A former member of one of the most notorious university fraternities in America has spoken of his experiences being beaten, locked in a basement and forced to stand in a waist-high bucket of ice as part of his attempts to join the exclusive organisation. Justin Stuart, who was 19 at the time, was an aspiring member – or ‘pledge’ – in a branch of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Salisbury University in Maryland. Along with others, he was subjected to cruel and dangerous ‘hazing’ rituals in order to enroll in the group.

The diocese of Duluth Tuesday added 17 names to the public roster of Catholic priests who have been credibly accused of molesting children in Minnesota. The priests served in parishes across northeastern Minnesota, from Brainerd to Grand Rapids to North Shore tourist towns such as Grand Marais. They held positions ranging from school superintendents to Scouting director to church pastor. None of the priests is in active ministry, according to the diocese, and all but three are dead. The diocese is releasing its list to bring healing on the issue, said Duluth Bishop Paul Sirba.

A concerned citizen was able to use social media on Tuesday to draw law enforcement attention to a potential child abuse case. The resident found a video on someone else’s Facebook page that showed a man allegedly physically abusing his 4-month-old child. Coeur d’Alene Police Sgt. Christie Wood told The Press Tuesday that the video was then posted to the department’s Facebook page by the resident at 8:30 am.

The effects of childhood sexual and physical abuse last a lifetime. Abused children may grow up to be adults prone to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other psychiatric disorders. They are more prone to suicide. However, in recent years we have learned that abuse does more than wound self-esteem and break the spirit. It can damage the very substance of the brain and how it functions. A major way by which childhood abuse can disrupt normal brain activity is by diminishing its capacity to handle stress. Stress is more than the worry and distress we experience when the circumstances of life push us beyond our limits. The body’s response to stress is a complex biological mechanism. When the brain senses that the body is being taxed beyond its usual capacity, it initiates the stress response by releasing a substance called corticotrophin releasing hormone, or CRH. CRH stimulates the pituitary gland to release ACTH that, in turn, triggers the release of the stress hormone, cortisol, from the adrenal glands. Cortisol marshals the body’s resources to provide the extra energy and endurance to meet the demands being placed upon it. Once, this might have been escaping an angry mastodon. Today, it would more likely be getting used to a new job, a nasty divorce, or recovering from surgery.

A California man gunned down his wife and two of her children in their home on Monday night before turning the gun on himself in what police believe was a murder-suicide. Stepfather Ramon Miranda, 38, apparently shot and killed 34-year-old Silvia Miranda and her children, 12-year-old Ramon Jr. and 10-year-old Rayna, the San Bernardino County coroner’s office confirmed on Wednesday. Neighbors reported hearing the Fontana, California family arguing before the violence broke out.

Corporal punishment is still active in schools nationwide in the United States. Two-thirds of Tennessee school children attend “Paddling Schools” TODAY! Corporal Punishment is Prohibited in Nashville and Memphis schools. Florida, Alabama and Tennessee among states where Schools Can Paddle Students Against Parents’ Wishes. It is one of the most controversial methods of child discipline, but spanking in school — usually with a wooden or fiberglass paddle — is still allowed by law in 19 states. The practice is most prevalent in the Midwest and South. According to a report from the Juvenile Information Exchange, more than 28,500 students in Georgia were spanked in 2008, mostly in rural counties. The number is much smaller in Florida — around 3,600 last year — but that’s where the issue is getting new attention.

A Briton who murdered his two young children in France by slitting their throats has hanged himself in prison, authorities said yesterday. Julian Stevenson was awaiting trial for killing Mathew, ten, and five-year-old Carla in an apparent fit of rage over a custody battle with his French ex-wife. The 48-year-old’s body was found in a sports hall at Corbas prison near Lyon on Monday and assistant prosecutor Pascal Guinot said there was ‘no doubt’ he had taken his own life.

The mother of Jahi McMath has alleged that the hospital where her 13-year-old daughter is on life support is not feeding her and have now begun to refer to her as ‘the body’. The shocking allegations made by Latasha ‘Nailah’ Winkfield come just one day after she won a court injunction to stop the Children’s Hospital of Oakland from unhooking her girl from the machines that are currently keeping the teen alive. ‘To watch my daughter just sit there and not have food … I’m just so happy that she is kind of a thick girl so she still looks good,’ Latasha Winkfield said today.

PHOENIX — An Arizona woman accused of trying to kill her ex-husband and poison her four children, including a teenage daughter found dead in her home on Christmas Day, told authorities she didn’t want the man to have custody of the kids, police said Tuesday. Connie Villa, 35, also told police she suffocated her daughter “with her bare hands.”

A first-of-its-kind report by Kentucky’s state health agency has found authorities in the Bluegrass State investigated 20 allegations of human trafficking involving 25 children over only about a four month period in 2013. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the Cabinet for Health and Family Services issued the Kentucky Child Victims of Human Trafficking Report on Nov. 1 as part of the state’s ramped-up effort to tackle not only a growing problem in Kentucky, but also one that many believe has long been under-addressed by state authorities.

For any loving parent it’s the unthinkable. Maria Oliva Guaman-Guaman has been indicted in the “Baby Angel” case for allegedly strangling to death her own newborn son. A deceased infant–umbilical cord still attached–was found in a recycling bin in Yonkers on November 12 sparking a regional interest in the case. Eventually investigators traced the evidence back to Spring Valley and then to the child’s mother.

SMITHFIELD, N.C. — A Johnston County man was charged after his two-month-old son was found unresponsive at a home on Caswell Street in Smithfield Friday night, police said. According to police, Jonathan Michael Jones was charged with intentional child abuse inflicting serious injury in connection with the case. Sarah Aponte, who lives nearby, said she had been watching the infant before authorities arrived at the home.

The Boere KRisis Aksie Group members in Brakpan who helped search for the missing 4-year-old Afrikaans girl in Brakpan: Jasmin Lee Pretorius 4 yrs: confirmed at 8pm Dec 28 2013 that she has been found raped and murdered. Reportedly her uncle has been arrested for ‘questioning’ by the SAPS. We are awaiting the police statement and further details ont he circumstances of this xenophobic hate crime against a small child.

Dreamcatchers for Abused Children would like to take a moment to reflect upon our accomplishments in 2013. We couldn’t be more proud of our staff, board, sponsors, community partners and our followers who make our work possible. We will continue to be a voice for our children and strive for nonprofit excellence for ourselves and our colleagues in the sector. This 2013 Year in Review is intended to provide you with a snapshot of our community work over the past year. We are pleased to present these highlights of our recent work…