It’s a very long road to recovery after abuse, but it’s not unreachable!!!
Here are some chat rooms, sites & forums that can help you to achieve a full recovery:

http://www.mdjunction.com/

http://curezone.com/forums/s.asp?f=62&ob=t&c=1

http://www.sssalas.com/EmotionalHealing.html

http://www.catharsisfoundation.org/index.html

http://www.vansondesign.com/RecoveryCanada/SexualAbuse/Forums/

http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/showthread.php?t=22518

http://www.way2hope.org/family-forums/index.php?showforum=8

http://www.way2hope.org/family-forums/lofiversion/index.php?f8.html

http://s.webring.com/hub?ring=healingquest

http://www.menstuff.org/resources/resourcefiles/abuserecov.html

CHILD ABUSE ADVOCATES:
http://www.stopcsa.org/
www.dreamcatchersforabusedchildren.com
http://www.gwmedical.com/links.php
http://www.preventchildabuse.org/advocacy/position_statements.shtml

SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY:
http://www.familywatchdog.us/
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/registry.htm
http://www.nsopr.gov/

STRUGGLING PARENTS:
www.myspace.com/brokenmoms
http://www.crisislink.org/
http://www.parenting.org/
http://www.parents.com/

CHILD ABUSE HOTLINES:
http://reportchildabusenow.com/
http://www.childhelp.org/get_help
http://www.hopeforhealing.org/hotlines
http://www.childabuse.org/report%20abuse.html

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
http://www.ndvh.org/
http://www.domesticviolence.org/
http://www.domesticviolencehelp.org/
http://www.hopeforhealing.org/DV.html

RAPE:
http://www.rainn.org/
http://www.rapeis.org/
http://www.dancinginthedarkness.com/
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/2402/

INCEST:
http://www.siawso.org/
http://www.hopeforhealing.org/incesthelp.html
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/help/isa.htm
http://www.heartsandminds.org/self/links/abuseincestfamilyviolence.htm

SURVIVORS:
http://www.ascasupport.org/
http://www.catharsisfoundation.org/
http://www.hopeforhealing.org/tips
http://www.wearesurvivors.org/?cat=14

MALE SURVIVORS:
http://www.hopeforhealing.org/male.html
http://www.berkshirefreepress.org/

Main Page

http://www.pandys.org/malesurvivors.html

BIPOLAR/MENTAL ILLNESS:

Homepage

http://www.bipolar.com/
http://www.preventmentalillness-salem.org/
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/center_index.php?id=4

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER:
http://www.ptsdassociation.com/
http://ptsdguide.com/ptsd-complex.shtml
http://www.bullyonline.org/stress/ptsd.htm
http://www.hopeforhealing.org/ptsd

TEEN SUPPORT SITES:
http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/mainsite.php
http://teenchallengeusa.com/

Home

Home

COLLEGE STUDENTS SUPPORT SITES:

Home

http://www.mycollegetips.com/college-student-help.html
http://www.ulifeline.org/main/Home.html
http://www.strivetogether.org/resource_center/College_Students8.htm

TEEN DATING VIOLENCE:

Home

http://www.acadv.org/dating.html
http://www.atg.wa.gov/ProtectingYouth/TeenDatingViolence.aspx
http://www.hopeforhealing.org/teen_dating_violence.html

SUICIDE & DEPRESSION:

Home

http://www.hopeline.com/

Home

http://help-with-depression.net/

SELF-INJURY:

Safe Alternatives

http://selfmutilatorsanonymous.org/

Home

http://www.myspace.com/towriteloveonherarms

EATING DISORDERS, ANOREXIA, BULEMIA:
http://anorexiahelp.net/
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

Home

Home

SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
http://www.na.org/
http://www.hbo.com/addiction/

Home

Home

UNWANTED PREGNANCY:
http://www.pregnancyhelponline.com/
http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/parent_pregnant.php
http://www.familyfirstaid.org/teen-pregnancy.html
http://www.daveandtrisha.com/pregnancy.shtml

GRIEF HELPLINE:
http://grief-help.com/
http://www.grief.net/
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/someone_died.html
http://griefhelp.org/uploads/griefhelp_20book0306open.pdf

STALKING:
http://www.stalkingbehavior.com/
http://orgs.usd.edu/savvy/stalking.html
http://www.ncvc.org/src/Main.aspx
http://www.hopeforhealing.org/stalking.html

CYBERBULLYING:
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html
http://www.cyberbullyhelp.com/
http://www.cyberbullying.info/help.php
http://www.online-bully.com/

JUSTICE FOR CHILDREN:
http://www.jfcadvocacy.org/
http://www.childrensjustice.org/membership.html
http://www.justiceforchildrenmi.org/goals.aspx

Home

CPS/DHS MISHANDLINGS HELPLINE:
http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/cpsmishandle.php
http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/

CHILDREN’S MEDICAL QUESTIONS:
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/
http://www.webmd.com/
http://kidshealth.org/
http://children.webmd.com/guide/childrens-health-finding-help

MISSING CHILDREN:
http://hardwarehell.com/missing.htm
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PublicHomeServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=usMapSearch&missState=CA&searchLang=en_US
http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Missing_Children.shtml

ONLINE COUNSELING SERVICES:

www.powerofmind.com.au

PSYCHOLOGIST LOCATER:
http://locator.apa.org/
http://www.therapistlocator.net/

Home

https://www.aacc.net/shop/ccn_search.php
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/

SUBSTANCE ABUSE, DRUG
AND ALCHOHOL RECOVERY LOCATER:
http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/
http://recoveryfinder.com/
http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
http://www.friendofbills.com/substance-abuse-recovery-information.htm

CHILD DAYCARE LOCATER BY STATE:
http://daycarelocator.net/
http://www.childcareaware.org/en/
http://daycare.com/listing.html
http://www.daycareworks.com/cg/daycare_locator.jsp

DOCTOR LOCATER BY STATE:
http://www.diagnose-me.com/regional-A.html

FAMILY & MARRIAGE COUNSELING LOCATER BY STATE:
http://family-marriage-counseling.com/
http://www.familyhelp411.com/parent%20resources/therapist_locator.php

********************************************************************

AUTISM AND LEARNING DISABILITIES

Autism Speaks

Fibromyalgia

Get Ready to Read

Learning Disabilities

Local Utah Center

National Center for Learning Disabilities

RTI Network

US Autism & Asperger Association

EMPLOYMENT AND JOBS

Career Voyages – Apprenticeships and Internships

State Job Bank Listings

State Vocational Education and Rehabilitation

National Organization on Disability

Association of Small Business Development Centers

JOBS DIRECT USA – A resource for employers to locate employees, and for employees to post their resumes to employers.

COVER LETTERS THAT WORK! – A service (in two versions) which provides you with invaluable techniques for writing cover letters which will absolutely generate serious interviews.

PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Free Antibiotics – Meijer’s

Free Antibiotics – Publix

Low Cost / Free Generic Prescriptions – Giant Eagle

Low Cost / Free Generic Prescriptions – KMart

Low Cost / Free Generic Prescriptions – Kroger/King Soopers/City Market

Low Cost / Free Generic Prescriptions – Sam’s Club

Low Cost / Free Generic Prescriptions – Target

Low Cost / Free Generic Prescriptions – Walgreen’s

Low Cost / Free Generic Prescriptions – Walmart

Medicare Patient Assistance Programs

Needy Meds Cost Assistance Programs

Partnership for Prescription Assistance (888) 477-2669

Patient Assistance Programs Center

CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND DAYCARE

Childcare Resources – Child Care Aware

Childcare Resources – from US Government

Kids Health Newletter and Information Center

National Child Care Information Center

CHRONIC ILLNESS

American Diabetes Association

Chronic Illness Resources for Teens

Healing Well – Chronic Illness Resources

Improving Chronic Illness Care – Resources and Research

MedLine Plus – Coping With Chronic Ilness Resources

GRIEF AND LOSS

AARP – Grief and Loss Resources and Information

Help Guide – Grief and Loss Coping Resources

LEGAL DIFFICULTIES

FindLaw – National Lawyer Resource List

Internet Legal Research Group

Internet Legal Research Group

Legal Resources

FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

Acorn Housing Corporation – prevent foreclosure

Federal Student Aid – Free Application

Food Assistance Programs

Government Assistance – Benefits, Grants and Financial Aid

Housing Resources Group

Medicare Website – Medication Assistance Programs

MedLine – Financial Assistance for Medical Costs

Needy Meds – Cost Assistance Programs

Partnership for Prescription Assistance (888) 477-2669

Patient Assistance Programs Center – Rx Help

Red Cross – Emergency Travel Assistance

Small Business Adminstration – Financial Assistance

U.S. Dept. Housing & Urban Development – affordable rentals

PREGNANCY ISSUES

Miscarriage Support

National High Risk Pregnancy Support Network

Planned Parenthood: 1-800-230-PLAN

Postpartum Depression Support

Postpartum Support International

USA: National STD Hotline : 1-800-227-8922

SENIOR CITIZENS’ SERVICES

Alliance for Aging Research – 1-800-639-2421

Bridging The Prescription Coverage Gap

Eldercare Locator – 1-800-677-1116

Meals on Wheels

Medicare Website – Medication Assistance Programs

National Council on Aging – 1-800-424-9046

National Institute on Aging – 1-800-222-2225

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND WEIGHT ISSUES

America on The Move – Steps to a Healthier Life

Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Obesity Information and Resources

Daily Strength – Obesity Support Group (and other health issues)

Healthy Counties Database – Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs

Healthy Food Assistance Programs

Nutrition for Kids – Feeding Kids Newsletter

Obesity Action Coalition

Overeaters Anonymous Support Groups

Reliable Info on Health Topics

Revolution Health – Kids and Weight Community Forum

SparkPeople – Weight Management Tracking and Support

Stickk – Online Weight Management Incentive Program

The Daily Plate – Weight Management Tracking and Support

Weight Control Information Network

Weight Management and Obesity Resource List

Weight Watchers Community Forum

EATING DISORDERS

Eating Disorders Coalition

Health Corps – For Teens

National Eating Disorders Information Centre

National Mental Health Information Center – Eating Disorders

National Institutes for Health Eating Disorder Resources

National Eating Disorders Organization

About Face

Overeaters Anonymous

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE

Internet Resources on Violence Against Women

National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence 1 800 537-2238

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)

Help for Teens and Young Adults with OCD

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Obsessive Compulsive Foundation

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER

Low Income Mental Health Services Locator

Borderline Personality Disorder Resource Center

National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder – Support Group

Borderline Personality Disorder Central

ADDICTION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES

Drug and Alcohol Resource Center 1 800 784 6776

Help Starts Here – Addiction Resources

http://www.smokefree.gov/

Low Income Mental Health Services Locator

Prevention Resources – Kids and Teens

Quit Net – Tobacco

Resources, Training and Action on Alcohol Issues

Tobacco Cessation Resources

Treatment Facilities Resources

ANXIETY, PHOBIAS AND PANIC ATTACKS

Anxiety Peer Support

http://www.anxieties.com

http://www.anxietypanic.com

Low Income Mental Health Services Locator

National Center for Health and Wellness

ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER (ADD/ADHD)

Attention Deficit Disorder Association

Attention Deficit Disorder Resources

CHADD – Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Low Income Mental Health Services Locator

Special Education Resources on the Internet (SERI)

DEPRESSION

Beyond Blue

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

Depression Experience Journal – Children/Families

Every Minute – National Depression Resource List

Freedom From Fear

Help Starts Here – Depression

Low Income Mental Health Services Locator

National Institutes for Health – Depression Resources

Web MD – Depression Resources

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

Low Income Mental Health Services Locator

Mental Health Sanctuary Resources

Mental Health Today PTSD Resources

PTSD Support Resources

SUICIDE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION

Every Minute Suicide Prevention – Resources & Support

Global Directory of Suicide Hotlines

Hopeline : 1-800-SUICIDE / 1-800-784-2433

http://www.suicidehotlines.com

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Low Income Mental Health Services Locator

Samaritans – UK

SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education

Information on Child Abuse

Following is a list of Web sites containing useful information on child abuse as well as effective parenting. Many of the organizations who sponsor the sites use offer additional resources such as consultation, training, research, advocacy, or dissemination of information on child abuse.

American Humane – Devoted to preventing cruelty, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children and animals.
Center for Effective Parenting – Provides helpful parenting information.

Child Care Aware – Committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources in their community.
Child Welfare League of America – Child Welfare League of America National Data Analysis System CWLA, in cooperation with the nation’s state child welfare agencies, provides a comprehensive, interactive child welfare database. Internet users can create customized tables and graphs, as well as access to information on child abuse.
Child Welfare Information Gateway – Child Welfare Information Gateway connects professionals and concerned citizens to timely, essential information and resources targeted to the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families.
Child Welfare League of America National Data Analysis System –  CWLA, in cooperation with the nation’s state child welfare agencies, provides information on child abuse in a comprehensive, interactive child welfare database.
Child Trends Data Bank – Source for the latest national trends and research on over 100 key indicators of child and youth well-being.
Children’s Action Alliance – Helps promote the well-being of children and their families through research, policy development, media campaigns and advocacy.
Children’s Defense Fund – Mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life.

Children Now – Information on child abuse and on making children the top public policy priority.

Circle of Parents – Network of parent-led self-help groups where parents and caregivers can share ideas, celebrate successes, and address the challenges surrounding parenting.
Family and Marriage Counseling Directory – Articles, resources, and databases for finding family and marriage counselors.
Focus Adolescent Services – Resources on Teen and Family Issues. Topics include anger and violence; self injury such as carving, branding and marking; and abuse.

G.W. Medical Publishing – G.W. Medical Publishing is a leading clinical and forensic publisher serving the medical, legal, social service, and law enforcement communities with the resources they need to combat child abuse, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, child trafficking, and other maltreatment.

KIDS COUNT Data Book – Project by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to track status of children in the United States.
Life Prints Child Protection Technology – Life-Prints’ mission is to provide the most advanced  technology to the Child/Infant ID market, by developing and supporting proprietary, user-friendly software that interfaces with state-of-art equipment, with levels of customer support unattainable elsewhere.
MEDLINEplus – A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
National Data Archive on Child Abuse – Exchange among researched in child maltreatment field.

NetSmartz – Interactive, educational safety resource that teaches kids and teens how to stay safer on the Internet.
New Parents Network – Articles and information on child abuse and other topics for new parents.
Parents Anonymous – The nation’s oldest for information on child abuse prevention.
Prevent Child Abuse America – Dedicated to providing information on child abuse and inspiring hope to everyone involved in the effort to prevent the abuse and neglect of children.

Search Engine for Children – This site contains over 20,000 child-safe sites, and over 4,000 categories including the arts, computers, directories, entertainment, games, health, news, people, pre-school, school time, sports, hobbies, and family.
Stand for Children – Advocate for improvements to and funding for programs that give every child a fair chance in life.
State Sex Offender Registries – Registered sex offenders, listed by state.
The Stephanie Zimbalist Caring for Kids Fund – Judith Moose, Publicist and PR Friend to Childhelp is donating $2-3/book sold, including her up coming book, “The Greatest Cowboy of Them All,” a reflective story about Johnny Cash that will be distributed through WalMart.
TeensHealth – Created by The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, TeensHealth provides teens and families with up-to-date, jargon-free advice about health, relationships, and growing up. Topics include issues such as depression and self-cutting, abuse in the family, and safety basics such as internet safety.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau – Government site featuring information on child abuse, statistics, and resources related to child welfare.
Zero to Three – Publications, reference guides to programs, projects and professional developmental services promoting the healthy development of our nation’s infants and toddlers.

SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY LINKS:

A new study out this month about the benefits of spanking toddlers has come smack (no pun intended) in the middle of what is quickly becoming a discipline crisis in our home.

As our daughter hits the 3-year-old mark all those nasty toddler behaviors we thought we had escaped during the notorious “terrible two’s” have started popping up regularly.

Climbing on top of anything and everything, and then leaping to her near-certain death, has become Ava’s new favorite pastime. The time-outs that previously kept her from doing such things, or at least limited them to a one-time only event, no longer have much of an impact, nor do taking away toys or other previously successful methods.

Nonetheless, we keep plodding away with those supposedly tried-and-true methods. We also praise her when she plays nicely, like those top-selling parenting books urge. And we’ve tried some techniques the parenting gurus don’t encourage, like bribery.

Still, the climbing, the yelling, the tantrums when she doesn’t get her way, continue. Last night, she told her daddy he was getting on her nerves. When I put her in time-out and stood there to make her stay in place, she waved me away and told me to, “go back to work.”

She’s on a regular schedule, gets plenty of rest and eats healthy, with little to no sugar in her diet. When I spend 20 hours or so working from home, Ava isn’t in day care, she’s downstairs with her grandmother. She stays active — playing soccer, going to dance class, children’s church and having playdates with friends. We get on the floor and play with her every day; at home she has her choice of educational and pure fun activities, from musical instruments and dolls to computers and movies, in a large, designated playroom and in areas throughout our home.

But wrapping herself in the living room curtains, bypassing the child-proof locks and tossing food out of the pantry and jumping on the couch seem to be far more entertaining. And when she’s disciplined for the bad behavior she practically laughs in our faces.

What on earth is a parent to do?

My husband and I were spanked, infrequently, as children, and it seemed to do the trick. I’m not suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, and my husband is a gentle soul. Maybe our parents and the generations before them knew what they were doing after all.

Today, however, spanking is practically considered child abuse. In fact, it’s banned in dozens of countries — including Germany, Spain, Italy and Sweden — that claim it creates aggressive, violent children who are confused when their parents insist they not hit and then turn around and spank them. And it looks likely we’ll see similar bans in the United States. In 2007, California proposed an anti-spanking bill that sparked a national debate, but ultimately failed to pass.

When I first experienced this non-spanking theory nearly 20 years ago I was fresh out of college with no kids of my own. After a friend explained that when her unruly toddler threw herself on the grocery store floor she would “reason” with her and, if that failed, walk a safe distance away until the tantrum passed, I nearly choked on my own laughter. The idea of reasoning with an irrational toddler in a public place seemed ridiculous.

By the time Ava was born, though, my thoughts on the subject were less clear. There was something to be said for not hitting a child, and as we held our sweet baby girl in our arms we decided spanking wouldn’t be on our discipline menu.

That is until a few months ago when Ava wrestled away from me at the playground and nearly ran into traffic. I didn’t take time to think about politically-correct discipline. I grabbed her by the arm and swatted her bottom. The spanking certainly grabbed her attention. And it made me rethink everything I thought I had known.

I don’t relish the thought of spanking, but to be honest it seems to be an effective tool when used in certain circumstances. I don’t believe it should be used often, or in anger, but I’m not so sure it shouldn’t be on the menu at all.

A new report out this month gives credence to that idea.

The report, by a Calvin College psychology professor who has spent a decade researching spanking, says corporal punishment forms more well-adjusted people later in life.

Marjorie Gunnoe says the study finds children who remember being spanked on the backside with an open hand do better in school, perform more volunteer work and are more optimistic than others who were not physically disciplined.

Spanking seems to be most effective when used sparingly on children ages 2-6. Those who were spanked at ages 7-11 did seem to be more aggressive.

Presenting her findings at a conference of the Society for Research in Child Development, Gunnoe said, “This in no way should be thought of as a green light for spanking.” Instead, the practice should be considered when lawmakers consider banning spanking, Gunnoe said, adding, “I don’t promote spanking, but there’s not evidence to outlaw it.”

As we struggle to find effective discipline techniques in our home, I’d love to hear from you. Is spanking a yes or no in your household? What discipline methods work best with your own children?

Tom Arnold Sheds Light on the Pain of Sexual Abuse

HIAWATHA, Iowa, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ —

Tom Arnold, actor, comedian and television host carried a secret for more than four decades.

In 2008, the Ottumwa, Iowa native revealed he had been the victim of childhood sexual abuse. He shared details of his painful past during media interviews for the movie “Gardens of the Night.” In the movie, his role was that of a pedophile. Arnold drew on his personal experience for the role and modeled the character after his abuser — even dressing like him.

From age four to seven Arnold was sexually abused by a 19-year-old male babysitter. The sexual abuse occurred several times a week. In an effort to keep him quiet the babysitter gave Arnold a candy bar and told him he would hurt his father if he told anyone. Years later as an adult Arnold confronted his abuser.

Today, at the invitation of St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation, Arnold and his wife Ashley Groussman toured St. Luke’s Child Protection Center (CPC) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Arnold hopes his visit to St. Luke’s Child Protection Center and personal story will increase awareness of the high number of children who are abused in Iowa and across the country.

According to the Adverse Childhood Experiences study by the Centers for Disease Control one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. However, it’s believed most cases of abuse are never reported.

St. Luke’s Child Protection Center works with law enforcement and the Department of Human Services (DHS) to determine if child abuse has occurred, to develop a plan of action to protect the child from future abuse and get the child and family members counseling. They also work with law enforcement to hold the abuser accountable.

Before St. Luke’s CPC existed, families, teachers and other child care providers didn’t know where to get help for an abused child. Often, the child would be interviewed by multiple people in multiple places over the course of an investigation. It was very difficult to find a physician who felt comfortable doing an abuse examination. Today, the children are brought to St. Luke’s Child Protection Center where they tell their story to one person while the interview is recorded.

They also receive a medical examination by sensitive physicians and nurses who can assure them about the health of their bodies. In 2008, the CPC saw 1,162 children. Last year the CPC served 1,319 children. The CPC believes part of this increase is due to the consequences of the 2008 Cedar River flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which devastated a significant portion of the city and the downturn in the economy.

According to CPC Director Sue Tesdahl, more individuals are sharing housing, which elevates family stress. There has also been a rise in juvenile abusers. Tesdahl says this could be attributed to more unsupervised children while parents work extra hours.

Tesdahl says the CPC saw an increase in drug exposure testing last year. She attributes that to the fact that DHS orders a hair stat test on almost every foster care removal exam. Tesdahl says DHS rarely orders this test for sexual abuse investigations.

In 2008, St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation successfully raised $4.5 million for St. Luke’s Child Protection Center. The two-year fundraising effort was initiated to raise $2.2 million for the purchase and renovation of the current facility and $2 million to establish a permanent endowment. The new facility opened August 2008.

“We are extremely grateful to all the donors who have made the Child Protection Center the model program that it is,” said Shannon Duval, president of St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation. “Because no child or family is ever charged for the services they receive, the center is consistently short of funds.  It would take an endowment in excess of $10 million to completely fund operations and, as a result, we are constantly seeking additional funding to support the worthwhile work taking place at the CPC.”

SOURCE St. Luke’s Hospital

RELATED LINKS
http://www.stlukescr.org

Debunk all the common myths about child abuse BY CAROLLYN MCKINSTRY TYLER’S JUSTICE CENTER FOR CHILDREN STOCKTON, ILL.

Lawmakers consider bill allowing child abuse victims to sue after age 35

By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

Children who suffer from extreme cases of abuse can often be left with significant mental or physical damage that is difficult to heal even with long-term therapy, doctors and researchers at Seoul National University Hospital said Monday.

After tracking 24 victims over five years, the scholars found that over half developed serious mental disorders, while more than 40 percent suffered from extreme physical problems.

The study was included in the latest edition of Korean Pediatric Society Journal.

The hospital’s emergency medicine team studied the children ? who were an average of 8.3 years old when they checked into hospital ? to learn more about the effects of long-term child abuse.

The study was conducted through interviews with guardians and nurses.

It found that six of the subjects suffered from serious developmental disabilities while another three suffered from the physical effects of violence.

Dr. Kwan Young-ho said that one of the children, who checked into the hospital for a skull fracture, developed a case of cerebral hemorrhage. Another child, who had fractures of the face and head, died of related complications.

Thirteen of the victims were diagnosed as having difficulties in a variety of social situations.

According to Kwak’s data, 76 children were referred to the hospital for child abuse between 1987 and 2007.

About two-thirds of the victims were female, and about half of them were aged between three and 10. However, 7.9 percent were not even 12 months old.

The largest portion of offenders comprised of fathers, accounting for 33 percent. Mothers followed at 11 percent.

“Post-traumatic stress from abuse could have a more lasting effect on children than many people may expect. They need their parents, experts and the government for long-term support,” Hwang June-won, a researcher for the project said.

Doctors are expected to report suspected cases of child abuse to the authorities. “In some countries, the authorities do not revoke the licenses of physicians who have ignored the signs of possible abuse,” the doctors said in their report.

SOURCE: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/01/117_58838.html

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 –

Bureau of Justice Statistics study exposes epidemic of abuse in juvenile facilities, underscores call for new standards

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A long-awaited report from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) finds that youth in juvenile corrections facilities are sexually abused at alarming rates and are victimized significantly more often than adult inmates.

A shocking 12.1 percent – or almost one in eight – of the detained youth who participated in the survey reported sexual abuse at their current facility during the previous year. On any given day, there are approximately 93,000 youth confined in juvenile facilities, more than half of whom are 16 or younger.

“These figures are unconscionable, and even more so when you consider that the survey did not include youth locked up in adult facilities, where many are at even greater risk for abuse,” said Lovisa Stannow, Executive Director of Just Detention International.

The study – “Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-09” – is based on a survey given to 9,198 youth detainees in 195 facilities from all fifty states and the District of Columbia. The BJS report also included these findings:

• 80 percent of the reported abuse was perpetrated by a member of the facility’s staff.
• 95 percent of youth who alleged abuse by staff reported at least one female perpetrator.
• Victimized youth usually endured repeated sexual abuse, often more than ten times, and frequently by multiple perpetrators.
• 65 percent of youth who had previously been sexually assaulted at another facility also reported having been sexually abused in their current facility.
• Youth with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual reported being sexually abused by another inmate at a rate more than ten times higher than that of youth who identified as heterosexual.

In June 2009, as mandated by Congress, the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission issued a comprehensive report on sexual violence in U.S. detention facilities. The bipartisan Commission, led by U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton, found that many corrections facilities do a poor job preventing, identifying, and responding to the sexual abuse of those in their custody.

The Commission’s report emphasized that sexual abuse is an especially complex problem for younger inmates, explaining that “juveniles are not yet fully developed physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally and are ill-equipped to respond to sexual advances and protect themselves.”

“The BJS study confirms the Commission’s findings, underscoring the fact that young people are a particularly vulnerable population needing special protections,” said David Kaiser, chair of the board of Just Detention International. “Abused youth emerge from what ought to be a rehabilitative experience deeply traumatized, hindering their reintegration into society and limiting their development and future prospects.”

The Commission’s report includes proposed standards – which Just Detention International helped develop – for addressing and preventing the sexual abuse of inmates, including detained youth. By law, the Department of Justice has until June 2010 to codify final standards based on those recommendations.

“The Attorney General needs to issue comprehensive, zero-tolerance standards, and he can’t do so a moment too soon,” Stannow said. “Every day without them is another day in which incarcerated children are getting raped. No matter what crime a person may have committed, rape should never be part of the punishment.”

The BJS report, “Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-09,” is available online at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2113.

Just Detention International works to ensure government accountability for prisoner rape; to change ill-informed public attitudes about sexual violence in detention; and to promote access to resources for those who have survived such abuse.

SOURCE:   Just Detention International

As Laws Limit Where Sex Offenders Can Live, Many Congregate in Isolated Areas

(CBS)

It’s been almost three weeks since 7-year-old Somer Thompson was abducted in Orange Park, Fla., her body found in a Georgia landfill. Authorities now are questioning sex offenders in the community. There are 159 registered offenders in a 5-mile radius of Somer’s hometown.

“That’s your biggest fear, that your child is going to be missing or they’re going to die,” said Carol Jones, a resident.

That number of sex offenders in one Florida town is not unusual. There are almost 700,000 registered sex offenders in the United States: more than 51,000 in Florida; 57,000 in Texas; more than 117,000 in California, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker.

In Antioch, California where kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard was held in a backyard for 18 years, allegedly by convicted rapist Phillip Garrido, there are 92 registered sex offenders just in Garrido’s zip code.

Those numbers have prompted states and cities across the country to pass laws restricting where sex offenders can live. Jessica’s Law here in California prohibits sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a park or a school – places children congregate.

Similar restrictions in other states are forcing sex offenders to cluster in isolated areas – like this encampment under a Miami freeway. Parole officer Mauricio Lopez monitors 20 high-risk sex offenders in one Pasadena, California neighborhood. Neighbors are fearful.

“We have neighbors who do not allow their children to ride their bikes or get out of the house at all,” said one resident.

Authorities have lost track of some 100,000 sex offenders. Critics say better tracking, not isolation, is the answer.

“The most dangerous sex offenders are highly mobile, so they will travel, they’ll move from community to community, they will seek out opportunities,” said Ernie Allen with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Next year all states will be required by federal law to closely track all sex offenders and to inform the public who are the most violent.