Tom Arnold Sheds Light on the Pain of Sexual Abuse

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/

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

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

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

National Institutes for Health – Depression Resources

Web MD – Depression Resources

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

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

SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education

Samaritans – UK

HELPFUL CHILD ABUSE LINKS

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:

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

Abuse Headlines, Events, Hot Topics, Important Info

Spanking: Criminal behavior or parenting tool?

Posted by Sandra On January - 17 - 2010 3 COMMENTS

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

Posted by Sandra On January - 15 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

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

Debunk all the common myths about child abuse

Posted by Sandra On January - 14 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS


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

We often have misconceptions about child abuse, but to protect children, we need to be aware of what abuse is and what we can do to stop it.

Myth 1: Children lie about being abused. It is very rare that a child would lie about abuse. One of the important services Tyler’s provides is a trained forensic interview for the child. The forensic interviewer has extensive training in how to ask questions in a developmentally appropriate manner and in a way that is not leading. The goal of every interview is to discover the truth.

Myth 2: Abuse rarely happens. Although we would all like to believe that abuse is rare, unfortunately that is not true. Statistics say that one out of every three girls and one out of every six boys has been abused. That is a staggering amount. Child abuse hides under a societal cloak of secrecy that keeps most people quiet about the abuse they have suffered.

Myth 3: Abuse only happens to other people. “Other people” may be those of a different race, religion, socioeconomic status, or who live in a different location. Abuse of a child is a terrible act and many of us want to distance ourselves from it. So we imagine that it happens far away from us, somewhere where it doesn’t hurt the ones we care about. But abuse can happen anywhere and to anyone. Although that awareness can be uncomfortable, it can also help stop abuse. As a community we need to be aware of who lives in our neighborhoods, where our children are going and who is watching our children. This is the one of the most effective ways we can prevent and stop abuse.

Myth 4: Abusers are easy to identify. We assume that an abuser will appear creepy or scary and someone we would never leave our children with, but an abuser can be anyone. This is why it is so important to be aware of who your child is spending time with. Talk to your child about boundaries and what appropriate behavior is. That way, if something happens that makes your child uncomfortable; your child will know something isn’t right.

Myth 5: Children will show signs of abuse. We assume if a child is being abused, that child will have obvious signs and symptoms, such as acting out. Many times children keep abuse a secret and do not show any signs that abuse is happening or has happened. This is often because the abuser uses intimidation and threats so that the child is afraid to tell. Some children do not tell because developmentally children lack an understanding about abuse and its implications. That is why it is very important to talk to your child about abuse so that your child knows abuse is wrong. Also reassure your child that he or she will not be in trouble for telling if abuse does happen.

All of these myths, if they persist, create an atmosphere of denial and secrecy. Abusers rely on myths just like these to help them continue abusing children.

If an abuser can be suave and kind you will give them access to your child. If you think child abuse only happens to “other people” you won’t look too closely at who they are or what they are doing. If you don’t believe child abuse happens it can happen and can continue happening and you won’t notice it.

If you don’t believe a child when he or she tells, then an abuser can keep abusing your child and other children without being caught. Let’s open our eyes to the truth about abuse and do all we can to keep children safe.

The author is a forensic interviewer at Tyler’s Justice Center, which coordinates services for children of Carroll, Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties who were victims of sexual and-or serious physical abuse. She has a master’s degree in professional counseling from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill., and has experience counseling people with mental illness. The agency’s Web site is www.tylersjusticecenter.org. The author’s e-mail address is cmckinstry@aeroinc.net.

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

Posted by Sandra On January - 13 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

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

Myra Sanchick FOX 6 Reporter

January 12, 2010

WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee’s new Archbishop Jerome Listecki speaks out against a bill allowing more victims of child sex abuse to sue. Listecki takes some hard questions about the actions of a former Archbishop.

Archbishop Jerome Listecki told lawmakers the proposed bill, could bankrupt a diocese. He says, “Bankruptcy will matter to the homeless families in Green Bay, where the diocese saved a shelter that was about to close. It will matter to children in the central city schools who rely on food pantries.”

Past settlements have been costly to the Catholic Archdiocese. One lawmaker Glen Grothman questioned Listecki about a past Archbishop.

Grothman: Do you feel the Milwaukee Arch diocese under the time of Rembert Weakland was seriously flawed, horribly flawed in this regard?

Listecki: I think his tenure was flawed.

Under current law child sex abuse victims have until the the time they turn 35 to file a civil suit. The proposed law would not have a limit.

Victims told lawmakers stories of how they were abused by Father Murphy, who was at St. John’s School for the Deaf in St. Francis during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Child abuse victim Frank Fanara said, “At night it was like he turned into the devil and would abuse everybody and in the morning he would preach at us at mass and talk about God and forgiving.” Another victim Steven Geier said, “I was trying to say no. I didn’t want him to do what he was doing to me, but he forced me. He force raped me.”

Father Murphy has since passed away, but these victims say they are still suffering. Milwaukee’s Archbishop Listecki watched and listened to them all.

If Senate Bill 319 becomes law, it would not affect criminal charging of perpetrators. The Judiciary Committee of the Legislature still has to decide if the proposal will get to a full vote.

SOURCE: http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-100112-child-victims-act,0,1485465.story

54% of Victims of Childhood Trauma Develop Mental Disorders

Posted by Sandra On January - 11 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

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

Protecting America’s Students from School Sexual Abuse

Posted by Sandra On January - 9 - 2010 2 COMMENTS

New York (OPENPRESS) January 9, 2010 — Child abuse has reached epidemic proportions and child sexual abuse in schools throughout the nation has become an alarmingly frequent occurrence. The cases that are surfacing almost daily serve as a wake-up call to everyone in America to protect their children.

Child sexual abuse in schools is happening all over the country. Although the vast majority of educators and other school employees are not child abusers, the stories continue to unfold throughout the nation. Just this past week, there were two incidents in New York City where a principal and former teacher have been accused of improper sexual behavior

Any sexual contact between teacher and student is a crime. Sexual abuse is a child becoming a sexual partner for an adult. Anyone under the age of 18 who is used by an adult for sexual gratification is being Sexually Abused whether or not the child consents.

Children are taught to respect and honor parental authority figures such as teachers, guidance counselors, and principals and not to question their actions. People trust schools to protect their most vulnerable … yet children are being sexually molested by the very people who are supposed to protect them. Most abusers remain undetected and free to continue their abuse of power and violation of professional ethics.

Ross Ellis, Chief Executive Officer of Love Our Children USA said “To believe it can’t happen to us and our children – that no one we know would ever abuse our kids, and certainly not someone entrusted with their care or well-being — is to live in denial. Sexual abusers tend to choose occupations that put them in close contact with children. They can be found in every profession. They are heterosexual and homosexual — they don’t discriminate.”

What can be done?
Covering up abuse in schools sends a message to the abuser that it is acceptable behavior. People must report the abuser and get help for the children. School boards must send a message that they care and accept zero tolerance.

People must insist for and demand:
• Laws that mandate fingerprinting teachers and other school employees and conduct FBI checks on their criminal history
• Educate about child abuse prevention education beginning at the school board level … establishing strong, clear policies that warn teachers of inappropriate conduct, such as putting themselves in vulnerable positions where they are alone with students.
• Hold mandatory child abuse prevention training and educational seminars for all staff including teachers, bus drivers, cooks, etc. on a monthly basis. Training sessions can help educators understand their district’s policy, the warning signs of possible sexual abuse, and the procedures for reporting abuse when they see it.
• School leaders must make it clear to all staff that the district is serious about investigating any hint of child sexual abuse.
• District policies must stress all employees are mandated to report any suspicion of sexual misconduct and make clear that they will be disciplined if they fail to do so
• Stricter reference and background checks. Meticulously screening of new hires. School administrators must do criminal background checks on applicants and call their former employers and associates, including some who may not be listed on their resumes. Be leery of gaps and frequent changes in an applicant’s job history.
• Remove the accused teacher from contact with children, usually with a suspension, during the investigation
• Immediately notify police or community social service authorities.
• Train students about inappropriate behavior by adults and where to report it if they ever see it occur
• Organize a team of supervised peer counselors where students have a place to go

Ellis said “We must write to our legislators and demand Zero Tolerance.”

Contact your politicians and ask for stronger laws that protects children and for a stronger statute on mandated reporting of child abuse. All responsible citizens with knowledge of child abuse, which is a crime, should be required to report it, even if it’s only suspected. Write letters, e-mail, make phone calls … take action.

It’s time for America to wake-up. Knowledge is power. Learn all you can about child abuse. Educate yourself, your children, your family, your friends, neighbors — everyone you know. Please keep children safe.

Read Ellis’ article about two alleged sexual predator New York educators http://www.examiner.com/x-29163-NY-Parenting-Issues-Examiner~y2010m1d8-Two-New-Yorkers–a-principal-and-former-teacher-face-allegations-of-being-sexual-perverts

More information about bullying and how to help your children and students can be found at www.loveourchildrenusa.org

About Love Our Children USA
Love Our Children USA is the national nonprofit leader that honors, respects and protects children. Its mission is to break the cycle of violence against children. Love Our Children USA has become ‘the go-to’ prevention organization for all forms of violence and neglect against children in the U.S. Working to eliminate behaviors that keep children from reaching their potential, it redefines parenting and creates kid success by promoting prevention strategies and positive changes in parenting and family attitudes and behaviors through public education. Empowering and supporting children, teens, parents and families through information, resources, advocacy, and online youth mentoring. Its message is positive …one of prevention, empowerment and hope. Since 1999, Love Our Children USA has paved the way in the prevention of violence and neglect against children … keeping children safe and strengthening families.

Contact: Media Relations
Love Our Children USA
1.888.347.KIDS (5437) / 212.629.2099
media@loveourchildrenusa.org

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Love Our Children USA

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Web site: http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org

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Hot Topics, Important Info

U.S. Report: Rape, Sexual Abuse Rampant in Juvenile Corrections Facilities

Posted by Sandra On January - 8 - 2010 1 COMMENT

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

Abuse in Childhood Linked to Migraine and Other Pain Disorders

Posted by Sandra On January - 6 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

Abuse in Childhood Linked to Migraine and Other Pain Disorders

ScienceDaily (Jan. 6, 2010) — Researchers from the American Headache Society’s Women’s Issues Section Research Consortium found that incidence of childhood maltreatment, especially emotional abuse and neglect, are prevalent in migraine patients. The study also found that migraineurs reporting childhood emotional or physical abuse and/or neglect had a significantly higher number of comorbid pain conditions compared with those without a history of maltreatment.

Full findings of the study appear in the January issue of Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, published on behalf of the American Headache Society by Wiley-Blackwell.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state and local child protective services (CPS) investigated 3.2 million reports of child abuse or neglect in 2007. CPS classified 794,000 of these children as victims with 59% classified as child neglect; 4% were emotional abuse; 8% as sexual abuse; and 11% were physical abuse cases. Both population- and clinic-based studies, including the current study, have demonstrated an association between childhood maltreatment and an increased risk of migraine chronification years later.

To conduct this study, Gretchen E. Tietjen, M.D, from the University of Toledo Medical Center, and colleagues, recruited a cross-sectional survey of headache clinic patients with physician-diagnosed migraine at 11 outpatient headache centers. Childhood maltreatment was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), a 28-item self-reported quantitative measure of childhood abuse (physical, sexual, and emotional) and neglect (physical and emotional). Self-reported physician-diagnosed history of comorbid pain conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), interstitial cystitis (IC), and arthritis was recorded on the survey.

A total of 1348 patients diagnosed with migraine completed the surveys. Researchers found migraineurs who reported childhood emotional abuse or physical neglect had a significantly higher incidence of comorbid pain conditions compared with those without a history of maltreatment. In the study population, 61% had at least 1 comorbid pain condition and 58% reported experiencing childhood trauma either by abuse or neglect. The number of different maltreatment types suffered in childhood correlated with the number of comorbid pain in adulthood.

Specifically, physical abuse was associated with a higher incidence of arthritis; emotional abuse was linked to a greater occurrence of IBS, CFS, FM, and arthritis; and physical neglect connected with more reports of IBS, CFS, IC, and arthritis. In women, physical abuse and physical neglect was associated with endometriosis (EM) and uterine fibroids, emotional abuse with EM, and emotional neglect with uterine fibroids.

“Our study found that while childhood maltreatment is associated with depression, the child abuse-adult pain relationship is not fully mediated by depression,” explained Dr. Tietjen. Results from this study, as well as three recent population-based studies, indicate that associations of maltreatment and pain were independent of depression and anxiety, both of which are highly prevalent in this population.

Researchers suggest that for persons presenting for migraine treatment, childhood maltreatment may be an important risk factor for development of comorbid pain disorders. “Since migraine onset preceded onset of the comorbid pain conditions in our population, treatment strategies such as cognitive behavioral therapy may be particularly well suited in these cases,” concluded Dr. Tietjen.

Recognizing the warning signs of abuse can save children’s lives

Posted by Sandra On December - 14 - 2009 ADD COMMENTS

Just days before 9-month-old Karlie Mellick was fatally battered at her Fairdale home, her mother, Kara Mellick, four day-care workers and a physician all noticed the infant’s bruises.

Yet no one reported the marks, even on her face and ear, which experts say are a key warning sign of abuse.

On June 11, Karlie died. She had suffered a severe head injury, a broken arm and leg and fractured ribs.

Her mother’s boyfriend, Matthew Vaughn, who was babysitting, told police that he shook the baby and slammed her repeatedly on the floor, according to court records. Vaughn, 21, who is charged with murder, has pleaded not guilty.

Karlie’s violent death might have been prevented if just one person had recognized the bruises as warning signs and reported them to child-protection authorities, said Dr. Melissa Currie, a University of Louisville forensic pediatric expert.

“It’s a perfect example of what we’re talking about,” said Currie, director of a UofL unit created to evaluate children for possible abuse.

Karlie’s bruises before her death were “red flag” signs of abuse — especially those on the ear, which is mostly cartilage and rarely bruises unless it has been subjected to a forceful blow, Currie and other child-abuse experts said.

“Medical studies have shown that a child with a bruise on the ear is at higher risk of becoming a fatality,” said Debbie Acker, a nurse with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services who trains workers to recognize medical evidence of child abuse and neglect. “The force that it takes to cause a bruise to the ear also can cause damage to a child’s brain.”

State officials and child abuse experts believe many deaths could be averted if people who come in contact with young children understood that bruises — especially to the face, ear and trunk —should be reported as signs of possible abuse.

Currie, who evaluated Karlie’s case for police, outlined those concerns in a letter in Vaughn’s court file.

“It is unfortunate that her previous bruising did not result in a CPS (state Child Protective Service) report and a complete medical evaluation for abuse,” Currie wrote in the letter, also signed by Kathy Recktenwald, a forensic nurse specialist at UofL. “To be clear, it is not normal for infants to have bruises.”

Matthew Vaughn, 21, is charged with murder in the death of Katie Mellick, who was 9 months old when she was killed. He has pleaded not guilty.

A 2007 study of 20 Kentucky children under age 3 — 10 who died and another 10 who suffered life-threatening injuries from abuse — found 90 percent had bruising that in many cases had been documented by a doctor or an official, such as a social worker. But in those cases no one had followed up on or questioned the cause of the bruising.

Dr. Mary Clyde Pierce, the former UofL professor who led the study, said bruising should be taken seriously, especially in very young children.

“It is the most common sign of abuse and the most likely to be overlooked,” said Pierce, who is now an associate professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University in Chicago, specializing in child-abuse research.

While more aggressive reporting might result in some unnecessary investigations, Currie said she believes many more instances of abuse would be substantiated. A report also would allow a social worker to make inquiries and investigate further if a parent or other caregiver’s explanation didn’t make sense.

A report to authorities also might help identify abuse that a parent isn’t aware of, Currie said. Sometimes, inquiries reveal that someone else — a baby sitter or relative, for example — is harming a child when the parent isn’t around and is unaware of the abuse, she said.

Currie said she once treated an infant with an abusive head injury who arrived at the Kosair Children’s Hospital emergency room still wearing a cast for a previously broken leg, an injury that should have been questioned at the time and reported as possible abuse. Broken legs, especially in children too young to walk, are always suspicious, she said.

In Karlie’s case, her mother told police that she first noticed some bruising on her daughter’s left ear on May 24, when she took her to a doctor for an ear infection. The doctor said it might be a “circulation issue” and prescribed an antibiotic for the infection, Kara Mellick told police. During the next two weeks, four workers at Karlie’s day-care center noticed, and pointed out to her mother, bruises on the infant’s face, ear and hip, the workers said in police interviews.

One of them later told police she began documenting the bruises, starting June 1, because “the bruises had continued and were becoming worse,” the police report said. “She felt the bruises were no longer ordinary, especially the bruising on the victim’s ear.”

Kara Mellick told the day-care workers she was planning to take Karlie to the doctor to find out why she was getting so many bruises, they told police. Mellick told police she had noticed bruises on her daughter’s ear, jaw, arms, side and hip in the days before her death and had wondered whether the baby might be getting injured at the day-care center.

On Sunday, June 7, the day Karlie suffered the injuries that would prove fatal, Kara Mellick left for her job at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom about 8:30 a.m., leaving her sleeping infant with her boyfriend, she told police.

Later that day, according to court records, Vaughn e-mailed Mellick: “The baby is making me crazy b/c every time I walk out of the room she starts crying just because she don’t see me.”

Mellick e-mailed him back: “I am sorry just be patient with her.”

Around 3:30 p.m. Vaughn called Mellick and told her to come home immediately because Karlie was unconscious, the police report said. Mellick arrived just in time to ride in the ambulance with her daughter to Kosair.

Karlie died four days later.

SOURCE: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20091213/NEWS01/912130305/Recognizing+the+warning+signs+of+abuse+can+save+some+children+s+lives

Child sexual abuse is a nation concern

Posted by Sandra On December - 14 - 2009 ADD COMMENTS

Child sexual abuse is a nation concern
by Ngoni Dzimiri
13.12.2009 7:05:01 PM

It is not easy to talk about child sexual abuse. It is even more difficult to acknowledge that sexual abuse of children and infants happens daily in our country. As a nation we turn a deaf ear to such situations and pretend that they do not occur in our world.

Child sexual abuse, especially amongst girls, should be recognized as a widespread and growing problem in Botswana that needs to be dealt with, with the utmost urgency. It is estimated that 1 in 4 girls are victims of child sexual abuse. This should be a cause for concern.

This form of abuse may include fondling a child’s genitals, masturbation, oral genital contact, digital penetration and vaginal and anal intercourse. Child sexual abuse is not solely restricted to physical contact. Such abuse may not be contractual, but might include exposure to voyeurism and child pornography.

Research has it that approximately 30% of the perpetrators are relatives of the child, most often brothers, fathers, uncles and cousins. Around 60% are other acquaintances such as friends of the family.

The current political, social and economic situation in the country has rendered the girl child more vulnerable to sexual abuse. The primary cause of sexual abuse faced by girls resides within the parent. Some parents rely on their youngest children to take care of them. These difficult circumstances have forced the little girls to be commercial sex workers so as to meet the demands of the family.

In some cases, the presence of the step parent can make a child more vulnerable. Friends or relatives may not perceive molesting the adopted daughter of a friend or relative as taboo. This perception emanates from the belief that a step parent does not have any emotional investment in the child.

The behavior that is displayed by children can alert us that the child is being sexually abused. In most cases a child who is or was sexually abused will display knowledge or interest in sexual acts. At times a child might avoid the perpetrator or display unusual behavior, either being aggressive or very passive. Older children might resort to destructive behavior such as alcohol, drug abuse and self-mutilation or suicide attempts.

Childline Programs Officer, Olabile Machete, highlighted that many children are sexually abused. He added that the impact of child sexual abuse can at times be very severe. Children who are sexually abused usually exhibit abnormal behavior, including anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder.

Child sexual abuse is very humiliating, such that the shame of the experience most often forces the victim to be reserved, keeping their abhorring experiences to themselves. Children fear that they may be laughed at if they disclose that they are sexually harassed.

What is even more frightening is that the perpetrators of sexual abuse are usually parents, trusted relatives, child care providers or family friends. Consequently, it is often difficult for the children to report them, and they are often not taken seriously even if they did.

Childline makes an appeal to everyone to participate in the fight against child sexual abuse. Parents should know that any child, whether rich or poor, can be at risk of child sexual victimization. Children are everyone’s concern and we should not turn a blind eye to incidents of child abuse.

Government should intervene to help combat this problem, especially as there are few support institutions at which abused children can seek psychotherapy.

There should be more public awareness campaigns, at which people can be informed about child sexual abuse.

Parents or members of the community who know of children who are sexually abused can contact ChildLine on the toll free number 0 800 300 900.This is a helpline where anyone can call and report such cases. Children should know that their identity will not be disclosed. Child line is there for them.

http://to-catch-a-female-predator.blogspot.com/2009/10/bbc-radio-4-broadcast-female-sexual.html

The Shadow Of Female Child Sex Abusers

Posted by Sandra On December - 8 - 2009 1 COMMENT

The tragic Little Ted’s nursery case has forced us to face an unfortunate truth: that women use children for sex too.

Susannah Faithfull has been haunted by her mother’s image for all of her adult life. She sees her every time she looks in the mirror, for she has inherited her mother’s startling blue eyes. But every time Susannah is reminded of her mother, she is reminded of a childhood full of trauma. She was systematically sexually abused by her mother; repeatedly hurt by the woman she looked to first for her security, care and support.

“I used to hide in the cupboard under the stairs,” she tells me, explaining that was the only place that she felt safe at home. “My nana had a chenille-type table cloth there and I used to hide underneath it. When my mum came back from work she’d be shouting for me.”

Susannah now runs the Aurora Health Foundation, a treatment centre for victims — or survivors, as some like to be known — of child sex abuse. Her testimony is part of my Radio 4 documentary, Female Sexual Abuse: Breaking the Silence available here:-

Her abuse began when Susannah was very small and her father had left the household. It continued until she herself left home at 16, and throughout all that time her mother forced her to share a bedroom with her, and a double bed. When she told her father about the abuse during a visit, he didn’t believe her.

“The more I cried, the worse it would be. We used to have this rose wallpaper and I used to just look at the roses and wish that I was dead. How can the mother that gave birth to you do those things to you?”

Last week when two women, both of them mothers, pleaded guilty to charges of serious sexual abuse in a Bristol court room, it forced us to confront the reality that Susannah has known for most of her 54 years: that women can and sometimes do sexually abuse the children in their care.

It’s a reality that has always been thought to be very rare. There are a very small number of convictions (2 per cent of all sexual crimes, according to the Ministry of Justice). But when the cases occur they upset us greatly because they challenge every comforting and accepted image we have of women and of mothers in particular.

So just how rare an occurrence is it? The statistics are hard to pin down and some think they may not tell the whole story. We do know that there are now about 50 women held in custody for sexual offences against children, a tiny fraction of the total. We also know that there are some women on the sex offenders register, although we don’t know how many because the Home Office doesn’t keep details of gender.

We also know that those working in the field believe it is an underreported crime because the stigma associated with it prevents victims coming forward.

Detective Superintendent Graham Hill works at CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Agency. He heads the Behavioural Therapy Unit and interviews female sex offenders. He believes that as many as one in five of all cases of sexual abuse may involve female perpetrators. “I don’t think there’s a police force in the country that isn’t currently dealing with a female child sex offender,” he tells me, adding that this was just the “tip of the iceberg”.

According to Hill, ten or fifteen years ago most crimes involving accusations of child sexual abuse that the police dealt with were always examined on the premise that the man was the guilty party.

“It was always the case that the female in the family was treated as a potential witness,” he says. “One of our messages to law enforcement officers now is that, when you investigate a serious sexual offence against a child, you should always look at how complicit the female is in that kind of offending.”

And not always just complicity. Hill believes that the public’s perception that female sex offenders usually operate alongside a controlling and manipulative man is often false. He dismisses that stereotypical image as a societal cliché born out of a reluctance to believe that a woman could act so heinously alone and for her own sexual gratification.

“The public’s perception is coloured by the high-profile crimes, the sort of duos in the press. And the thought is that a bad man and a bad woman equal a perfect storm. But what I’m looking at at this centre are women who do have a sexual interest in children in their own right. We even have some examples where women have brought men into their lives just to facilitate sex with their children.”

Bill Jenkins doesn’t know whether his foster mother deliberately took him into care so that she could abuse him. But that was the tragic result and he, like other victims of female child abusers, says that, while he spoke about the abuse at the time, no one investigated it or believed him.

He now runs a company devising and selling software to protect children who are online from harm. He is clearly driven by the memory that no one was there to help and protect him as a child. His abuse consisted of inappropriate touching when his foster mother forced him to bath her. He told me he remembered that the door handles in the bathroom seemed to be quite high. “I suppose that was because I was so small. She was a harsh-looking woman — great big eyes, right in my face. I was always frightened of her.”

That his abuser was a woman makes it more difficult to deal with: “I don’t think any man would feel particularly comfortable admitting that they had been sexually abused by a woman. It is almost like a dark world that has yet to be revealed.”

Dr Michele Elliott knows all about challenging accepted beliefs and trying to expose what Bill calls that “dark world”: she runs Kidscape, a charity set up to support the victims of childhood abuse. In the 1980s, when the issue of sexual abuse by men had only just begun to receive mainstream acknowledgement, Elliott was one of the first in this country to raise the possibility that women could sexually harm children. She was pilloried for it.

“I vividly remember talking at an RAF base about the sexual abuse of children,” she tells me. “I never said anything about women abusing; I didn’t even think that was possible. Afterwards a man came up in his uniform standing very straight and he said, ‘You know, it isn’t only men who do it. My mother did it to me.’ Then he walked out and I was left so shaken that I started to think maybe I should ask questions.” Elliott began to talk about the issue on radio and TV and the response was immediate: “It was like a floodgate had opened.”

Among those who contacted her was a woman who had spent 40 years locked in an asylum after reporting that she had been sexually abused at school by a nun. More than 800 victims have now been in touch with her because of female sexual abuse. But Elliott says that she often feels like a lone voice.

“No one really wants to talk about it. But the professionals are the ones who really annoy me. I’d say that 75 per cent of them are in denial — a mental block. I think there are professionals working in the field who have staked a career on a certainty that it is men who do the abusing. They are very threatened by the idea that that might not be true.”

There is also, among professionals, a very real concern that focusing on the abusive behaviour of a very small minority of women causes unnecessary panic in a society that is already stressed about child safety.

But most of those working in this field welcome a chance to break the silence. They believe that the issue has been underresearched and ignored for too long.

Diana Cant is a psychologist who counsels those who have suffered female sexual abuse. While there are still some who do not believe that female sexual abuse is even possible, given that “women don’t have the necessary physical equipment”, Cant has found that there are many forms of abusive behaviour. These can range from watching inappropriate videos and TV programmes to inappropriate exposure, masturbation, stimulation and penetration.

The harm it does is terrible: “If you think about the experience that we have as children, we expect a degree of safety and security and primary care from our mothers. If that expectation is confounded, something at a very primitive level is broken and gets destroyed. The child grows up immediately with a sense of fear and threat. That can lead to an underlying degree of anger, resentment and fury that colours adult life.”

Tragically the children that women most often abuse are the ones closest to them. Women are less likely to be predatory in their criminal behaviour, according to Hill, although the CEOP does come across occasional exceptions.

“Predominantly the female sex offenders we know about offend against children they know,” says Hill. “They offend in a controlled environment. They tend to stay close to home.”

And they often also tend to stay close to the internet. It appears that, while sexual offending most certainly predates the development of the internet and digital photography, the emergence of both have made offending easier. “These people have always had a sexual interest in children,” says Hill. “But the internet validates and fuels those existing beliefs. And it puts them in touch with like-minded people.”

That the internet is affecting the pattern of offending is clear to everyone involved in this area of criminal behaviour.

Sherry Ashfield, from the child protection charity, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, is one of the few people in this country who has spent time talking to convicted female offenders. She has seen an increase in the number of women who use chatrooms to meet like-minded adults and then go on to use the web to share obscene and illegal material.

So what do we know about the women who offend and what motivates them? Through her work at Lucy Faithfull, Ashfield has been able to build up a profile of sorts. Although she stresses that these women do come from a wide range of backgrounds, vary in age and personal histories, “they all have very complex personal histories, often with complex issues and experience of abuse,” she says. “They tend to be women with low selfesteem; women who are socially isolated, and who find dealing with emotion extremely difficult. They tend to have a history of depression.”

Their motivation varies too. Ashfield’s research suggests that while some women will abuse to please or keep a partner, others will abuse to meet their own sexual needs. Some may also abuse for money: “We have had women who have had debts who have met someone on the internet who has suggested that if they would take part in making abusive films or pictures of children they would pay them significant sums,” she says.

There is no simple answer as to why women do it. No clear trigger either — although most difficult of all for me to hear was that for some women caring for a tiny, helpless newborn can trigger abusive behaviour. It’s an awful thought; one of many I’ve had to contend with while investigating this difficult subject.

While making this programme my aunt asked me why, when there is so much beauty in the world, must I explore something so ugly? And here is my answer: everyone I interviewed while making the documentary told me how important it was that we examine this crime and force it into the open.

“It’s an issue that has been locked away for too long and we need to get everyone talking about this problem openly and honestly,” says Hill. “That in itself will be a major step forward in our battle against child sex abuse.”

Hill, like the victims and all those I spoke to during this investigation, agreed to talk because they felt that breaking the silence surrounding the issue of female sexual abuse will better help the victims and better protect our children.

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article6860532.ece

Cyber-Bullying Is Not Ok!

Posted by Angela On November - 29 - 2009 8 COMMENTS

Recent stories may stick in your head of cyber-bullying. Such as the mom on Myspace who bullied a young girl into killing herself. But in reality you have probably seen it a million times and never reported it.

Lately in the mom blogging community there has been one particular instance that has blown up forums, twitter, facebook and blogs around the nation. In recent weeks a “Mom Blogger” had posted a few photos on her site and not only started off the bashing, but encouraged others to join it. These photos were of random people in an airport, 2 happen to be teenagers. The one with the most comments was a 15 year old, who was called fat, & overweight. (The specified post has now been removed)

Although there is a freedom of speech act, there are many boundaries this went past. One would be the defamation of character, and Second, i am sure would be distributing photos of a minor (since they were used in a wrong way.) Some of you may ask why this is such a big deal. Consider this your child. Would you want someone posting pictures of your daughter on their site to be made fun of ? This is a prime example of Cyber -Bullying. Read the rest of this entry »

Watch Shaniya’s brother reminisce about his sister

Expert: Child traffickers target runaways, ‘throwaways’

Posted by Sandra On November - 19 - 2009 ADD COMMENTS

Police say Shaniya Davis, 5, was sold into prostitution by her mother.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Mother accused of selling daughter highlights domestic human-trafficking trade
Expert: Selling children rare in U.S.; traffickers usually exploit vulnerable, homeless children
Recent FBI operations have yielded about 2,300 arrests, recovery of 170 children
Examples include couple accused of kidnapping teen, forcing her to turn tricks

Who killed 5-year-old Shaniya Davis? Her mother is charged with human trafficking, and many questions remain about what happened. Watch “Nancy Grace” as she digs deeper, tonight at 8 on HLN.

(CNN) — It sounds like the plot of a crime drama or the scourge of a developing country, but human trafficking is a serious problem in the U.S. and America’s children are frequent pawns, experts say.

The case of Antoinette Nicole Davis, a North Carolina mother accused of selling her 5-year-old daughter, Shaniya, into prostitution, highlights one of the most heinous — albeit rare — forms of trafficking within the U.S.

Davis faces numerous charges, including human trafficking, felony child abuse and prostitution. Mario Andrette McNeill has been charged with kidnapping in the case after police said a surveillance camera captured images of him and Shaniya at a hotel in Sanford.

Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization that studies human trafficking, has more frequently seen cases in which children were sold by family members “out of desperation in developing countries” such as Cambodia or sub-Saharan African nations, said executive director and CEO Mark Lagon.

“But it happens sometimes here,” he said.

More common in the United States are traffickers who exploit abused runaways or so-called “throwaways” — children abandoned by their parents and living on the streets, Lagon said.

“The trafficker plays the role of a father or loverboy who is offering care to the child, who is vulnerable,” he said, explaining that what begins as flattery and attention often turns to suggestions of prostitution.

Video: Shaniya’s brother speaks

The child, typically homeless and in need of food and shelter, can be manipulated into “survival sex,” Lagon said. In other instances, the trafficker or pimp will get the child hooked on drugs and use their addiction as leverage.

Named for the North Star that guided slaves along the Underground Railroad, Polaris Project works to stamp out the global trade in humans.

Lagon, formerly the State Department’s director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, said it’s a tough fight because there is a dearth of “good statistics” on human trafficking and it’s not a crime in which victims readily come forward.

But the news is replete with reports on major rings being busted. The FBI did not return messages to discuss human trafficking, but news releases from the agency’s Innocence Lost initiative show that in the past 18 months, four stings — dubbed Operations Cross Country I, II, III and IV — have yielded about 2,300 arrests and the recovery of about 170 children.

“We may not be able to return their innocence, but we can remove them from this cycle of abuse and violence,” FBI Director Robert Mueller said in a statement after a February bust.

Specific examples also abound. In August, two bar owners and a manager in Long Island, New York, were charged with sex trafficking and alien harboring with victims as young as 17. A few days later, a husband and wife in Orange County, Florida, were charged with kidnapping a 15-year-old at gunpoint and forcing her to turn tricks.

In September, a U.S. Army private and three other men were indicted on charges of running a sex-trafficking businesses from a Millersville, Maryland, apartment. One of the prostitutes was 16.

No pleas have been entered in the Florida or Maryland cases. The three defendants in Long Island have pleaded not guilty.

While prostitution is a common impetus for trafficking children, Lagon said there are numerous examples of young men and women being forced into domestic servitude. Many times, he said, those victims are sexually abused as well.

This is something that deserves decades in prison.
–Mark Lagon, Polaris Project executive director and CEO

Though statistics on the depth of domestic trafficking are difficult to ascertain, the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study in 2001 showing that between 244,000 and 325,000 American children were at risk of sexual exploitation, including child pornography, juvenile prostitution and trafficking children for sexual purposes.

The average age of a female victim’s first involvement in prostitution, according to the study, was between 12 and 14.

“That, shockingly, means a number get in when they’re incredibly young, and that’s all the more horrifying,” Lagon said.

Lagon said he was impressed with federal initiatives and believes “it’s great the FBI has more and more focused on trying to save prostituted children as sex trafficking victims.”

The only caveat to his praise, he said, is a concern that adults swept up in raids are sometimes charged as prostitutes when they, too, may have been subjected to coercion or pulled into the trade as minors.

The onus is on society and government to stop the trafficking of American children, he said. Citizens should pay attention to signals that something is amiss with a child and be careful not to “sneer or stigmatize” when they see a prostituted teen.

Government, meanwhile, should toughen its punishments for child trafficking and more actively target the “johns” and pimps who make the trade possible, according to Lagon.

“That person has to be punished like they’ve committed a crime akin to slavery. This is something that deserves decades in prison,” he said.

SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/18/domestic.child.trafficking/index.html?eref=rss_crime