ABUSE HOTLINE TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR EVERY STATE If you suspect abuse of any kind this site will surely be a valuable resource. For most states we list one general number for you to call to report suspected abuse of any kind. Please Help Make America’s Children Strong, Safe and Successful. Your Participation could help save a child’s life today! Use the telephone numbers for your state and join us in Waging War Against Child Abuse…By Preventing It!

READ MORE HERE:

http://reportchildabusenow.com/

Statistics only come from reporting, so we don’t have accurate, objective numbers. But based on the reports we have, it’s believed that 1 in 3 girls is sexually abused, and a general consensus of 1 in 5 to 1 in 7 boys is sexually abused. ALERT: these are some explicit stories written by men who are speaking out about their own childhood sexual abuse.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.allaboutcounseling.com/sexual_abuse.htm

What other toxic “family secrets” are there among us? The recent news about the twins who were abused by their adoptive parents is not only sad and enraging, it’s frightening. Not just because of this family tragedy, even though that is bad enough, but also because, sadly, there are probably other children in our community keeping toxic “family secrets.”

When it comes to disciplining your child, when are you crossing the line into abuse? “Leaving physical marks that’s kind of crossing the line. I think taking things they enjoy away work more sometimes,” said Pam Bixler, Lebanon County parent. “Nothing that’s going to cause physical harm to the point when they need medical attention,” said Ron Bixler, Lebanon County parent.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/Child-abuse-or-discipline/Z6qqII1y70qmdkVQNV1jXA.cspx

Over 3 million cases of child abuse and neglect were reported to child protective service (CPS) agencies in the United States in 2009. “Prevent Child Abuse – America” reports that currently about 47 out of every 1000 children are reported as victims of child maltreatment. Overall, the number of children who reported their abuse increased by 28% between 2008 and 2009. The mission of this website and discussion forum is to give survivors of abuse a place where they are able to break their silence, share their stories, and find help, understanding, resources, and compassion. It is also a place to share strength, hope and courage and to promote healing.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.breaktheabusecycle.com/

The MOSAC site is designed specifically for mothers who have experienced the sexual abuse of one of their children. Life is difficult for mothers following the disclosure of a child’s abuse, and they often have few, if any, resources available to them. Mothers sometimes have no supportive family or friends. They often have very little knowledge about child sexual abuse and want to read about and understand what has happened to their children. Most mothers of sexually abused children say that they need and want help following disclosure. This site is designed to be a comprehensive source of information about sexual abuse and to offer support and resources.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.mosac.net/

Janet and Bill Thompson recently discovered that their son Scott had been molested. They were appalled and saddened by the idea that someone violated their child, nine-year-old Scott. Friendly an bright, Scott is a popular child who played Tom Sawyer in his class play, and with his red hair and freckles, he was well suited to the part. He loves the outdoors and enjoys building tree houses and forts with the other neighborhood kids.

The Thompsons feel numb and confused. They wonder why they couldn’t prevent their son’s abuse. Would Scott believe them when they said they would protect him from further harm? Was it a realistic promise? Why did their emotions swing so dramatically? And how were they to keep their seven-year-old daughter, Beth, safe? Had their seventeen-year-old son, Brad, been molested as well but was too afraid to let them know?

READ MORE HERE:
http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/30/07879710/0787971030.pdf

~PAUL MONES~
Children’s Rights Advocate
Sexual Abuse Attorney in the U.S.

Dreamcatchers for Abused Children is proud to present their newest advisor, Children’s Rights Advocate and Sexual Abuse Attorney, Paul Mones. Since 1980 Paul Mones has focused his legal practice and expert consulting on criminal and civil matters related to children’s rights including child sexual abuse, patricide and matricide, general teenage homicide, the mental health treatment of children and adolescents and domestic violence.

The primary focus of his civil work has been on litigation against institutions in which children are sexually abused. These efforts included law suits against the Boy Scouts of America, the Catholic Church and other youth-serving organizations throughout the United States. In 2007, in a Long Island, New York case, he was part of a trial team that won one of the largest individual jury verdicts-11.4 million dollars-against the Catholic Church on behalf of victims of sexual abuse.

The primary focus of his criminal work is on patricide (the killing of a father) and matricide (the killing of a mother) cases. He is credited with pioneering the battered child syndrome as it concerns teenagers that kill their abusive parents. His book, When A Child Kills: Abused Children Who Kill Their Parents (1991) is considered a landmark book in the field.

Paul Mones began his child advocacy career in West Virginia in 1980 where he was the executive director of Juvenile Advocates Inc. During his years in West Virginia, Mr. Mones vigorously litigated against institutions which mistreated children and teenagers and in the process, he gave a voice to a population which had been largely neglected by the justice system. During three short years, he successfully argued seven cases before the West Virginia Supreme Court which resulted in decisions that fundamentally altered the way teenagers were treated by the legal system in the state.

Paul also lectures nationally on youth  issues to numerous professional organizations such as the American Bar Association, American Psychiatric Association, and American Psychological Association, National Association of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. He has also done professional training for numerous state child abuse groups, law enforcement organizations and the United States Army.

Paul is also a prolific author. In addition to When a Child Kills, and numerous articles for newspapers and professional journals, he is the author of Stalking Justice, a true crime book which chronicled the first U.S. serial murder-rape case solved by DNA fingerprinting. In 2002 he contributed a chapter entitled Talking to Your Children About Terrorism in the landmark book, Fearless by Gavin de Becker.

Paul is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Law School and is a member of the bar in California and Oregon. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

EMAIL: paulmoneslaw@gmail.com
WEBSITE: http://www.paulmones.com/
BLOG:  http://www.paulmones.com/blog/
PHONE:  (503) 225-1054

Anyone suspected that a child is being abused should report it to their state child abuse hotline or call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD). Visiting a state’s child abuse website will also help you learn about mandatory child abuse reporting laws that you may be subject to. Also remember that if you think that a child is in immediate danger from child abuse or neglect, then you should call 911.

READ MORE & VIEW A LIST OF REPORTING NUMBERS HERE:

http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/childabuse/a/reporting_abuse.htm

Child abuse in its various forms affects every community. In the past 10 days, we’ve watched the unfolding story of a one-time Wynola resident who was convicted of molesting three young girls. This week, Oprah Winfrey ran the story of twin sisters molested by their father and brothers for years in their own home in Kansas.

How can you know when your children might be at risk—from a loved one, a stranger, a friend, or someone esteemed in the community because of the position held? How do you go about talking to your children? What do you do if you learn that questionable or illegal activity has occurred? And how do you help your children recover? … How do you recover yourself?

READ MORE HERE:

http://ramona.patch.com/articles/how-to-protect-your-child-from-molestation

When You Grow Up In a Dysfunctional Family

When you grow up in a dysfunctional family, you experience trauma and pain from your parents’ actions, words, and attitudes. Because of this trauma you experienced, you grew up changed, different from other children, missing important parts of necessary parenting that prepare you for adulthood, missing parts of your childhood when you were forced into unnatural roles within your family. For some of you, it has led you to attempt to flee the pain of your past by alcohol or drug use. Others of you feel inexplicably compelled to repeat the abuses that were done to you on your own children or with your own spouse. Others of you have felt inner anxiety or rage, and don’t know why you feel as you do.

You were innocent, and your life was changed dramatically by forces in your family you had no control over, and now you are an adult survivor of that trauma. This article will discuss what these families are like, what is the impact of growing up in these families, and what you can do to begin the process of healing.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.mudrashram.com/dysfunctionalfamily2.html

It is the first major Child Abuse Survivor Monument in the world AND while it offers peace, solace and closure to some it also has great educational and awareness qualities to help prevent further abuse. Dr. Irving’s epic “Reaching Out” monument incorporates the artistic contribution of 276 survivors of child abuse and their supporters through sculpted quilts. Measuring 11 feet tall by 30 feet wide, the bronze sculpture is a vignette of two figures with arms spread out and upward in victory and presence.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.irvingstudios.com/child_abuse_survivor_monument/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/ChildAbuseMonument?v=wall

http://www.twitter.com/ChildAbuseMnumt

DR. MICHAEL IRVING:

http://www.irvingstudios.com/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=760704833

SIGN THE CHILD ABUSE MONUMENT PETITION:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/A-Home-for-Child-Abuse-Monument/

JANESVILLE — The cries from the baby doll sound real and inconsolable. The translucent skull on the simulator allows a user to see what kind of brain damage a baby can suffer from just a little shaking. Red lights glow in the back of the brain when a person mildly shakes the baby. The lights indicate the caregiver has just visually impaired or blinded the baby. At the next level of forceful shaking, lights go on in the front of the baby’s brain, which controls memory and emotion. The baby’s loss of those functions can cause learning disabilities and behavioral disorders.

READ MORE HERE:

http://gazettextra.com/news/2011/feb/07/simulator-shows-damage-babies-suffer-shaking/

A new and serious threat to our children has emerged, one many parents know little or nothing about — cyber bullying. Its effects can be devastating. The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the County Education Office, brought the schools in this county up to date on the latest in cyber bullying and cyber crimes. The information was shared at a workshop featuring Tracy Webb of the L.A. City Attorney’s Office. Webb explained that child abuse is horrific, but it has a specific time when it ends. That is not the case with cyber bullying. It is unending. Young people are connected via phone and computer all day and all night.

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/commentary/article_814caaf6-30b5-11e0-8f05-001cc4c03286.html