 rape crisis centres provided 16,549 hours of counselling and support last year to 1,588 people. They also provided 795 hours of accompaniment for survivors going to gardaí, medical examinations and courts. Some 60.7 (963) per cent of those helped last year had been abused as children, while 30.4 per cent (482) had suffered abuse as adults only, while 141 had been abused as child and adult.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1117/1224283529447.html

Children in crisis: Cleveland County ranks high in reported child abuse, low in graduation

SHELBY, NORTH CAROLINA — Cleveland County children are worse off than children in nearly three-fourths of other North Carolina counties. Cleveland County ranks 72 out of the state’s 100 counties in a recent report highlighting 10 wellness indicators, according to “A Roadmap to Need” report released by the Public School Forum’s Center for Afterschool Programs. Cleveland County scored lower than Gaston County, which ranked 62nd, but higher than Rutherford County, which ranked 92nd, according to the report. The report ranked counties on indicators including, graduation rates, the number of children in Department of Social Services custody and number of reported cases of child abuse and neglect.

“We are using this as roadmap in a call to action for policy makers and funders to serve as a tool on where we need more investments for children services across the state,” said Jamie Knowles, director of the program that issued the report. Knowles said the report signifies there is a critical need for children’s services in communities. And working together at the local and state levels can create change.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.shelbystar.com/news/cleveland-51425-ranks-county.html

A Fact Sheet for Schools

What Is Human Trafficking?

What Is the Extent of Human Trafficking in the United States ?

Contrary to a common assumption, human trafficking is not just a problem in other countries. Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and some U.S. territories. Victims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. According to U.S. government estimates, thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked to the United States for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. An unknown number of U.S. citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country primarily for sexual servitude and, to a lesser extent, forced labor.

How Does Human Trafficking Affect Our Schools?

Trafficking can involve school-age children—particularly those not living with their parents—who are vulnerable to coerced labor exploitation, domestic servitude, or commercial sexual exploitation (i.e., prostitution).

Sex traffickers target children because of their vulnerability and gullibility, as well as the market demand for young victims. Those who recruit minors into prostitution violate federal anti-trafficking laws, even if there is no coercion or movement across state lines. The children at risk are not just high school students—studies demonstrate that pimps prey on victims as young as 12. Traffickers have been reported targeting their minor victims through telephone chat-lines, clubs, on the street, through friends, and at malls, as well as using girls to recruit other girls at schools and after-school programs.?

READ MORE HERE:

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/factsheet.html

Preventing child abuse today might curb crime tomorrow

Child abuse and neglect leaves its victims with lasting damage: In Louisiana 27 children are victimized every day, and their plight is reason enough to invest in prevention.  But New Orleans Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas, District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro and Sheriff Marlin Gusman offered another strong reason to protect at-risk children: doing so could prevent them from turning to crime as adults. The three are urging Gov. Bobby Jindal and state lawmakers to continue funding an abuse prevention program that provides visits by trained nurses to at-risk families and to seek new federal funding for those services.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2010/11/preventing_child_abuse_today_m.html

http://www.sctnow.org/contentpages.aspx?parentnavigationid=5814&viewcontentpageguid=29d295d1-5818-4e7a-bde1-f61690fa44a8

MANILA, Philippines – Seventeen-year-old “Jennylyn” never even had the chance to mourn the death of her mother because on the very night of the funeral, she was taken by her uncle and was raped repeatedly, in different places, for hours. “When he asked me to take a ride with him, I didn’t hesitate. He was a great guy. Even when I was young, he would give me money to buy food at school. He suddenly drove me to a dark seminary, and ordered me to take off my shorts.” This, Jennylin says, would start a wave of sexual abuse that she had to endure for the next four years.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/11/07/10/incest-cases-rising

According to Bullying Statistics, thirty-two percent of parents fear for their child’s physical safety when the child is at school. Thirty-nine percent of parents with a child in grade six or higher are more likely to say they fear for their child’s safety. Twenty-two percent of parents whose children are in grade five or lower fear for their child’s safety.  A poll of teens ages 12-17 proved that they think violence increased at their schools. 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.

BULLYING STATISTICS

• Thirty percent (30%) of U.S. students in grades six through ten are involved in moderate or frequent bullying — as bullies, as victims, or as both — according to the results of the first national survey on this subject.
• Bullying is increasingly viewed as an important contributor to youth violence, including homicide and suicide. Case studies of the shooting at Colombine High School and other U.S. schools have suggested that bullying was a factor in many of the incidents.

RECENT STATISTICS SHOW THAT:

• 1 out of 4 kids is Bullied.  The American Justice Department says that this month 1 out of every 4 kids will be abused by another youth.
• Surveys Show That  77%  of students are bullied mentally, verbally, & physically.
• In a recent study, 77% of the students said they had been bullied. And 14% of those who were bullied said they experienced severe (bad) reactions to the abuse.
• 1 out of 5 kids admits to being a bully, or doing some “Bullying.”
• 8% of students miss 1 day of class per month for fear of Bullies.
• 43% fear harassment in the bathroom at school.
• 100,000 students carry a gun to school.
• 28% of youths who carry weapons have witnessed violence at home.
• A poll of teens ages 12-17 proved that they think violence increased at their schools.
• 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.
• More youth violence occurs on school grounds as opposed to on the way to school.
• Playground statistics – Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention – 4%. Peer intervention – 11%. No intervention – 85%.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.pascack.k12.nj.us/70271919141818/lib/70271919141818/Bullying_Statistics.htm

http://bullyingstatistics.blogspot.com/

Cases of rape of girls under 10 years of age rise from 118 in ’08 to 131 last year in state

Rape against minors, particularly girls below 10 years of age, is on the rise. Activists working on the issue of child abuse feel that in 80 per cent of cases, trusted and people in power are the ones responsible for abusing the small girls in their custody. They feel that only stringent punishment will reduce these growing instances. The report is published by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) about crime trends in the state. It shows that in 2008, 118 rape cases were reported wherein the victims were below 10 years of age. Last year, the number of such cases went up to 131.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/nov/011110-News-Pune-Rape-victims-10-years-girl.htm

Coroner astounded at number of abuse reports

The coroner in the Kahui inquest has expressed amazement about the number of suspected child abuse cases reported to Child, Youth and Family. “This coroner was astounded to read that in the last year there were 110,000 notifications. That’s unbelievable, isn’t it?” Garry Evans asked Children’s Commissioner John Angus yesterday. Dr Angus said reports of child abuse to Child, Youth and Family had risen rapidly in the past few years, because of greater public awareness and a shift in police practice, reflecting a new understanding of harm done to children in cases of abuse.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/4296756/Coroner-astounded-at-number-of-abuse-reports

Critical injuries stemming from the abuse of two Clovis infants are in line with a statewide trend of increased severity in abuse cases. “What we’re experiencing now is an increase in cases that the abuse is more severe,” said Romaine Serna, spokeswoman for New Mexico’s Children Youth and Families. “Recently we’ve seen some kids with some pretty serious injuries; it’s cause for concern.” Overall, she said statewide child abuse statistics haven’t spiked, just the severity of injuries. Though doctors gave him a poor prognosis for surviving, police say a 6-month-old boy remains hospitalized and is undergoing physical therapy following ongoing abuse.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.cnjonline.com/news/abuse-40645-severity-line.html

I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

PHOTOBUCKET IS DETERRING OUR CHILD ABUSE ADVOCACY & MISSION BY “BANNING” ME FROM MY PRO PHOTOBUCKET ACCOUNT. PLEASE READ THE RESPONSE I GOT BACK FROM PHOTOBUCKET — THIS IS THE REASON THEY HAVE BANNED ME FROM ALL OF MY WORK THAT I HAVE ACCUMLATED OVER THE LAST 5-YEARS– MY ACCOUNT  WHICH HOLDS ALL OF DREAMCATCHERS IMAGES, PHOTOS, BANNERS, LOGOS, SLIDESHOWS, ETC……ALL OF WHICH I HAD UNDER A PRO ACCOUNT & PAID AN ANNUAL FEE FOR AND KEPT PRIVATE FOR OUR USE ONLY.

ALL OF MY IMAGES, PHOTOS & LINKS ARE NOW BROKEN ON ALL OF OUR 20 DIFFERENT NETWORKING SITES FOR CHILD ABUSE ADVOCACY. I AM ASKING EVERYONE TO PLEASE EMAIL THEM & DEFEND OUR WORK, OUR MISSION & THE FACT THAT I NEVER HAD “NUDE CHILDREN” IMAGES! THE IMAGES I HAD IN OUR ACCOUNT WERE OF ***CHILD ABUSE!!!*** (AND USED UNDER THE FAIR USE ACT) I WOULD NEVER UPLOAD “NUDE” IMAGES OF CHILDREN (see their response below).

THEY ADMIT TO KNOWING WE ARE A CHILD ABUSE ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, BUT STILL WILL NOT LISTEN TO MY EXPLANATION. THEY CLAIM MY PROFILE WAS “PUBLIC.” IT IS NOT (NOR WAS IT EVER) PUBLIC—IT WAS PRIVATE!

PLEASE SUPPORT US BY EMAILING THEM AT:

support@photobucket.com

(REFER TO MY USERNAME ACCOUNT OF: SANDRAPOTTER)

I am thanking you in advance for your support!!

___________________________________________________________

MESSAGE I RECEIVED FROM PHOTOBUCKET:

———- Forwarded message ———-

From: Photobucket Support <support@photobucket.com>

Date: Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 2:21 PM

Subject: Re: [Ticket#2010101810009591]Question

To: dreamcatchersforabusedchildren@gmail.com

Dear Sandra,

This is Shawn White. I manage the Content Moderation team here. I got your message. We apologize for the frustration, but the decision has to stand. We did review your account. Our terms of use agreement is very clear. Although your cause is to prevent child abuse, technically speaking your public account contained images of nude children.

Sincerely,

Shawn

Your Photobucket Support Team

Teen Suicide Deaths, U.S.

Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. It was the 8th leading cause of death for males, and 19th leading cause of death for females.  The total number of suicide deaths was 30,622.  The 2001 age-adjusted rate** was 10.7/100,000 or 0.01%.  1.3% of total deaths were from suicide. By contrast, 29% were from diseases of the heart, 23% were from malignant neoplasms (cancer), and 6.8% were from cerebrovascular disease (stroke) – the three leading causes.  Suicides outnumbered homicides (20,308) by 3 to 2.  There were twice as many deaths due to suicide than deaths due to HIV/AIDS (14,175).

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.familyfirstaid.org/suicide.html

LAHORE: The number of child abuse cases have been rapidly growing in Pakistan due to a lack of proper preventive and protective measures adopted by the government, as well as the parents, Sahil, a non-government organisation (NGO) working for children’s rights, said on Thursday, at a press conference held at the Lahore Press Club. Child abuse is a global phenomenon and the developed nations had adopted strict measures to protect their children from such incidents as they could ruin a person’s entire life, a Sahil representative, Iftikhar Mubarak and other officials said. The victims of child abuse had to face many complex psychological problems throughout their lives, they added.

According to a study conducted by the NGO, a break up analysis of gender continued to show that the number of female reported cases of child sexual abuse were higher than the male cases.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\10\15\story_15-10-2010_pg13_8