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New Zealand
Boys forgotten in child abuse
by SIMON DAY
From 18 months until he was eight years old David Passell, now 57, was sexually tortured. A woman trusted by his mother, who was busy with five children, exploited her access to David.
She forced David to perform oral sex on her and attacked his genitals with a safety pin.
“The last of this stuff happened when I was eight and I first spoke about it when I was 36,” Passell told the Sunday Star-Times.
He is a part of a hidden group of New Zealand men who were sexually abused in adolescence. Silenced and isolated by shame, stigma and guilt, they were unable to come forward at the time of their abuse.
“I couldn't talk about what had been done to me as a boy because I would be perceived as weak,” he said. “If I had spoken about this when I was playing competitive rugby in my 20s I would have been laughed off the team.”
Research shows that an estimated one in eight New Zealand men experiences sexual abuse before the age of 18 but because so few males are willing to come forward, others put the number much higher.
Ken Clearwater, manager of the Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust (MSSAT), believes as many as one in five men is sexually assaulted in adolescence.
“This is something people don't know about and don't want to know about,” Clearwater said.
Of the victims who reach out to MSSAT, 87 per cent have kept their abuse secret.
“Society has to accept that this is not an isolated case. Young boys are not able to come forward and disclose.”
Detective Inspector Tusha Penny, manager of the national Child Protection and Sexual Violence team, said hiding sexual abuse meant offenders can continue to get away with crimes against other boys.
Last week James Parker, the former deputy principal of Pamapuria primary school, outside of Kaitaia, pleaded guilty to 49 charges of sexual assault against boys under the age of 16. Just one boy initially complained to police.
The subsequent investigation revealed 12 victims since 2006. And since Parker's appearance in court more boys have come forward.
“Having the confidence to come forward is a huge thing to prevent further victimisation,” Penny said.
Andrew Thomson* was abused by his art teacher, William Baine, at Hutt Valley High School in 1959. It took him 40 years to seek help.
“I had a great counsellor. She built up my confidence, worked on the shame issues,” he said.
Once he was confident enough to go to the police about Baine's offending, other victims came forward. In total seven complainants were heard in court in 2003.
“The seven of us covered 50 years. That's the huge problem of the difficulty of disclosure, the opportunity to keep offending,” Thomson said.
Penny said encouraging men to feel enough confidence in the police to come forward and lodge a complaint was challenging for investigators.
She recognises the important work being done for women who have suffered sexual abuse but says similar systems are not in place for men.
“A lot of emphasis goes on the female survivors, which is fantastic because that needs to happen, but we have to be very careful we don't neglect men in the process.”
About 70 per cent of New Zealand is covered by specialist crisis agencies that can respond to, and have long-term involvement with, female survivors of sexual abuse. “For men we don't have that kind of coverage,” Penny says.
Dr Clare Healy, the executive chairperson for Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care, says there is much more sex-abuse awareness education for girls.
“For teenage boys and primary school boys, they feel isolated, guilty and angry and don't know who to turn to. They don't really know who to tell about it.”
Victims respond with a number of coping mechanisms. Boys can become isolated and withdrawn. Or the victim will respond by turning to drinking and drugs.
Passell said his emotional and physical intimacy was affected “big time”. He would suffer from panic attacks triggered by sexual contact. He turned to alcohol and physical training as coping mechanisms.
But the effects can be even more serious.
Research indicates about 40 per cent of male perpetrators have themselves been sexually abused.
“We know with child abuse that is a risk, so that it is why it is even more critical that we are working really hard across communities to identify victims,” Penny said.
MSSAT is the only agency that advocates and supports male victims of abuse. The lack of resources for men makes Clearwater start to shout.
“Not a day goes by when we don't get a phone call. This year we have 74 new clients already.”
Last week, the opening of a new MSSAT premise in Hamilton was “bittersweet”. The growth in resources has come with a growing number of male victims seeking support.
Passell was able to open up to a counsellor. He attended group meetings and was strengthened by seeing others who could talk about the pain in their lives. He was finally able to grieve.
“In the past 20 years my life has turned around. I have another daughter with my second wife of 18 years. And I have four adult children and three grandchildren.”
He now runs the Auckland support group of MSSAT.
Meeting once a week, the group gives men the courage to disclose the abuse they have suffered. It has changed life for Passell and many of the victims he has worked with.
“I still have difficult days, but I don't have difficult months.”
*Name has been changed
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7595569/Boys-forgotten-in-child-abuse
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Illinois
Child abuse, neglect reports usually spike at back-to-school time
by Melissa Westphal
ROCKFORD — With back-to-school time also comes an extra level of protection for children who may be experiencing abuse or neglect at home.
Child abuse reports typically decrease during the summer months and then increase in the fall once children have returned to school. That's not because there's less abuse occurring; it's because many reports are made by school personnel.
Rockford's Carrie Lynn Children's Center — an advocacy center for abused children — usually sees referrals decrease during the summer, but Executive Director Kathy Pomahac said referrals have been up slightly since January. The center, 826 N. Main St., usually receives about 40 referrals a month.
Pomahac said she's not ready to call the increased activity this year a trend because the struggling economy continues to be a factor in some of the referrals they receive.
“The economy doesn't seem to be getting better, and people can get pretty desperate,” Pomahac said.
The Illinois Department of Children & Family Services said 101,508 children were reported as abused or neglected in fiscal year 2011, which just ended June 30. Of that total, 27,982 children were “indicated” for abuse and neglect, which means that officials had enough credible evidence of abuse or neglect.
Pomahac said the increased local activity doesn't bode well for the next few months now that children are back in school and reports are likely to increase even more. The center does not decline referrals, so Pomahac said staff members will handle the increased caseload.
“I tell people that we're a little like firefighters — we're ready and there when you need us,” Pomahac said. “If someone needs us to respond, we'll do it.”
State aid cuts prevent the center from hiring a swath of new staff to handle that activity, but a successful, first-time fundraiser in spring that raised more than $100,000 through matching donations will allow the center to boost its therapy services for families.
Pomahac urged family members, community residents and neighbors to contact the state, local law enforcement or agencies like the Carrie Lynn Children's Center if they see any signs of child abuse or neglect.
Carrie Lynn helps coordinate abuse and neglect investigations between the state and police, and works as an advocate to protect the children in these circumstances.
“We have to be responsible for our children — you may be that child's only resource,” Pomahac said.
Child abuse, according to the state's definition, is the mistreatment of a child age 17 or younger by a parent, caretaker, someone living in the home or someone who works with or around children. The mistreatment must cause injury or put the child at risk of physician injury and can be physical, sexual or emotional.
Neglect happens when a parent or caretaker fails to provide adequate supervision, food, clothing, shelter or other basic needs for a child.
Reports can be made to the state's Child Abuse Hotline at 800-25-ABUSE (800-252-2873), or you can call 217-785-4020. You can also call the Carrie Lynn Children's Center at 815-319-4150.
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1547503187/Child-abuse-neglect-reports-usually-spike-at-back-to-school-time
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Mississippi
Failure to report sex assault not always prosecuted
by Sarah Fowler
In the days and months following the Penn State sex abuse scandal, people across the country seemed to be asking the same question: "How can something like this go unreported for so long?" Jerry Sandusky was allowed unfettered access to his young victims while reports of the abuse were quickly and quietly silenced, never reaching authorities.
In the state of Mississippi, there are laws that hold those in a position of authority or trust to a higher standard, requiring they report any suspected abuse to the Department of Human Services.
Section 43-21-353 of the Mississippi Code states: "Any attorney, physician, dentist, intern, resident, nurse, psychologist, social worker, child care-giver, minister, law enforcement officer, public or private school employee, or any other person having reasonable cause to suspect that a child is a neglected child or an abused child, shall cause an oral report to be made immediately by telephone or otherwise and followed as soon thereafter as possible by a report in writing to the Department of Human Services."
During the recent trial of local businessman and Sunday school teacher Benny Shelton, a pastor testified that he was aware of the allegation of sexual abuse. Eastview Baptist Church Pastor Junior Eads told both prosecutors and defense attorneys that he had a conversation with Shelton's young victim during which the boy stated that Shelton had fondled him.
Eads testified that he did not believe the teen and approached Shelton, telling the Sunday school teacher the boy was making "allegations" against Shelton. He then instructed Shelton to talk to the boy's parents. The pastor did not contact DHS, law enforcement or the boy's mother. Shelton continued to have a relationship with his victim for months after the boy first spoke with Eads.
A jury found Shelton guilty of sexual assault against a minor on Aug. 23. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison with five suspended.
Charges have not been filed against Junior Eads, however.
Lowndes County Sheriff's Department Detective Tony Cooper said he does not plan to pursue charges against Eads.
"I do not believe he was in violation of the law,'' said Cooper, who declined to elaborate.
As clearly outlined in Mississippi law, if a person in a position of trust fails to report any form of abuse of a child, sexual or otherwise, it is a crime. However, to the chagrin of District Attorney Forrest Allgood, it is a misdemeanor, not a felony.
Allgood encouraged citizens to contact their legislators to increase the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony.
"Until the legislature makes that choice, it will remain a misdemeanor. It's a legislative decision. If people want the law changed, they need to call their legislator."
In the state of Mississippi, the charge generally matches the crime. For example, conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor is a misdemeanor. Conspiracy to commit a felony is a felony. Furthermore, certain cases of child neglect are a misdemeanor. Failure to report child neglect is also a misdemeanor.
However, in the case of sexual assault, that is not the case. Sexual assault against a minor is a felony, yet failure to report sexual assault against a minor is a misdemeanor.
Senator Terry Brown (R-Columbus) said changing failure to report sexual assault from a misdemeanor to a felony would be a matter for the state's judicial committee.
"The prosecutor should file some bills and get it before the legislature and judicial committee," Brown said. "They'll plead their case and we'll hear both sides."
While the senator could not say if he would support making failure to reports sexual assault a felony, he did say he was disturbed by the case.
"I don't want them (ministers) covering up anything," Brown said.
In light of the Shelton trial, where Shelton was allowed to continue to teach Sunday school for years after he was accused of abuse, local churches are tightening their rules and regulation on volunteers.
First Baptist Church Pastor Shawn Parker said his church is looking into requiring background checks on all their volunteers. Parker added that to be a volunteer, you must be a member of the church for at least a year. He also said that in any program dealing with children, an adult is never alone with a child.
"We know (our volunteers) and we trust them, but you can't take any chances,'' Parker said. "You can't take a risk at all."
Parker said if faced with a similar situation, he has a clear idea of the procedures he would follow.
"If it should happen, I would take that very seriously and would immediately speak with the child's parents and obviously take the necessary steps from that point,'' he said. "We would also want to handle the situation holistically. We wouldn't want to jump to a conclusion without talking to the parents."
Parker said any allegation deserves careful handling.
"If that statement is made, it has to be taken seriously," he said.
Breck Ladd, pastor at Fairview Baptist Church, said not only are all of his volunteers required to have a background check, the church takes extra precautions to ensure the safety of the children. Ladd said every door to every classroom has a glass window and there are people constantly stationed in the hallways to monitor activity. They also have a security team that performs routine checks.
Like Parker, Ladd stated that no adult is allowed to be alone with a child.
Additionally, Ladd said the church is looking into installing cameras around the exterior of the expansive building.
"We want to provide a safe, loving environment to ensure kids are safe here,'' Ladd said. "I'm a dad. I want my kids to be safe here. There are predators out there and Fairview is taking steps and precautions to ensure those predators don't come here. And, Lord forbid, if they do, we will do everything possible to see they are brought to justice."
Community organizations like the Boy Scouts not only perform extensive background checks on their leaders, they educate both the boys and parents on how to protect themselves from sexual abuse. In both the Cub Scout and Boy Scout handbooks, there are leaflets specifically designed to educate parents and children on the definitions and warning signs of abuse.
The Cub Scout handbook states children may show few, if any, outward signs of sexual abuse, although most abused children demonstrate signs of stress.
"For many children, stress causes unexplained behavioral changes such as unhappiness, bed-wetting, clinging behavior, acting out or aggressive behavior, crying for no apparent reason, inability to concentrate, changes in school performance, self-inflicted harm and symptoms of illness,'' the manual states.
If a child suddenly refuses to go to a friend's or relative's home for no apparent reason, that can be a warning sign. Another sign of sexual abuse is a child acting out adult sexual behavior or sexually explicit language that a child of that age would be unlikely to know.
"Any good faith suspicion of abuse is immediately reported to law enforcement and the accused removed from scouting," said Jeremy Whitmore, the director of the Columbus chapter of the Boy Scouts of America.
As with any suspected abuse, reporting is critical step. Many who support Eads have argued that since he did not believe the boy, he did not have to report it.
During closing arguments, Shelton's defense attorney, Rod Ray, told the jury that all too often if a man is accused of sexual assault against a boy, he is automatically assumed guilty, regardless of the facts.
However, a study released by the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati found that child sex abuse allegations should be taken seriously and found children's testimonials more reliable than physical exams in the case of sexual abuse.
According to the report, researchers reviewed the records of 31 pedophiles who confessed between 1994 and 1999. They confessed to a total of 101 acts of sexual abuse, some of which were committed multiple times. The perpetrators abused 47 children. The 45 victims who were old enough to provide a history described 111 acts of sexual abuse.
"Physical exams are an unreliable indicator of sexual abuse," said Dr. Robert Shapiro, who led the study. "We're not saying that children never make things up, but the responsible action is to listen carefully to allegations of abuse so that the abused children will be identified and the false allegations recognized."
In the case of Junior Eads, he testified that he did not contact law enforcement because he did not believe the boy. The jury disagreed and found Shelton guilty of sexual assault against a minor.
City Prosecutor Shane Tompkins said he would prosecute those who fail to report sexual assault to the fullest extent to the law.
"If the evidence presented to me by law enforcement or a private affidavit warranted prosecution, I would prosecute it to the fullest."
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=18672
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Kentucky
22 Ky. children die of abuse, neglect in past year
The Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A state report says at least 22 Kentucky children died in the past year as a result of abuse and neglect.
But the annual report from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services released Friday says the deaths have decreased in recent years.
The Lexington Herald-Leader (http://bit.ly/OK13zH ) reports there were 31 child abuse deaths for fiscal year 2011, 36 the year before, 29 in 2009 and 30 in 2008.
Child advocates say the drop in child abuse deaths is good news, but 22 is still too many.
"We should all celebrate that trend-line while at the same time remembering that the death of a single child is still too many for us to ever tolerate," said Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, a Louisville-based non-profit.
The report says 33 additional children were "nearly killed" or sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of abuse in the past year, and a total of 15,699 Kentucky children were abused or neglected over the last 12 months that ended June 30.
It said in fiscal year 2012, there were 34,706 reports of child abuse and neglect, compared to 30,964 in 2008.
Over the past five years, there have been 386 deaths and near-deaths of children as a result of abuse. Of those cases, the cabinet had prior contact in 214 instances.
The vast majority of perpetrators in the 214 cases were biological parents of the child. Mothers were perpetrators in 21 percent of cases, fathers were perpetrators in 17 percent of cases and both parents were culpable in 20 percent of cases. A parent's boyfriend or girlfriend was listed as the perpetrator 10 percent of the time.
Gov. Steve Beshear this year created an external panel of 17 experts to review all child deaths and near-deaths that stem from abuse or neglect. That panel is charged with examining such cases and making recommendations for policy changes and improvements. The panel has not yet had a meeting.
The report said the number of deaths attributed to abuse or neglect in the 2012 fiscal year could increase as pending investigations are finalized or new information comes to light.
http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/crime/22-ky-children-die-of-abuse-neglect-in-past-year/nRz23/
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Moment of silence at Beaver Stadium honors abuse victims, marks a new start for Penn State
by IVEY DEJESUS The Patriot-News
A raucous packed Beaver Stadium fell to a few moments of silence prior to the season opener with Ohio University as thousands of blue-and-white decked fans linked arms -- some bowing heads or placing hands to heart -- in honor of child sexual abuse victims.
The emotional few seconds marked a long-awaited opportunity for a university community to express a public gesture of solidarity in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal that has rocked an entire community.
Legions of former Penn State athletes -- wearing gray t-shirts with "One Team" on it -- walked onto the field, part of the silent tribute. The fans on the stands -- arms linked at shoulders -- swayed side to side.
The whole stadium fell silent, on the sidelines only the click of cameras from the media pool was audible. The silence was followed by a roaring singing of the alma mater by all in the stands.
Prior to the game, hundreds of fans linked hands and encircled Beaver Stadium, forming a "Rally Ring ," another expression of solidarity and awareness for child sexual abuse.
"Much of everybody's eyes were on Penn State University," said Tracy Cox, spokeswoman for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. "You have so many things happen during the end of last season. Coach O'Brien had said publicly he wanted to move on in a way that honors the victims . I think that happened today not only with the football team but with the community."
Penn State football players wore blue ribbons on their helmets -- and their names on their jerseys -- a break with tradition set by late coach Joe Paterno. O'Brien had said he wanted to usher in a new era for Penn State.
Sandusky was convicted in June of multiple sexual crimes against children; he awaits sentencing. Top administrators, including former president Graham Spanier, were accused in the Freeh Report of covering up Sandusky's crimes to protect the university.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/09/moment_of_silence_at_beaver_st.html
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California
Legislature passes anti-slavery bills in its last week in session
The State Legislature's 2011-2012 Session ended with them passing two bills, AB 1956 and SB 1193, which will help human trafficking victims escape their crisis and recover from their abuse. Another bill to allow commercially sexually exploited children expunge arrest records for prostitution as a result of being trafficked, AB 2040, passed on August 9.
AB 1956, Tattoo Removal for Juvenile Victims, expands existing tattoo removal services provided to rehabilitated former gang members and include sex trafficking victims who were tattooed as a form of “branding” by their exploiters.
SB 1193, Hotline Public Posting Requirement, requires businesses likely to be frequented by trafficking victims to post hotlines of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (888-3737-888) and the California Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (888-539-2373).
According to James Dold, Policy Counsel, Polaris Project, "California has continued to be one of the national leaders in innovative responses to the terrible crime of human trafficking. With the passage of AB 1956, AB 2040, and SB 1193--the legislature has taken bold steps to ensure that victims of trafficking have critical services they need and deserve, as well as information on national and state human trafficking hotlines that can assist them in escaping their trafficking situations.”
Polaris Project is a leading nonprofit organization fighting global slavery by working for stronger laws, operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline, conducting training, and providing services to trafficking victims.
Eileen Campbell, Director of Justice Campaigns for International Justice Mission (IJM), said, “we have learned from our anti-trafficking work internationally that enacting and enforcing tough laws to fight this crime is absolutely essential—it's how we as a society guarantee legal protections and services for victims and show perpetrators that they'll face jail time for enslaving another human being.”
IJM is a nonprofit organization renowned for its effectiveness and expertise in rescuing victims of human trafficking while strengthening local judicial systems to prevent continued violent oppression.
While AB 1956 and SB 1193 were still working their way through the legislative process , Campbell worked with IJM's Church Mobilization Director-West, Jocelyn White, to organize citizens from across the state to participate in an “advocacy day” on August 15 to lobby for the bills' passage.
White explained her role in approaching churches and inviting members to learn about the extent of violent abuse in society and then seek help for victims: “It is key for churches to first encounter God's heart for justice as He invites His Church to be the ones to reflect Him to the world by seeking justice on behalf of the oppressed. So it is vital to build awareness within the church. One can't advocate unless aware of the violent injustices happening in their own communities and abroad.”
Jen Sommer attends church in Oakland and went through the process White described of awareness, concern, and then advocacy. She was one of 17 modern abolitionists to respond to IJM's invitation to “save lives and make history. ” Sommer took the day off from work as a civil litigator at an East Bay law firm to drive to Sacramento and lobby for legislation for the first time.
Sommer described the spark that ignited her to activism: “I became aware of the dimensions of human trafficking after reading the book Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade--and How We Can Fight It by David Batstone . I realized in a deep way that although I may not be able to do much, the fact remains that I am free while those trapped in modern slavery are not. So it is simply not acceptable for me just to wish all those victims well or contribute to the abolition cause occasionally.”
Upon hearing that Governor Brown signed AB 2040 into law and AB 1956 and SB 1193 now await his signature, Sommer said, “I am thrilled that the prayers for victims have been heard, and the hard work of many to pass AB 2040 has been rewarded. I hope for the same success for AB 1956 and SB 1193.”
After leading the charge to the State Capitol to champion these two bills, IJM's White is not relenting now. On Thursday, she invited all Californians to continue to press for justice for the oppressed by declaring, “September 6 will be a Call-in Day to Governor Brown: (916) 445-2841. Please thank him for signing AB 2040 and ask him to continue his support in ending human trafficking by signing AB 1956 and SB 1193 into law.”
Sommer echoed White's request by urging those who are free to “be a voice for those who don't have one.”
http://www.examiner.com/article/california-legislature-passes-anti-slavery-bills-its-last-week-session
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Hawaii's Youngest Sex Trafficking Victims 'Get Out' When Rescued by First Responders
by MALIA ZIMMERMAN
When Dee Dee was just 16 years old, a pimp forced her to work on the streets of Chinatown and Waikiki as a prostitute. She remembers the first time she was forced to have sex for money, and how scared and humilliated she felt.
After being beaten and raped repeatedly and threatened by her pimp during her "breaking in period ," she saw no way to escape.
"I did it because my pimp was threatening to kill my family. Because he found out where my family lived. He threatened to kill them or to kill me. So I did it because I was scared. It was mostly out of fear," Dee Dee told Hawaii Reporter in an exclusive interview about her experiences.
Dee Dee essentially worked as a sex slave. Keeping any of the money she made – even $2 to buy French Fries after working all night – could earn her a severe beating.
"There were consequences all the time," she said.
And there was no way to hide because "there was always eyes" on her when she worked on "the track" in Waikiki.
"We called it the gang. Cause there was always the 'old G' at the top. Original Gangster, the original pimp, the top guy, he's the king. … and if my pimp was not there, somebody else would tell him. There were always eyes on me even when I thought the street was empty," Dee Dee said.
There were other young girls from Hawaii in the same situation. They are forced to take drugs and then controlled by their addictions.
"If you say 'I don't touch drugs, I hate those, they are gross,' the pimp will hold you down and shoot you up. …A lot of times I would see pimps control girls just because of the drugs," Dee Dee said.
Dee Dee finally escaped, but only because she was picked up by law enforcement after being misidentified as a runaway youth and not a sex trafficking victim. Her parents met her at the police station.
Coming back from the lowest point in her life, she had many emotional, physical and spiritual wounds to heal.
She was put into rehabillitation. But the road to recovery was long and difficult. Having a tough time dealing with terrible flashbacks and severe despressions, she tried to kill herself by overdosing on pills.
Kathryn Xian, head of the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery, rescues girls like Dee Dee who are victims of sex trafficking and assists law enforcement to get the pimps prosecuted.
The City & County of Honolulu's EMS department contacted Xian to ask her to teach paramedics how to identify trafficking victims, how to talk to them in language they will understand, how to keep them out of danger while they are being treated, and ensure they get the help they need.
Honolulu's emergency responders, especially those who work the over night shift, encounter girls like Dee Dee after they are beaten by their pimps or when they are strung out on drugs and left in the streets in a bad state.
"We started training all the paramedics on island at the end of June at the request of their Supervisors. It took about two months and we trained over 160 of them in indentifying the problem, who may be at risk, identifying the signs, and what to do if they encounter a victim-- what to do, what not to do (best practices). We also gave them resources to call for help such as the national hotline number and our local hotline at PASS. We aim to train all health care professionals on island so that they may develop a protocol for responding to these victims. We also covered signs to id labor trafficking victims," Xian said.
Dr. James Ireland, director of Honolulu's Department of Emergency Services, said city paramedics save lives daily, but this is an opportunity to save lives in a different way.
"All the credit goes to our EMS Chief Patty Dukes (she is currently on the Mainland at an EMS meeting). She went to a lunch conference and learned about this issue, and brought the PASS team back to our Department to educate our EMS personnel," Ireland said.
It makes perfect sense to have the City EMS paramedics educated and helping to "combat this horrendous problem," he said.
"First of all, the paramedics know the streets well. Second, their profession is one that is giving; and taking care of others is part of what they do everyday. Lastly, the back of an ambulance provides a private and secure place to have a heartfelt talk with patients, whatever their problems may be," Ireland said. "It is during this paramedic-patient interaction, we hope to offer the resources available in the community for individuals that may be affected by trafficking. Once at the Emergency Room, it is our hope that they will be able to reach out and get assistance."
Next steps for PASS will be to coordinate protocols between hospital Emergency Rooms and the paramedics themselves, Xian said, as well as more training for psychiatrists and med students. Her group also trained JABSOM medical students a few months ago as well as residents at Kapiolani Medical Center.
The PASS training program runs about 90 minutes and has already saved at least one young woman. Just last Monday, a woman deemed "high risk" because she was homeless after being abandoned by her family two weeks earlier, was beaten, struck in the face, robbed and left lying on the street.
An EMS paramedic who took the training class called the PASS Hotline to get help for the victim when the she would not accept assistance from first responders. Xian happened to be on call.
The EMS paramedic we spoke to who did not want to be named said she is grateful for the training that helps identify those who might be in trouble, and gives the "town" paramedics the tools they need to reach out to trafficking victims. She believes the training will help save more children.
Dee Dee said she was lucky to get out alive. "The longer you stay and the less hope you have," she said.
Jana, another young sex trafficking victim we interviewed who also worked the streets of Waikiki, Chinatown and at Rappongi Relaxation in 350 Ward Avenue, agreed Hawaii's streets are a "very dangerous place to be" … and "scary too." She was also rescued by law enforcement.
"Cause if you stay in the game, you will never come home. Unless somebody comes and rescues you … like the the cops, or somebody," Jana said.
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/hawaiis-youngest-sex-trafficking-victims-only-get-out-when-rescued-by-first-responders/123
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New York
Donation of puppets to help teach children about abuse
3,000 additional students to be assisted by program
by Nina Schutzman
The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse hopes to reach 3,000 more children this school year thanks to a donation of 22 new puppets from one of their supporters.
Led by senior human resource coordinator Frances Strang, Marshall & Sterling Insurance in Poughkeepsie raised almost $1,000 to buy the puppets for the center's personal safety program, which teaches school children about sexual and physical abuse.
The puppets, donated in a small ceremony on Wednesday, are all different ages and nationalities.
“The small handful of puppets we worked with last year reached over 10,000 school children in Dutchess County,” said Kathleen Murphy, executive director of the Poughkeepsie-based center. “Now, we have such a variety and the kids are going to see puppets that reflect themselves.”
The new puppets, along with volunteer support, will help Poughkeepsie's Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse expand to Orange and Ulster counties, Murphy said.
“Last year, about 500 kids had questions or disclosed an incident to the puppets,” Murphy said. “We want to make sure that they know to keep themselves safe. The staff is trained to handle those disclosures.”
Strang got involved while volunteering for the center's gala committee last year.
Center employees and volunteers had 10 puppets that they used to put on 30- to 45-minute skits.
“Someone said, we need a puppet for Christmas,” Strang said. “I said, ‘Well, I can do better.'”
“In June, there were no other fundraisers,” she said. “I figured just in time for the summer, get ready for back-to-school, new puppets for the school kids.”
In July, Strang set up a puppet display booth and informational collage in the office.
In a month, 31 donations brought in nearly $1,000, enough to buy 22 puppets from an online puppet store. Each costs $45 to $50. “They sold themselves,” Strang said.
“The more puppets, the more schools, the more children we can reach,” said Betty Fanelli, senior vice president of Marshall & Sterling.
Employees have grown attached to the puppets, who have spent some time in the office.
“It's going to feel very empty in my office,” Strang said. “They're going back to school.”
The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse is also Dutchess County's child advocacy center, where cases of sexual abuse, physical abuse, severe neglect and children's deaths are investigated.
For more information or to check out volunteer opportunities, go to www.preventchildabusedutchess.org .
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20120901/NEWS14/309010019/child-abuse-poughkeepsie-puppets
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New York
SU releases guidelines for reporting child abuse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University has released new guidelines for students and staff to report suspected abuse against children in the wake of a scandal involving an assistant basketball coach.
A special working group of the University and Board of Trustees was formed to review school policies in December after two men claimed they were abused by former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine.
Fine, who was fired last year, has denied the allegations and has not been charged.
While many SU employees are legally mandated to report suspected abuse, the guidelines released Friday call upon all members the "campus community" to act and respond promptly.
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP42868d553b7d437597151038ed622e47.html
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Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Children's Alliance Receives Million Dollar Grant To Help Duplicate Its Success
by Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah
WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2012 -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), a national leader in child advocacy and mentoring announced today that the Philadelphia Children's Alliance (PCA) – a child advocacy center that meets the needs of sexually abused children – will receive over $1 million to expand their work through a grant provided by the
Department of Justice (DOJ).
The $1.1 million grant from DOJ's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program will provide mentor and leadership development training for Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) and Multidisciplinary Child Abuse Teams (MDTs). The
Justice Department wants PCA – a national best standards model for peer agencies nationwide - to duplicate its successes in nine northeastern states.
Funds will also be targeted for on-site technical assistance and team training, national, regional and state conferences, information dissemination, multidisciplinary training and discipline specific training, use of innovation technologies, and chapter development to strengthen state networks and development additional programs.
Congressman Fattah said, "I have spent my entire career advocating for children because I believe the future of our nation lies in their hands. Their successes are dependent on the investments we make in them today. I am proud of the work the Philadelphia Children's Alliance has done over the years in advocating for some of our city's most vulnerable children."
Founded in 1989, the Philadelphia Children's Alliance (PCA) coordinates a multi-agency, interdisciplinary response to promote healing and justice for victims of
child sexual abuse in Philadelphia. PCA is the only primary intervention organization in the city working with child victims of sexual abuse.
Congressman Fattah is the top Democratic Appropriator for the Justice Department serving as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/31/4776016/philadelphia-childrens-alliance.html
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New York
NY priest ‘deeply regrets' sex abuse comment; friars say his mental ability has been failing
by Associated Press
NEW YORK — A New York priest says he “deeply regrets” if he hurt anyone by his comments that priests accused of child sex abuse are often seduced by their accusers and that a first-time offender should not go to jail.
The Rev. Benedict Groeschel of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal apologized Thursday for the comments he made in an interview with the National Catholic Register published this week. The website for the conservative independent Register then removed the story and posted an apology for publishing the comments. Groeschel and the friars did as well.
“I did not intend to blame the victim. A priest (or anyone else) who abuses a minor is always wrong and is always responsible,” Groeschel said in his post on the website. “My mind and my way of expressing myself are not as clear as they used to be. I have spent my life trying to help others the best that I could. I deeply regret any harm I have caused to anyone.”
The friars expressed regret for the remarks and highlighted Groeschel's medical history. They said he had been in a car accident several years ago, and that “in recent months his health, memory and cognitive ability have been failing.” They described the comments as “out of character.”
Asked in the Register interview about working with priests involved in abuse, Groeschel had said, “Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster — 14, 16, 18 — is the seducer.”
In expanding on his answer, Groeschel also referenced Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State coach convicted of sexually abusing boys, referring to Sandusky as “this poor guy” and wondering why no one said anything for years.
He also added later that anyone involved “on their first offense, they should not go to jail because their intention was not committing a crime.”
Editor in Chief Jeanette De Melo posted a note apologizing for “publishing without clarification or challenge Father Benedict Groeschel's comments that seem to suggest that the child is somehow responsible for abuse. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our publication of that comment was an editorial mistake, for which we sincerely apologize.”
The Archdiocese of New York also repudiated the comments in a statement posted on its website, calling them “simply wrong.”
“Although he is not a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, what Father Groeschel said cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged. The sexual abuse of a minor is a crime, and whoever commits that crime deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” spokesman Joseph Zwilling said.
Groeschel is not a priest with the archdiocese in any specific parish but has worked with it in the past. He helped start the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in 1987. He hosts a weekly show, “Sunday Night Prime,” on EWTN, the Catholic television network.
Deacon Bernard Nojadera, executive director of the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said, “There is never a time when you can blame a minor who is sexually assaulted for the crime perpetrated upon him or her. The responsibility is always with the adult. Sexual abuse of a minor is abhorrent and indefensible. It is especially heinous when the abuse is perpetrated by a cleric.”
David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said there needs to be consequences for figures like Groeschel, “who say incredibly hurtful and mean-spirited things.”
“He's rubbing salt into the wounds of already-suffering victims,” Clohessy said.
Comments like Groeschel's “discourage victims, witnesses and whistleblowers from reporting horrific crimes both known and suspected,” he said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/ny-priest-apologizes-for-saying-priests-seduced-by-kids-1st-offense-shouldnt-mean-jail-time/
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California
AYSO coach from Lancaster charged with 8 more sex-related counts; total of 13
by Mariecar Mendoza
More young boys have come forward to accuse a Lancaster youth soccer coach of molesting them, bringing the total number of alleged victims to 13, officials said Thursday.
If convicted, Renior Vincent Valenti, 50, faces 83 years to life in prison.
Valenti is charged with five felony counts of continuous sexual abuse and eight misdemeanor counts of child molesting, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
He pleaded not guilty Thursday.
Valenti has been an American Youth Soccer Organization coach for 15 years, and five of his alleged victims were current or former soccer players he coached.
The boys' ages range from 5 to 15 years old.
On Aug. 8, Valenti was charged with two felony counts and three misdemeanor counts of molesting five boys. But after further investigation by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Special Victim's Bureau, more alleged victims came forward.
Investigators "believe that the suspect used his position as a soccer coach as a method to meet and befriend children," the Sheriff's Department said in a press release earlier this month.
The incidents reportedly spanned a decade for one victim, who said it began Jan. 1, 1994. More incidents with other victims occurred as recently as Aug. 6, according to the DA's Office.
The sheriff's investigation is still ongoing.
A preliminary hearing for Valenti is set for Sept. 12 at the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse.
Valenti, who was booked on Aug. 6, is being held at Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles. His bail was increased by Superior Court Judge Chris Estes from $1 million to $2.25 million on Thursday.
http://www.dailynews.com/crime/ci_21436821/ayso-coach-from-lancaster-charged-8-more-sex
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New York
Benedict Groeschel, NY Priest, Apologizes For Suggesting Child Abuse Sex Victims Seduce The Clergy
by DEEPTI HAJELA
NEW YORK — A New York priest apologized Thursday after coming under criticism for saying that priests accused of child sex abuse are often seduced by their accusers and that a first-time offender should not go to jail.
The Rev. Benedict Groeschel of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal made the comments in an interview with the National Catholic Register published this week. The website for the conservative independent Register then removed the story and posted an apology for publishing the comments. Groeschel and the friars did as well.
Asked about working with priests involved in abuse, Groeschel said, "Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster – 14, 16, 18 – is the seducer."
In expanding on his answer, Groeschel also referenced Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State coach convicted of sexually abusing boys, referring to Sandusky as "this poor guy" and wondering why no one said anything for years.
He also added later that anyone involved "on their first offense, they should not go to jail because their intention was not committing a crime."
Editor in Chief Jeanette De Melo posted a note apologizing for "publishing without clarification or challenge Father Benedict Groeschel's comments that seem to suggest that the child is somehow responsible for abuse. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our publication of that comment was an editorial mistake, for which we sincerely apologize."
Groeschel also posted an apology to the site. "I did not intend to blame the victim. A priest (or anyone else) who abuses a minor is always wrong and is always responsible. My mind and my way of expressing myself are not as clear as they used to be. I have spent my life trying to help others the best that I could. I deeply regret any harm I have caused to anyone," he said.
The friars expressed regret for the remarks and highlighted Groeschel's medical history. They said he had been in a car accident several years ago, and that "in recent months his health, memory and cognitive ability have been failing." They described the comments as "out of character."
The Archdiocese of New York repudiated the comments in a statement posted on its website, calling them "simply wrong."
"Although he is not a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, what Father Groeschel said cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged. The sexual abuse of a minor is a crime, and whoever commits that crime deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," spokesman Joseph Zwilling said.
Groeschel is not a priest with the Archdiocese in any specific parish but has worked with it in the past. He helped start the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in 1987. He hosts a weekly show, "Sunday Night Prime," on EWTN, the Catholic television network.
Deacon Bernard Nojadera, executive director of the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said, "There is never a time when you can blame a minor who is sexually assaulted for the crime perpetrated upon him or her. The responsibility is always with the adult. Sexual abuse of a minor is abhorrent and indefensible. It is especially heinous when the abuse is perpetrated by a cleric."
David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said there needs to be consequences for figures like Groeschel, "who say incredibly hurtful and mean-spirited things."
"He's rubbing salt into the wounds of already-suffering victims," Clohessy said.
Comments like Groeschel's "discourage victims, witnesses and whistleblowers from reporting horrific crimes both known and suspected," he said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/benedict-groeschel-sex-abuse-apology_n_1844947.html
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Pennsylvania
Source Says Sandusky recommended as ‘sexually violent predator' under Pa. law
by MARK SCOLFORO
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has been recommended for designation as a sexually violent predator, a legal status that would require lifetime registration with authorities, according to a person who has read an assessment board's report to a judge in the case.
The recommendation from the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board was disclosed to The Associated Press on Thursday by the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the report's confidential nature.
Sandusky, 68, was convicted in June of sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period. He is jailed awaiting sentencing and maintains his innocence.
Sandusky, given his age and the serious nature of the crimes of which he was convicted, is likely to receive a sentence that will keep him in prison for life. No sentencing date has been announced.
Pennsylvania law designates certain offenders as sexually violent predators if they are considered to have mental abnormalities or personality disorders that make them likely to engage in predatory sexually violent offenses.
If prosecutors pursue the sexually violent predator status and Sandusky opposes it, Judge John Cleland will decide whether it is merited.
A spokesman for the attorney general's office declined to comment on Thursday, and Sandusky defense attorney Joe Amendola did not return phone and email messages seeking comment.
Sexual Offenders Assessment Board spokesman Leo Dunn said the board does not comment on any case, but he noted it has never failed to complete an assessment within 90 days, as required.
The judge ordered Sandusky's evaluation by the board on June 22, shortly after the jury verdict.
Dunn said such evaluations are assigned to an investigator, who then reports his or her findings to a board member. The board member produces an evaluation, which includes a recommendation.
Some sex offenders must register under the Pennsylvania Megan's Law for 10 years, but that requirement is lifelong for sexually violent predators, who must update their residences to the state police on a quarterly basis and prove they are participating in approved counseling.
Also, the chief law enforcement official in the community where a sexually violent predator lives is required to notify the public by producing a flier that bears the offender's name, address, photograph and offense.
Eight young men testified against Sandusky, describing a range of abuse that went from grooming and manipulation to fondling, oral sex and anal rape when they were boys and included acts that occurred inside Penn State team showers.
One young man testified his muffled screams from the basement of the Sandusky home in State College, where Penn State is based, went unanswered as Sandusky attacked him.
"He got real aggressive and just forced me into it," the 18-year-old testified. "And I just went with it — there was no fighting against it."
Prosecutors said Sandusky used his status as a Penn State football icon and the charity for youth he founded, The Second Mile, to attract victims. He was arrested in November after a grand jury investigation that also led to charges of perjury and failure to report suspected abuse against university administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz. Those charges, which the men deny, have not gone to trial.
Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno was fired by the university's board of trustees days after Sandusky's arrest, and the scandal also cost university president Graham Spanier his job. Paterno died of lung cancer in January, while Spanier, who has not been charged with any crime , remains a tenured faculty member.
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/e1d9ab2b20a2457f87190cc4d7568c21/US--Penn-State-Abuse-Sandusky
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Florida
Breaking the Silence About Human Trafficking
by Deborah Bostock-Kelley
Right now, as Week of Welcome fades into memory and college campuses are merely days into full operation, naïve freshman, away from home, possibly for the first time, are being watched.
Blondes, brunettes, redheads – bespectacled bookworms, pink haired video gamers and underage partiers.
Each are new on campus, trying to find their footing in an environment completely alien to them.
The Predator Makes His Move
The freshman is sitting alone, wishing she had taken a better meal plan. She peeks into her wallet a third time, but she cannot will a $5 bill to appear to buy the latte that is splashed across the coffee shop sign.
In a college logoed T-shirt and ripped jeans, young, clean cut, handsome or “hot"vas her friends back home would describe, he approaches. There's nothing shady about him. He blends in perfectly with the other students on campus.
He makes casual conversation, learning her hometown, the beloved pet she left back home, how she misses her mom, dad, her younger sister. She's shocked that he would talk to her and he encourages the dialogue, offering to purchase the drink. She hesitates and he playfully nudges her. She finally relents. College is about new experiences, meeting new people. She decides to trust him. He befriends her and they meet regularly.
A few weeks later, he is her boyfriend, showering her with attention and ultimately, gifts – a haircut, a manicure, jewelry, the dress she was looking at in the mall display window, but could never afford. He gives her the world and tells her how sexy and beautiful she is.
And then the time comes.
He reminds her of everything he's ever done for her, that he loves her so much, but there's this party and if only this one time, she could do this one thing for him. She thinks of all her mother's warnings. She feels a little uneasy, but rather than upset the man who loves her, she goes against her gut instinct to say “no.”
Traffickers Prey on the Vulnerable
“Traffickers look for teens who lack assertiveness. People are more afraid of offending someone than saying the word ‘no,' ” explained Connie Rose, founder of Victims2Survivors.
Rose explained that the young girls are often drugged at the parties.
“They are not going to know what they've done and there is going to be pictures taken of them,” said Rose. “The girls are mortified at what they did because they don't remember. The pimps use the photos to threaten to show to new friends, Mom and Dad back home. They tell things like that little dog that they talked about will be gone. They start listing all the things that they will do to them if they don't do what they want, so what is a girl to do?”
A Voice of Experience
Rose, 56, is a survivor of human trafficking, sexual violence and the daughter of a sex offender. As a child, Rose was raped by her father and as a teen, sold in to sexual slavery.
Rather than self-destruct down the common path of drug and alcohol abuse, Rose talked openly about her experience and in 2010, founded Victims2Survivors to give voice to other sexually trafficked children.
“It is not something new and is becoming a horrific epidemic. Children can be sold 20 to 40 times per night. Sexual trafficking is a $32 billion business. It is only second to drug trafficking.”
Knowledge is Power
Rose recommended that college students learn the signs of a predator, trust their gut instincts, and have a plan of action if there comes a need.
“I work with Wendy Vazquez-Ernest of I Know My Plan. Oftentimes, when I speak, she comes with me. She can teach you what to do to defend yourself,” said Rose. “Most of the pimp runners on campus are the really good-looking, young guys because the girls are going to talk to them. They're scouting for the pimp.”
Vazquez-Ernest teaches a RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) program at the University of South Florida for credit and also throughout the Tampa Bay community. The course teaches women and teens realistic self-defense techniques to escape violence.
“The most important thing to do is to keep your wits about you, trust your instincts and don't put yourself into a compromising situation. Women need to feel empowered. To start on this journey is to enroll in a class that teaches you about risk reduction,” said Vazquez-Ernest. “I teach this class because of the importance of woman being educated that they do have a choice.”
On campus, the trafficker can also manipulate into such a situation by using guilt. The pimp runner reminds the freshman about their student loans—how can the parents afford college, and make suggestions how to earn lots of money through things like stripping so they can “go party, get their nails done, buy that cute dress,” said Rose. “They go through the whole list. Everything that a freshman in freaking out about—they have no money, plus the fact the guy is saying ‘your family is not here; they're not going to know. You want freedom? Here's real freedom, a way to make a lot of money.'”
Once the girls begin stripping, it often leads to sexual slavery.
“Eventually, they will be sold,” said Rose.
Fighting Back
In August, volunteers distributed thousands of bars of soap with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number 888-373-7888 to area motels and hotels. Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution, called the S.O.A.P. project educated motel owners and managers on signs of human trafficking.
The SOAP Facebook page said, “Due to the approximate 50,000 people who will be coming to Tampa for the RNC, human trafficking is expected to rise by 50%.”
Rose works tirelessly with this and other local, national, and international organizations and trafficking task forces to raise awareness of sexual trafficking, especially during large events like the Republican National Convention.
“This has nothing to do with a political party,” explained Rose. “Whenever there's a large event, it's candy to the traffickers. There's now tens of thousands of visitors in one place.”
A joint effort between Shared Hope and the Zonta Club of Pinellas County, a billboard campaign running May through September in nine locations throughout Tampa Bay, sends a crystal clear message to guests and Tampa Bay locals, “This man wants to rent your daughter.”
“Human trafficking is a human rights issue,” said Rose. “And I hate the term prostitute because that word gives the false impression that this person choose this life. This is a sexually trafficked child. When someone is starting to be sold or rented, there whole dignity is taken away. Everything about them is stripped. They've been totally (desensitized).”
That is, by no means, a choice.
Connie Rose is a voice for trafficked minors. She works with Wendy Vazquez-Ernest, who teaches Rape Aggression Defense classes at the University of South Florida. The two hope to prevent teens and young women from falling prey to predators. To learn more about Victims2Survivors or have Rose speak at your organization's next event, visit her Facebook page.
http://landolakes.patch.com/articles/breaking-the-silence-about-human-trafficking
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Texas
Texas Confronts Human Trafficking With Its Own Policies
by Lauren Henry , Dylan Scott
Her mother prostituted her at the age of six. By age 11, she was addicted to heroin and pregnant. But when local health officials saw her condition, they didn't ask any questions about the circumstances of her pregnancy. She gave birth to her first child at age 12. It took more than 30 years for her to escape a life of sexual abuse and drug addiction. In her testimony before a Texas legislative committee this June, Debbie described in vivid detail her life as a victim of human trafficking—and the past failures of state and local authorities to address her plight.
“I was 11 and I still got no questions. Nobody,” she told lawmakers. “I didn't matter.”
Most think of human trafficking as a federal issue: it's first and foremost a federal crime, and the 2000 Victims and Violence Protection Act has funneled hundreds of millions of federal dollars toward services to aid those victimized by it. But stories like Debbie's serve as a reminder that state and local governments have a role to play. That's the position that Texas State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte took this summer as she pushed her fellow lawmakers to develop better support for the crime's victims.
It's a particularly salient issue for Texas. More than 2,500 cases of human trafficking were investigated between 2008 and 2010, according to the U.S. Justice Department , and the number of victims could be as high as 17,500. And a quarter of all U.S. human trafficking cases originate in Texas, says Van de Putte, because the state has become a hub for the commercial sex industry and a major highway for drug traffickers.
Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation in 2011 to set stricter penalties for those convicted of human trafficking; the bill also mandated four hours of human trafficking training for law enforcement. (42 other states have introduced similar legislation since 2004, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures). But, as Van de Putte noted at the time: “There is still much work to be done on services for the survivors."
So, she convened two hearings this summer (with a third planned for the fall) to explore ways to improve public services for human trafficking victims. Debbie was one of many survivors and advocates who told their stories to state legislators. Those services could include shelters or safe houses, health care, mental health treatment and remedial training to prepare them to go back into the world. Van de Putte's staff is in the process of drafting legislation based on the hearings, with the November being the earliest possible date for a bill to be introduced. Texas isn't alone: according to NCSL, at least 21 states have introduced legislation in the last eight years targeted toward such services.
Work is also underway on the local level in the Lone Star state. One of the foremost concerns is simply raising public awareness about the problem, says Maria Trujillo, executive director of the Houston Rescue and Restoration Coalition, a non-profit group that supports human trafficking victims. “We really needed to make sure people knew it exists in our community,” she says. “It isn't happening in a far distant land somewhere. It is happening in our own backyard.”
To that end, going beyond the 2011 legislation's requirement for law enforcement training, Houston Mayor Annise Parker initiated a month-long outreach campaign in 2011 to educate the public and public workers about how to spot signs of a problem. Early indications suggest the effort had an impact: 30 percent of calls to Texas's human trafficking hotline, the biggest in the United States, came from Houston last year, Trujillo says.
Human trafficking is a shadowy topic, which by its very nature results in incomplete statistics and uncertainty about best practices. In that context, lawmakers must think outside the box, Trujillo says. She points to one specific example: as part of Texas's 2011 legislation, businesses selling alcohol were required to post 8x11 notices about human trafficking. While it's unknown how much impact those small signs have had on public awareness, they do allow Texas Beverage Association officials to check for compliance at those establishments. State workers can then use those visits as opportunities to gather new information.
The possibility of training cable installers or building inspectors to look for signs of human trafficking has also been floated. Policymakers have more tools at their disposal than they think, Trujillo says. “These sex traffickers are very creative,” she says. “We need to be even more creative.”
http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-texas-confronts-human-trafficking-with-its-own-policies.html
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West Virginia
Monongalia County Prosecutor's Office to Hire Child Abuse Prosecutor
by Stacy Moniot
The Monongalia County prosecutor's office said it's handling 20 to 30 more child abuse and neglect cases this year compared to last year.
With the numbers rising, the county's prosecuting attorney asked the County Commission to fund a new position.
The Commission agreed to pay for a new attorney who would focus specifically on child abuse and neglect cases.
"From beginning to end, which includes all of the in-court, out of court and extra meetings that go along with those kinds of cases," said Prosecuting Attorney Marcia Ashdown. "It really is something that has become a full-time job."
The new position, with an assistant, will cost the county about $105,000 a year.
http://www.wboy.com/story/19411317/monongalia-county-prosecutors-office-to-hire-child-abuse-prosecutor
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Do more to fight child abuse in all its forms
The commentary "How to fight child abuse" by R.A. Dickey and Grier Weeks makes a powerful argument for increasing federal spending to stop the sexual abuse of children. But even if fully funded, it would not be enough because sexual abuse is just one form of rampant violence against children in the U.S.
Some 3 million reports of abuse and neglect, involving 6 million children, are made each year to child protection agencies. Child abuse deaths — children killed in their own homes by family members and caretakers — exceed 2,000 a year. Eighty percent of the children are younger than 4. Half are younger than 1.
Since the start of the Afghanistan War, the U.S. has witnessed the terrible loss of 2,000 military personnel in that conflict. In the same period, nearly 25,000 American children have been killed by someone they trusted. The federal response to these preventable deaths is underwhelming. Nowhere near the attention and resources required to stop physical, sexual and emotional abuse have been committed. Nothing less than a comprehensive national, state and local strategy is needed.
Download a report on child abuse deaths, "We Can Do Better."
Michael R. Petit, president; Every Child Matters; Washington, D.C.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/letters/story/2012-08-29/fight-child-abuse-neil-armstrong/57415672/1
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Indiana
Star Watch Investigation: Child abuse warnings not being made
A doctor suspected abuse. He never reported it. Six months later, a toddler was dead.
Jayden Noel's ear was bruised and discolored. There was another bruise on the side of the baby's face. His lip was cut.
The emergency-room physician who examined Jayden in July 2011 at Major Hospital in Shelbyville was initially suspicious the injuries might have been signs of abuse.
The doctor asked "very direct specific questions about any child abuse," according to hospital records obtained by The Indianapolis Star. But ultimately the doctor determined the family's explanation was plausible.
Their story: The mother's boyfriend tossed a toy into Jayden's crib, not realizing the 7-month-old child was in it.
"Do not feel at this time," the physician wrote, "that a state of abuse exists."
Six months later, Jayden was dead, another victim of deadly abuse who appears to have fallen through the cracks in a system designed to protect innocent Hoosier children.
Star investigations repeatedly have uncovered instances that call into question the diligence of the Department of Child Services in investigating reports of abuse and neglect. But Jayden's death raises an additional concern: It prompted a Marion County judge to call out the emergency-room doctor who treated Jayden last summer, an unusual jab that more broadly highlights growing concerns about Indiana's mandatory child-abuse reporting law.
An autopsy revealed Jayden died from "multiple blunt-force traumatic injuries to the head." It described numerous bruises, as well as signs of another recent head injury and an older, healing collar bone injury.
Investigators were unable to determine who was responsible for the skull fracture that killed Jayden in January, but his mother, Chelsea Taylor, 20, and her then-boyfriend, Ryan Worline, 29, are charged with neglect resulting in death.
In the wake of the toddler's death, The Star filed a public-records request to obtain DCS records detailing the agency's involvement with Jayden.
Marion Superior Court Judge Marilyn Moores approved the request. Such rulings are typically boilerplate in nature, but not this time. Moores made a point of specifically chastising the emergency-room doctor, saying he "failed to make a report of suspected child abuse."
"When you have a pre-verbal child with bruising that seems inconsistent with the injury, living in a home with a (mother's) boyfriend who is not the father, err on the side of caution," Moores said of her reason for noting the actions of the ER doctor.
Indiana law requires anyone "who has a reason to believe a child is a victim" of abuse or neglect to file a report with police or DCS.
The physician, Dr. Chris Loman, works for EmCare, a Texas-based company that contracts with the hospital to provide emergency-room doctors. Through a hospital spokesman, Loman declined to comment.
Jack Horner, president and CEO of Major Health Partners, said that in the case of Jayden's emergency-room visit, "I do feel like we did handle our policy correctly."
It's unclear whether the physician will face legal consequences. Shelby County Prosecutor Kent Apsley said he was unaware of Moores' order, which The Star shared with him. He did not respond to follow-up messages seeking a response, including whether it was a matter he might pursue, after reviewing the judge's comments.
The reality is that even in this time of rising awareness of the responsibility to report suspected child abuse, many suspected cases of abuse and neglect go unreported.
Child advocates say that must change.
"People need to follow the law and err on the side of the child," said James M. Hmurovich, a former Indiana child-welfare official who now serves as president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America. "It is an adult's responsibility to keep a child safe."
Records in Jayden's DCS file, which was reviewed by Moores before she approved its release to The Star, indicate that Loman initially suspected abuse.
That suspicion, Moores said, should have been enough to prompt a call to the DCS hotline, even though Loman ultimately concluded there was no abuse.
"That's the purpose of the statute," she said.
Even though the ER doctor did not notify DCS, the agency did open an investigation -- at the request of Jayden's father.
Jerraco Noel, 23, who was not married to Taylor and did not live with her at the time, called DCS when he learned from his son's mother -- three weeks after the fact -- that Jayden had been taken to the emergency room.
By that time, Moores noted in her order, "all evidence of the injuries was gone."
Records in the DCS file indicate that such lack of evidence contributed to the agency clearing Jayden's mother and her boyfriend, Worline, in the incident last summer.
A DCS spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.
Records in the DCS file, however, also raise concerns about the agency's role.
Those records indicate that even after the father notified the agency, the investigation was "not initiated timely due to mom being out of town."
Although DCS did obtain records from the 2011 emergency-room visit, there is no indication in the file that the investigator spoke directly with Loman or anyone else at Major Hospital who saw Jayden during the emergency-room visit.
Instead, the final report that cleared Taylor and Worline says Taylor and her mother reported to the DCS investigator that "the doctors medically cleared Jayden."
The file also documents discrepancies in the stories Taylor told the DCS investigator, explanations that didn't match what she and Worline told Loman during the emergency-room visit.
The story Taylor initially told the DCS investigator was that Worline's daughter -- not Worline -- threw the toy that struck Jayden.
Three days later, Taylor "apologized to (the DCS case manager) for giving a false story on 08/05/11, in regards to the child's injuries," according to the worker's notes. Her new explanation: Jayden rolled over on a toy that Worline placed in the crib.
She never told the DCS worker that Worline threw the toy into the crib, hitting Jayden, even though Worline later told the investigator that is what happened.
Although the different stories are detailed in DCS records, the discrepancies are not cited in the agency's final report that cleared the couple.
That report concluded: "After interviewing all parties there is a lack of preponderance of evidence to support that the allegations of physical abuse is true."
Jayden's father was stunned.
"It's like the whole system failed my son -- from the hospital to DCS," Noel said. "They just didn't put the incentive and effort into figuring out what was going on."
Noel said he hopes Jayden's death can be a wake-up call for the medical community, DCS and the public.
"There are too many cases of things happening to children," he said, "when people have complained and then nothing happens."
There is no guarantee Jayden would still be alive if Loman had reported his suspicions to DCS, Moores told The Star.
But, she said, a report of suspicion from the physician might have had an impact on the outcome of the DCS probe.
"If I were the hospital," Moores said, "I would have a lot of questions for the physician."
Horner, the president and CEO of Major Health Partners, said he was baffled by the judge's comment. Hospital officials and Loman were unaware of the judge's criticism until contacted by The Star.
"We do have a policy," Horner said, "where we do attempt to err on the side of protecting the child."
The hospital reported more than 50 suspected cases of abuse and neglect in 2011, Horner said. The staff cooperated with the investigation DCS opened after Jayden's father contacted the agency, he said, providing records the agency requested.
Horner said the nature of emergency-room work, particularly when dealing with a child who is too young to explain what happened, means a physician almost always starts out from a position of considering all possibilities.
"You have to immediately suspect child abuse," Horner said, "but then you try to interview the family and others and weight that into your decision."
Horner said records show Loman did "not feel" the injuries were caused by abuse.
That final determination, he believes, absolved the physician of the reporting requirement.
It is not unusual for doctors to suspect abuse and not file a report with police or child protection agencies.
A sample of more than 300 physicians across the United States revealed they did not report more than a quarter of the injuries they considered "likely" or "very likely" the result of abuse, according to research published in 2008 in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Those doctors also declined to report more than three-quarters of the injuries they considered "possibly caused by child abuse," the study found.
One of the most common reasons cited for not reporting was "a lack of certainty," while some physicians believed they could intervene more effectively than child-protection agencies.
Many study participants also reported struggling with the concept of what constitutes "reasonable suspicion." Some believed there would have to be a 95 percent likelihood of abuse; others thought a 10 percent likelihood would meet the threshold.
There is no clear rule of thumb in Indiana regarding what level of suspicion and confidence is needed to trigger a report. There also are no continuing education requirements for Indiana physicians regarding child-abuse identification and reporting or, for that matter, any other topics.
Individual facilities where physicians practice often have some ongoing educational requirements, but such requirements and the topics they cover vary.
Frances Watson, a professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, said Indiana lawmakers set a low bar for the reporting requirement when they used the term "a reason to believe."
"That doesn't take much," Watson said. "It is a minimal term."
Still, she said, she can understand why some people might struggle with the standard.
"To some people, 'a reason to believe' might mean they should report any suspicion," she said. "Others would require more facts."
Watson said Moores appears to be sending a not-so-subtle message with her order -- a message that says people should err on the side of reporting.
"The judge is trying to light a fire under people to get them to report," Watson said. "That's why (legislators) wrote the law: It was not getting done otherwise. And we still have issues with that."
This situation is on the radar of the Indiana State Medical Association, said Communications Director Adele Lash.
The association has a family violence committee that provides training on the reporting law, but it is not mandatory, she said.
Lash was unfamiliar with the case involving Jayden and could not discuss it. She said the association has printed three articles specifically on identifying and reporting child abuse in the past year, along with others that touch on the subject, in its publication for physicians.
A Feb. 21 article noted "recent reports of alleged child sexual abuse at Penn State and Syracuse University, in addition to several incidents in Indiana, provide a good reminder of your duty to report child abuse." It spells out requirements in the law and also explains that reports can be filed anonymously and that reports made in good faith are protected from civil or criminal liability.
Another article in March called reporting suspected abuse "a doctor's moral, professional and legal obligation" and included information on how to recognize signs of abuse.
"This is something we have targeted," Lash said.
Dr. Roberta Hibbard, director of the Indiana University Child Protection Program at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, said she is working to secure funding to provide training to enhance physicians' knowledge of child maltreatment, including how to identify, report and medically evaluate suspected abuse cases.
Now, she said, there is wide variation across the state in how doctors interpret and respond to the reporting law. Although some report nearly every child injury, Hibbard said she also is aware of "several cases in Northern Indiana where (physicians) saw and documented suspicions but didn't make a report."
"We really need a call to action for medical providers to be well informed," she said.
Jayden's father agrees.
"They've got to have some sort of mandatory training for doctors each year," Noel said, "on how to identify and report abuse."
http://www.indystar.com/article/20120829/NEWS/208300339/Star-Watch-child-abuse-warnings-not-being-made
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Defendant in Texas rape case vanishes during trial
by JUAN A. LOZANO
The first defendant to face trial among a group of men and boys accused of repeatedly raping a young Texas girl vanished Wednesday during a break in the proceedings, following emotionally charged testimony from the alleged victim.
Eric McGowen, 20, is among 14 adults accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl during a nearly three-month span in 2010. Six juveniles also were charged.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys huddled briefly with Judge Mark Morefield after McGowen failed to return to the courtroom following an afternoon break. The judge then told jurors the trial will go on without him.
Morefield later said a bench warrant had been issued, and McGowen's bail was increased from $35,000 to $250,000. The judge denied a defense motion for a continuance in the case and said the trial will resume Thursday morning.
"Your client left voluntarily," Morefield told defense attorney Matthew Poston.
Poston and prosecutors did not comment outside the courtroom because of a gag order in the case.
McGowen is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The girl, testifying using a pseudonym, told jurors about two incidents, one in October 2010 and one the following month, in which she said McGowen and several other men and boys took turns sexually assaulting her while recording the encounters on video.
The girl briefly broke down in tears as jurors were shown a few minutes of video of an alleged October 2010 sexual assault in a house in Cleveland, a small southeast Texas town where she and the defendants lived.
The girl, who was 11 at the time, said she was brought into what she described as the "baby room" in the house, and that McGowen and others took turns sexually assaulting her. She said the video, which several jurors turned away from, was of her being assaulted by another man charged in the case.
"Did the guys just take turns with you?" prosecutor Joe Warren asked.
"Yes, sir," the girl said.
The girl seemed calm for most of the roughly 1½ hours she testified. She mostly gave short answers to questions, often pausing to stare at the floor or ceiling of the Liberty courtroom before responding.
She described another alleged rape that November that started in a different Cleveland home and continued later at a nearby abandoned trailer.
Asked by Warren if more than 20 males might have assaulted her that day, the girl responded, "Probably."
She also told jurors that McGowen assaulted her with a beer bottle during that incident.
Jurors later were shown police photos of used condoms and condom wrappers found inside and outside the house after the alleged November incident.
Poston questioned the girl for about six minutes, asking whether she twice had told police early in the investigation that she never had been sexually assaulted by McGowen. The girl said she didn't remember saying that.
Prosecutors say the girl was assaulted on at least five occasions from mid-September through early December of 2010.
Eight of the 20 defendants accused in the case have pleaded guilty, including all six juveniles.
Authorities began investigating that December, after one of the girl's friends told a teacher he watched a cellphone video of her being raped in an abandoned trailer.
Three people who have pleaded guilty — two adults and a juvenile who has since turned 18 — also testified Wednesday.
Isaiah Ross, 22, told jurors he saw McGowen sexually assault the girl with a beer bottle. The other adult, Marcus Porchia, 28, and the teen testified they saw others rape the girl but not McGowen.
Ross and Porchia each received 15-year prison terms. The six juveniles who pleaded guilty each received suspended seven-year prison terms.
The case sparked outrage in Cleveland, a community of roughly 9,000 residents 45 miles northeast of Houston. Early in the investigation, some residents suggested the girl was partly responsible because they say she wore makeup, looked older than her age and wasn't properly supervised by her parents, drawing widespread condemnation.
The case also has been complicated by a belief among many in the predominantly black neighborhood where several of the suspects live that the arrests were racially motivated. All of the suspects are black, while the girl is Hispanic.
During opening statements Wednesday, Warren told jurors he would present them with videotaped and written confessions in which McGowen admitted to raping the girl. Warren later showed jurors a video in which McGowen admitted to receiving oral sex from the girl.
"What took place to this girl was nothing better than a pack of animals attacking," Warren said.
On Tuesday, Poston tried but failed to get the confessions thrown out, arguing that police had improperly questioned McGowen.
During his opening statement, Poston told jurors that the video evidence in the case doesn't show McGowen sexually assaulting the girl.
"The truth in this case is not always what it seems," he said.
Most of the adult defendants in the case face charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, while four face a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
http://www.statesman.com/news/texas/defendant-in-texas-rape-case-vanishes-during-trial-2446187.html
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Amid RNC, law enforcement targets sex traffickers in Tampa
by Elisabeth Parker
TAMPA — The girl was 15, skinny with blond hair and greyish blue eyes, when she made a Myspace page. She was home alone in Clearwater, missing her dad who was in the hospital, she wrote.
A woman who befriended her on the website said she was 18.
But the woman was 32. Months later, she kidnapped the girl and took her to Atlantic City. There, the girl said, men tied her up, hit and choked her.
"I was sold 12, 13 times a day," said the girl, whose name is being withheld because she is the victim of a sex crime.
Advocates of human trafficking victims fear that such scenarios are playing out in Tampa this week during the Republican National Convention.
Any event that draws large crowds also attracts pimps with women and children for sale, said Linda Smith, founder of Shared Hope International, which works to strengthen human trafficking laws across the country. Smith, a former Republican U.S. congresswoman from Washington, called the RNC "a party."
Locally, law enforcement agents have been working to catch human traffickers.
Just last Friday, Tampa police arrested Elanda Charles, 23, of Bradenton at a motel on Busch Boulevard. They charged her with trafficking two teenaged girls, 16 and 17, who said they had come to the motel with Charles for prostitution, according to police reports.
Smith said the culture of hiring women and girls for sex proliferates among businessmen who travel. Rooted in pornography, it moves to men playing out their fantasies often in hotels across the country.
The trend has grown to include younger girls and more violence, Smith said.
The victims' average age is 13, she said. But 11 isn't unusual.
Men find them at strip clubs or online.
Theresa Flores, founder of Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution, said listings for escorts increased in the past two weeks about 60 percent in Tampa and in Charlotte. N.C., where the Democratic National Convention starts next week.
"Quite a few advertise that they are there for the RNC," she said. "You can assume some are trafficked."
To indicate youth, those posting use terms such as "barely legal," "cherry" and "ripe." A photo that doesn't show a face usually indicates that a minor is involved, Flores said. Traffickers know the photo can add a charge of child pornography if they're caught.
Before the convention, Flores and nearly 400 hundred volunteers labeled more than 50,000 bars of soap with a message and a number to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Volunteers took the soaps along with pictures of missing bay area girls to more than 200 motels from Clearwater to Brandon. Most hotel workers took the soap, part a national outreach effort.
Volunteers from Created, a church that helps women in the sex industry, prayed for women at strip clubs along Dale Mabry Highway and Nebraska Avenue each night of the convention.
The girl approves of the volunteers' efforts.
"There's a lot of people who think this would never happen to my daughter," the girl said. "It could."
Often, she said, adults use girls to recruit other girls, sometimes on Facebook.
The girl said men paid $300 to $400 each to abuse her. She escaped at 16 after her captor was arrested.
"I try not to live in fear," said the girl, who is now 21 and lives in Temple Terrace. But she still checks the closets when she gets home and sleeps with a knife under her mattress.
To help
If you witness girls being trafficked, call 1-888-373-7888
http://www.tampabay.com/news/amid-rnc-law-enforcement-targets-sex-traffickers-in-tampa/1248698
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Florida
Carrollwood Woman Breaks Silence About Human Trafficking
Connie Rose is a voice for trafficked minors.
by Deborah Bostock-Kelley
Right now, as Week of Welcome fades into memory and college campuses are merely days into full operation, naïve freshman, away from home, possibly for the first time, are being watched.
Blondes, brunettes, redheads – bespectacled bookworms, pink haired video gamers and underage partiers.
Each are new on campus, trying to find their footing in an environment completely alien to them.
The Predator Makes His Move
The freshman is sitting alone, wishing she had taken a better meal plan. She peeks into her wallet a third time, but she cannot will a $5 bill to appear to buy the latte that is splashed across the coffee shop sign.
In a college logoed T-shirt and ripped jeans, young, clean cut, handsome or “hot “as her friends back home would describe, he approaches. There's nothing shady about him. He blends in perfectly with the other students on campus.
He makes casual conversation, learning her hometown, the beloved pet she left back home, how she misses her mom, dad, her younger sister. She's shocked that he would talk to her and he encourages the dialogue, offering to purchase the drink. She hesitates and he playfully nudges her. She finally relents. College is about new experiences, meeting new people. She decides to trust him. He befriends her and they meet regularly.
A few weeks later, he is her boyfriend, showering her with attention and ultimately, gifts – a haircut, a manicure, jewelry, the dress she was looking at in the mall display window, but could never afford. He gives her the world and tells her how sexy and beautiful she is.
And then the time comes.
He reminds her of everything he's ever done for her, that he loves her so much, but there's this party and if only this one time, she could do this one thing for him. She thinks of all her mother's warnings. She feels a little uneasy, but rather than upset the man who loves her, she goes against her gut instinct to say “no.”
Traffickers Prey on the Vulnerable
“Traffickers look for teens who lack assertiveness. People are more afraid of offending someone than saying the word ‘no,' ” explained Connie Rose, founder of Victims2Survivors.
Rose explained that the young girls are often drugged at the parties.
“They are not going to know what they've done and there is going to be pictures taken of them,” said Rose. “The girls are mortified at what they did because they don't remember. The pimps use the photos to threaten to show to new friends, Mom and Dad back home. They tell things like that little dog that they talked about will be gone. They start listing all the things that they will do to them if they don't do what they want, so what is a girl to do?”
A Voice of Experience
Rose, 56, is a survivor of human trafficking, sexual violence and the daughter of a sex offender. As a child, Rose was raped by her father and as a teen, sold in to sexual slavery.
Rather than self-destruct down the common path of drug and alcohol abuse, Rose talked openly about her experience and in 2010, founded Victims2Survivors to give voice to other sexually trafficked children.
“It is not something new and is becoming a horrific epidemic. Children can be sold 20 to 40 times per night. Sexual trafficking is a $32 billion business. It is only second to drug trafficking.”
Knowledge is Power
Rose recommended that college students learn the signs of a predator, trust their gut instincts, and have a plan of action if there comes a need.
“I work with Wendy Vazquez-Ernest of I Know My Plan. Oftentimes, when I speak, she comes with me. She can teach you what to do to defend yourself,” said Rose. “Most of the pimp runners on campus are the really good-looking, young guys because the girls are going to talk to them. They're scouting for the pimp.”
Vazquez-Ernest teaches a R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) program at the University of South Florida for credit and also throughout the Tampa Bay community. The course teaches women and teens realistic self-defense techniques to escape violence.
“The most important thing to do is to keep your wits about you, trust your instincts and don't put yourself into a compromising situation. Women need to feel empowered. To start on this journey is to enroll in a class that teaches you about risk reduction,” said Vazquez-Ernest. “I teach this class because of the importance of woman being educated that they do have a choice.”
On campus, the trafficker can also manipulate into such a situation by using guilt. The pimp runner reminds the freshman about their student loans- how can the parents afford college, and make suggestions how to earn lots of money through things like stripping so they can “go party, get their nails done, buy that cute dress,” said Rose. “They go through the whole list. Everything that a freshman in freaking out about – they have no money, plus the fact the guy is saying ‘your family is not here; they're not going to know. You want freedom? Here's real freedom, a way to make a lot of money.'”
Once the girls begin in stripping, it often leads to sexual slavery.
“Eventually, they will be sold,” said Rose.
Fighting Back
In August, volunteers distributed thousands of bars of soap with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number 888-373-7888 to area motels and hotels. Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution, called the S.O.A.P. project educated motel owners and managers on signs of human trafficking.
The SOAP Facebook page said, “Due to the approximate 50,000 people who will be coming to Tampa for the RNC, human trafficking is expected to rise by 50%.”
Rose works tirelessly with this and other local, national, and international organizations and trafficking task forces to raise awareness of sexual trafficking, especially during large events like the Republican National Convention.
“This has nothing to do with a political party,” explained Rose. “Whenever there's a large event, it's candy to the traffickers. There's now tens of thousands of visitors in one place.”
A joint effort between Shared Hope and the Zonta Club of Pinellas County , a billboard campaign running May through September in nine locations throughout Tampa Bay, sends a crystal clear message to guests and Tampa Bay locals, “This man wants to rent your daughter.”
“Human trafficking is a human rights issue,” said Rose. “And I hate the term prostitute because that word gives the false impression that this person choose this life. This is a sexually trafficked child. When someone is starting to be sold or rented, there whole dignity is taken away. Everything about them is stripped. They've been totally de-synthesized.”
That is, by no means, a choice.
To learn more about Victims2Survivors or have Rose speak at your organization, click her Facebook page.
http://carrollwood.patch.com/articles/carrollwood-woman-breaks-silence-about-human-trafficking
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California
Massive police raid in Wilmington nets 14 sex offenders
by Christina Villacorte
With a helicopter gunship overhead and drug-sniffing dogs on the ground, about 100 law enforcement officers swarmed a Wilmington neighborhood late Tuesday and arrested 14 registered sex offenders for various parole violations.
Joe Martinez, a parole administrator with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said a search of the sex offenders' motel rooms and apartments turned up pornography, cocaine, marijuana and an unauthorized knife.
"What'll happen is that the sex offenders will be placed in custody, and on a parole hold," he said. "So even if they had a million dollars, they cannot bail out of jail for a while."
Dubbed Operation Safe Haven, the parole sweep involved more than a dozen federal, state and local law enforcement agencies banding together to check on 60 sex offenders clustered within three blocks near the twin Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
About 40 of the sex offenders gave their address as Harbor Inn, a motel on 716 Flint Ave.
"Prior to 2006, you didn't have this clustering of sex offenders," Martinez said. "When Jessica's Law was passed, it prohibited any sex offenders from residing within 2,000 feet of any K-12 school or park, and there's not a lot of areas that comply with those law requirements."
Around 11 p.m. Tuesday, teams of parole agents, probation officers, federal marshals, police officers, immigration officers, social workers from the county Department of Children and Family Services, and several K-9 teams entered the sex offenders' motel rooms and apartments.
They rousted the occupants, some of whom had been asleep, tied their wrists with plastic zip ties, frisked them, escorted them outside, and then searched through their things.
"Zero tolerance," a parole agent told one of the teams searching for banned items at the motel.
DCFS's multi-agency response team was summoned after boys, ages 3 and 4, were found living in one of the apartments with their mother and her boyfriend, who was convicted decades ago of attempting to rape an adult woman.
The social workers found no signs the children were being mistreated and decided to let them continue living in the apartment with their mother while an investigation is ongoing. The boyfriend was found in possession of pornography and taken into custody.
Operation Safe Haven comes several weeks after residents held a town hall meeting to express concern over the high concentration of sex offenders in their midst, and rising crime.
According to the California Megan's Law website, there are 179 sex offenders in the Wilmington ZIP code.
Martinez said the community became alarmed after a man exposed himself to two girls walking to school in July. The man remains at large.
Aside from the CDCR, other agencies that participated in the raid were the US Marshalls Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Bureau of Immigration and Customs; SWAT teams from the state prisons in Lancaster and Chino; and police, parole and probation officers from different cities in Los Angeles County.
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_21423090/police-raid-wilmington-nets-14-sex-offenders
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Belgian who aided child abuse starts convent life
by RAF CASERT
BRUSSELS (AP) — The screaming, insults and scuffles that accompanied the nighttime arrival of one of Belgium's most despised criminals at a bucolic convent have abated.
A local legislator who suggested in a Tweet that Michelle Martin, the woman who let two 8-year-old girls starve to death in a cellar and helped her pedophile husband carry out horrific abuse 16 years ago, should be ‘‘taken down,'' said on Wednesday that his comment should not be taken seriously.
And political talk is centering on how to toughen the conditions for early release in Belgium to avoid having a criminal like Martin walk free after serving only 16 years of her 30-year sentence.
Meanwhile, Martin started her first day at the Clarisse convent in the village of Malonne on Wednesday. She will have to work for 20 hours a week to compensate for her living costs as she seeks, in the words of her lawyer, atonement for her crimes.
After an eventful arrival Tuesday night, police remained on guard outside the convent on Wednesday. The masses of journalists jockeying for a glimpse of Martin started dwindling.
As the car carrying her sought its way through Malonne late Tuesday, some stones were thrown and the vehicle was kicked.
‘‘To go through this on the very day with such violence, I think it left an impression on her,'' said Martin's lawyer, Thierry Moreau. He said he hopes a time will come, once the furor has died down, when Martin will be fully reintegrated into society.
‘‘There is the possible question to integrate her into the life of Malonne, and think what she could do to find work,'' Moreau said. ‘‘But it will be very difficult. You need someone to give her employment.''
The memory of her crimes is still too vivid for that.
She was first the mistress and later the wife of Marc Dutroux, who horrified the nation with his crimes during the mid-1990s. He was convicted of abducting, imprisoning and raping six girls between the summers of 1995 and 1996. He was also found guilty of murdering two of the six girls, who ranged in age from 8 to 19 years old.
The last two of Dutroux's kidnap victims were found alive in his basement a few days after his arrest.
Martin was convicted of conspiracy in the kidnappings and imprisonment leading to the deaths of the two starved girls, who were held in a secret dungeon specially built in a cellar. Martin said she had been too scared to go into the cellar to feed them while Dutroux was serving a four-month jail term for car theft.
Such were her crimes, that regional legislator Jurgen Verstrepen called in a Tweet message late Tuesday for her to be ‘‘taken down ... candidates?'' On Wednesday he said the Tweet lacked a smiley face at the end, and ‘‘for some this is necessary to show irony.''
The prospect of her release had spawned demonstrations in the past few weeks, with demands to keep her in jail. On Wednesday, under sunny skies, there still were police around the convent but all appeared calm.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/2012/08/29/belgian-who-aided-child-abuse-starts-convent-life/Xnv5fB5k8PJvBikGNab30M/story.html
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Oklahoma
Child abuse is tragic, but also preventable
by LAURA GAMBLE
I'm saddened by the lenient sentence in the recent child sexual abuse case involving a former Oklahoma City police officer. Even though the officer is and always will be known as a sex offender, that's little justice compared with what his victims will endure for the rest of their lives.
Victims of child abuse are subject to illnesses and emotional problems ranging from depression and suicide to prostitution and teen pregnancy and much more. There is a great possibility of repeating the abuse as adults. Forty percent of sex offenders report being sexually abused as children.
What saddens me more is the lack of information available to parents on how to protect children from these predators. When details of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse case came to light, people asked me, “How is abuse like that allowed to happen?” And “How do I protect my own child from someone like that?” There are no simple answers to these questions, but one fact is clear: Child abuse happens when adults don't know how to recognize the abuse or they fail to report what they suspect.
The statistics are staggering: One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually assaulted before age 18; 90 percent of the perpetrators are people known and trusted by the child.
Parents need to know the warning signs. Sexual predators “groom” the parent first. They ingratiate themselves into the lives of the parent and child, just like in the Sandusky case. Then, the predator will try to find ways to spend time alone with the child. He may offer to take the child somewhere or baby-sit so the parent can have a break. Be wary of anyone who wants to spend time alone with your child.
Every day in Oklahoma, 84 children are reported as victims of some form of child abuse. Nationally, child abuse affects more than 1 million children a year. Child abuse costs our nation $220 million every day and will cost us more than $80 billion this year. Child abuse affects every one of us. It will take every one of us to stop it.
Oklahoma law requires everyone to report suspected child abuse or neglect. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. The Child Abuse Hotline is (800) 522-3511. If you're a parent and are in a situation where you're afraid you might hurt your own child, or you just need someone to talk to, call the Family CareLine at 848-CARE (2273), or 211.
Child abuse is tragic, devastating — and preventable. Learn the warning signs and follow your hunch. If you suspect something isn't right, be the voice for that child and make a phone call. You'll likely be the only person to do so.
Gamble is executive director of Family Builders. The organization's website (www.familybuildersok.org) offers tips on protecting children from sexual predators. On. Aug. 21, former Oklahoma City police Sgt. Maurice A. Martinez pleaded guilty to molesting his three adopted sons and was sentenced to two years in the Oklahoma County jail, followed by two years of house arrest and 25 years' probation.
http://newsok.com/child-abuse-is-tragic-but-also-preventable/article/3704923
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Why We Need to Treat Parenthood as a Privilege
by
Laura Carroll -- Nonfiction Author & Communications Consultant
What kind of story do we see in the news just about every day? Incidents of child abuse. When it comes to child abuse, the statistics in the United States are unnerving. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, in the United States a child is abused or neglected every 36 seconds. This Department also reports that in 2010, "parents, acting alone or with another person, were responsible for 79.2 percent of child abuse or neglect fatalities." And according to the American Anthropological Association, three to five children a day are killed by their parents.
At first it might seem ironic that in our child-centered society so much harm comes to children. There are plenty of wonderful parents, but I bet you'd agree that parenthood is not automatically the right choice for everyone. As these statistics illustrate, you don't have to look very far to find parents who never should have had children.
Why do we see so many people who are unfit to parent? It starts with our belief system around parenthood, which includes pronatalist assumptions that lead everyone to believe they should have children -- even people who shouldn't have them. Pronatalist beliefs also condone the right for anyone to have children whenever they want to have them, which leads many people to have children before they are emotionally, psychologically or financially ready.
When this happens, it not only harms children, but comes at great cost to our society. Who pays for the costs of unfit parents and their harmed children? We do. In 2007, Prevent Child Abuse America conservatively estimated the annual costs of child abuse and neglect at $103.8 billion.
But there is good news. In our current political climate where bipartisanship seems virtually non-existent, child abuse is an area that stands out as an exception. Recent bipartisan efforts of Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) have resulted in the Protect Our Kids Act, which proposes the development of a national strategy for reducing child abuse.
Kerry indicates that the Act will evaluate effectiveness of existing programs designed to "keep children safe from abuse, maltreatment, and neglect." However, more needs to happen for real change to occur, and it starts with mindset change.
Instead of subscribing to pronatalist assumptions that promote irresponsible reproduction, parenthood needs to be treated as a privilege. Despite the pronatalist myth that parenthood is supposed to come naturally -- that somehow the ability to give birth has a strong connection to the ability to parent -- parenthood also needs to be treated like any "job" that requires certain skills and aptitudes.
In our society, driving is a privilege because if we aren't able to drive well, it will result in harm to others. Because parenthood can potentially cause great harm to children and society, and because it's arguably the most important job in the world, it's time we get more serious about holding these same attitudes when it comes to having children.
And we need to translate these attitudes to the development of programs, such as nationally mandating high school parenthood education. It exists in some schools, but more often than not it isn't mandatory, and when it does exist, needs to go further than introducing what's involved in parenting. At this age, young people need to begin exploring their interest, desire and aptitudes for parenting one day.
We need to get more serious about adult parenthood education as well. Mandated educational programs do exist, such as the Parent Accountability Act, which is designed to educate parents of teens convicted of gang crimes. Lots of resources are also out there, but they are largely for parents seeking help once the baby is already on the way, is already here, or when problems already exist. It would be far better to invest resources in programs that are taken before pregnancy occurs to help people assess their readiness on a number of levels, from the financial to the emotional. Developed by experts from a range of disciplines, this kind of program should also be mandated, and designed with serious state and federal incentives, such as tax deductions for completion.
No doubt in today's economic climate, some might initially balk at the costs associated with programs like this. However, cost concerns need to be put against the billions we already pay due to bad parenting and the harm it causes to children. Treating parenthood as a privilege would shift the cost responsibility from dealing with the aftermath of unfit parents to preventing them in the first place.
Children deserve parents who are best suited to raise them, and society has a duty to our children to ensure this happens. Creating tangible ways to treat parenthood as a privilege, such as parenthood program directives, has the potential to powerfully execute this duty.
It's time we stop living by pronatalist assumptions that fail to foster a society in which those who are best suited to become parents are the ones who have children, and commit to one that not just promotes, but demands, responsible reproduction for the benefit of all.
Laura is the author of The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-carroll/post_3810_b_1829044.html
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California
Calif. Senate approves bill inspired by Penn State
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — All employees at California colleges would be required by law to report suspected child sexual abuse under a bill approved by the state Senate.
Sen. Ron Calderon says AB1434 "can be summed up in one word: Sandusky."
The bill passed unanimously Tuesday and now goes to the Assembly.
California law already requires teachers, teacher aides, doctors and others who supervise children to report abuse suspicions.
Calderon, a Democrat from Monterey Park, says the child sex abuse convictions of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky revealed the need to specifically require reporting by university employees. Two school officials were charged with failing to report abuse allegations.
A mandatory reporter's failure to report child abuse can bring up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Calif-Senate-approves-bill-inspired-by-Penn-State-3821628.php
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California
Prop 35 Cheat Sheet: Increased Penalties for Human Trafficking
State and federal laws already define two types of human trafficking. Sex trafficking, probably the one most people think of first, includes forced prostitution. The other, labor trafficking, includes forcing an undocumented immigrant to work for free under threat of deportation.
Prop 35 would do several things. First, it would expand the definition of human trafficking to include the production or distribution of child pornography. It would also increase the penalties for all types of human trafficking. The maximum prison sentence for labor trafficking would increase from the current 5 or 8 years (depending on whether a minor is involved) to 12 years. For sex trafficking, it would increase from 5 or 8 years to a maximum of 20 years for adults or life in prison if a minor is involved. If the victim suffered bodily injury, an additional 10 years could be added to the sentence (currently it's only five). For each prior conviction, a defendant could also have an additional 5 years tacked on to the sentence. And anyone convicted of human trafficking would now be required to register as a sex offender.
Under Prop 35, courts could fine anyone convicted of a human trafficking offense up to $1.5 million. That money would have to be spent on victims' support services (70 percent) and on law enforcement activities related to human trafficking (30 percent). It would also require new training for all police, sheriff's department, and highway patrol officers.
Prop 35 would further protect victims. First, a person could not be prosecuted for criminal sexual conduct, such as prostitution, if he or she committed the crime while a victim of human trafficking. Nor could a person's sexual conduct be used to discredit them in court proceedings.
Finally, Prop 35 would require that all registered sex offenders provide information about their Internet service provider and their online identities.
WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS
Voting YES means that you would like to increase the penalties for human trafficking and implement the other changes proposed under Prop 35.
Voting NO means that you want to keep California's existing laws regarding human trafficking, no change.
WHO/WHAT IT WOULD AFFECT
Criminal Defendants: Defendants in human trafficking cases would not be allowed to use a victim's sexual conduct to discredit their characters. If convicted, they would also face having to register for life as a sex offender, and they would face considerably stiffer sentences.
Registered Sex Offenders: Registered sex offenders would have to report additional information about their Internet service providers and online identities. Some convicted criminals who previously would not have been considered sex offenders would have to register for life.
State and Federal Courts: Many human trafficking cases are tried in federal courts, under federal law. According to the legislative analyst, it's actually unclear how much that will change under the new measure.
State and Local Government: Governments could see an increase of a couple million dollars a year for criminal justice costs, in total.
Law Enforcement: Officers would be required to undergo specialized training related to human trafficking. The collective cost of training could be up to a few million dollars up front followed by lower costs each year thereafter.
Victims: Victims would gain some additional protections under the measure, including freedom from prosecution for criminal sexual conduct if it were perpetrated as a result of human trafficking. Some additional revenue would be available for victim services because of the new fines courts could impose. A few million dollars could be raised each year from those fines, though it would obviously depend on how many people were convicted. As of March 2012, only 18 prisoners in the state were there for human trafficking, according to the legislative analyst.
WHO'S BEHIND IT
Prop 35 was spearheaded by California Against Slavery and the Safer California Foundation, an organization created by former Facebook Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelly. Major financial supporters of the measure include Chris Kelly and the Peace Officers Research Association of California
WHO'S AGAINST IT
Several principals at Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education, and Research Project, Inc. put together arguments against Prop 35. However, as of Aug. 28, the Secretary of State's Office reports no committees formed to collect contributions for an opposition campaign.
ARGUMENTS BEING MADE FOR
Prop 35 will protect children from sexual exploitation.
It will hold human traffickers accountable for their crimes.
It will help stop the exploitation of children online by requiring sex offenders to provide information about their Internet presence.
ARGUMENTS BEING MADE AGAINST
This measure actually threatens innocent people by broadening the definition of pimping: anyone receiving financial support from consensual prostitution among adults, including a sex worker's children or spouse, could be prosecuted as a human trafficker. If convicted, they would have to register as a sex offender for life.
The measure could be challenged as unconstitutional for its vague definition of human trafficking that would include the "intent to distribute obscene matter," possibly for "cruel and unusual" punishments including excessive prison terms and fines, and for inhibiting a defendant's right to introduce evidence in defense trials.
It will cost the state even more through increased workloads in probation departments and through new training for police.
http://www.kcet.org/news/ballotbrief/elections2012/propositions/prop-35-cheat-sheet-human-trafficking.html
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Hawaii
Paramedics help sex trafficking victims
by Rick Daysog
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -
A 17-year-old victim of sex trafficking tells a chilling tale of beatings and abuse by her pimp, but, like many women forced to sell their bodies, "Dee Dee" said she was reluctant to seek medical attention out of fear of further beatings or being arrested by the police.
"I was beaten so bad to the point where I had a concussion," said "Dee Dee," whose name was changed to protect her identity. "I blacked out and I have a ding on the back of my head because of that beating. I knew I needed help, but I couldn't get it."
Dee Dee recounted her story to dozens of Oahu paramedics yesterday as part of a new training program to reach out to women victimized by trafficking abuse.
For the past several months, the city has required all of its paramedics to attend this 90-minute course so that they can better recognize the tell-tale signs of trafficking abuse, a problem experts say is more widespread than many people think.
"We've learned that they are so afraid of being caught by their pimps and by the law that they are not very responsive to our help, and turned us away more often than not," said Kelly Yamamoto, a district chief with the City & County of Honolulu's Emergency Medical Services.
The training sessions were conducted by Kathryn Xian, who is executive director of the Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery. Xian said that when compared to Mainland cities, Honolulu has a higher proportion of women at risk of being forced into sex trafficking.
She said the average age of entry is 13 and most of the girls are physically coerced.
"Human trafficking, because it is an underground industry, is highly ignored, and yet the problem of both sex and labor trafficking in Hawaii is quite significant," Xian said.
Emergency workers put this training to good use over the past weekend, when they rescued a 20 year-old woman who was beaten in Makiki. The woman was placed in a shelter before she could be discovered by pimps.
Meanwhile, "Dee Dee," the woman who was forced into sex trafficking, is turning her life around.
She recently received her high school diploma and will soon start a new job with a local company. "Dee Dee" also says she's hopeful this new program will help other women.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/19402905/paramedics-help-sex-trafficking-victims
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Texas
1st trial set to begin in alleged repeated sexual assault of 11-year-old Texas girl in 2010
by Associated Press
LIBERTY, Texas — The case shocked and divided the small Southeast Texas town where authorities allege an 11-year-old girl was repeatedly sexually assaulted over a period of months in 2010 by a group of 20 males.
Now the first trial stemming from the case is set to be heard by a jury.
Opening statements in the trial of Eric McGowen were scheduled for Wednesday in Liberty.
McGowen is among 14 adults charged in the case. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Prosecutors and McGowen's defense attorney have declined to comment because of a gag order in the case.
Authorities say the girl was assaulted at least five times between mid-September and early December 2010 by males ranging in age from a middle school student to a 28-year-old. The alleged rapes took place in Cleveland, located about 45 miles northeast of Houston. Prosecutors say McGowen, 20, assaulted the girl in October 2010. The trial is being held in the nearby county seat of Liberty.
The investigation began in December 2010, after one of the girl's friends told a teacher he had seen a lurid cellphone video that showed the girl being raped in an abandoned trailer.
Those charged included two top athletes at the local high school and adults with criminal records.
The case brought unflattering attention to Cleveland, a town of 9,000 people, after some residents suggested the girl was in part responsible for what happened, saying she wore makeup, looked older and wasn't properly supervised by her parents. Other community residents, as well as groups from outside of town, sharply criticized those suggestions.
The case also has been complicated by a belief among many in the predominantly black neighborhood where several of the suspects live that the arrests were racially motivated. All of the suspects are black, while the girl is Hispanic.
Two other adults have previously pleaded guilty, with one receiving a 15-year prison term and the other awaiting sentencing. Six juveniles who were charged also have previously pleaded guilty. They received 7-year prison terms, but their sentences were suspended and they were put on probation for that amount of time.
Most of the adult defendants in the case face charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, while four face a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/1st-trial-set-to-begin-in-alleged-repeated-sexual-assault-of-11-year-old-texas-girl-in-2010
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Mississippi
Mississippi Center counsels adult abuse survivors
A greater emphasis on preventing and prosecuting child abuse has kept the caseload growing at the Southwest Mississippi Children's Advocacy Center, two officials said.
Program manager Kim Walley and victim assistance coordinator Jade Douglas said that in addition to interviewing children about current cases, the non-profit organization has seen an increased number of adults who were abused when they were young.
http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_9f9ba724-f075-11e1-bb4f-0019bb2963f4.html
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Pennsylvania
PFSA shares tell-tale signs of child abuse
The Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA) announced today the warning signs of child abuse for children returning to school from summer break. PFSA states, if a child has spent the summer in an abusive or neglectful home, it may be in the first few days back at school that the tell-tale signs of abuse are most likely to emerge and be recognized.
Tina Phillips, director of training for PFSA said in a release issued today, “It may be easier for teachers and other school employees to recognize that something was or is amiss because of the time lapse. A child who has been abused or neglected over the summer may look or act dramatically different from when school ended a few months earlier. A returning child also may see school or a teacher as a safe haven and feel comfortable enough to open up."
Teachers and other school employees are considered mandated reporters, which means they have a legal duty to report suspected child abuse or neglect. PFSA is working diligently to educate mandated reporters about their legal obligations to report child abuse.
"The first few weeks back at school are when teachers need to be attuned to looking for signs of abuse or neglect," Phillips said. "They may notice behavior or physical signs that suggest abuse. Most kids are coming back from a happy, fun-filled summer, and it shows. Kids that have had a tough time will present a contrast. Teachers need to be alert."
Among the suggestive signs are such things as:
Unexplained bruises, burns, broken bones, or other injuries, or obviously unaddressed medical or dental needs.
Showing up at school early or staying late and not wanting to go home, or a fearful reaction to parents.
Behavior that seems overly compliant, withdrawn, or passive, or aggressive behavior towards oneself or others.
Poor hygiene or clothing that's dirty or poorly fitted.
Lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities such as sports, clubs, or playing an instrument.
Demonstrating sexual knowledge or behavior not typical for the child's age.
Phillips said the behavior of parents at parent-teacher conferences or school open house nights also can signal problems at home. Indicators such as showing little or no concern for the child's welfare, blaming the child for problems at home or school, requesting harsh discipline, conveying that a child is worthless or burdensome, making demands on a child beyond his or her developmental abilities, or rejecting offers of help for a child's problems.
PFSA wants teachers, and the public, to know that the abovementioned are but a few of the signs that something could be wrong. Phillips stressed that Pennsylvania law does not require mandated reporters or the public to have complete certainty of abuse. The law states only that someone have “reasonable suspicion” of child abuse.
The bottom line is that each of us has that inherent “gut feeling” and it's best to err on the side of caution. Phillips states that “it's better to make a report and let Children and Youth Services conduct an investigation than it is to hold back.” Anyone can report suspected child abuse or neglect by calling ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313. For more information about mandating reporting, suspected child abuse or the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance, please click HERE.
http://www.examiner.com/article/pfsa-shares-tell-tale-signs-of-child-abuse
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Many cases of child abuse can be missed in the emergency department
Children who present at the emergency department with an injury may be victims of child abuse; however, busy healthcare workers may overlook that possibility and merely treat the injury. A new study by researchers in The Netherlands conducted a study to determine whether introducing screening, and training of emergency department nurses, can increase the detection rate of child abuse.
They published their findings online on August 27 in the journal Pediatrics.
The authors noted that systematic screening for child abuse of children presenting at emergency departments might increase the detection rate; however, studies to support this premise are scarce. Therefore, they designed a study investigates whether introducing screening, and training of emergency department nurses, increases the detection rate of child abuse.
The study group was comprised of 104,028 children aged 18 or younger who presented at the emergency departments of seven hospitals between February 2008 and December 2009. The researchers developed a screening checklist for child abuse (the “Escape Form”) and training sessions for nurses. Cases of suspected child abuse were determined by an expert panel using predefined criteria. The effect of the interventions on the screening rate for child abuse was calculated by interrupted time-series analyses and by the odds ratios for detection of child abuse in screened children.
The researchers found that t screening rate increased from 20% in February 2008 to 67% in December 2009. They found that significant increases in child abuse detection by the nurse after they received training as well as the legal requirement of screening by the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate in 2009. The detection rate in children screened for child abuse was five times higher than that in children not screened (0.5% vs. 0.1%).
The authors concluded that their results indicated that systematic screening for child abuse in emergency departments is effective in increasing the detection of suspected child abuse. They added that both a legal requirement and staff training are recommended to significantly increase the extent of screening.
The emergency department checklist:
Is the history consistent?
Was there unnecessary delay in seeking medical help?
Does the onset of the injury fit with the developmental level of the child? Is the behavior of the child/the carers and the interaction appropriate?
Are the findings of the top-to-toe examination in accordance with the history?
Are there any other signals that make you doubt the safety of the child or other family members? If ‘Yes' describe the signals in the box ‘Other comments' below.
Take home message:
This study addresses the important issue of child abuse. Of equal importance, the checklist also appears to take into consideration that an injury that might be due to child abuse could also merely be an accident. On occasion, innocent parent is wrongly accused of child abuse by a healthcare professional.
http://www.emaxhealth.com/11306/many-cases-child-abuse-can-be-missed-emergency-department
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Illinois
Steven Johnson, Illinois man, charged with sexual abuse, accused of holding teen captive in home for three years
by Crimesider Staff
WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. -Steven Johnson was charged Saturday with aggravated criminal sexual abuse for allegedly holding a St. Louis teenager captive in his home for three years and conceiving a child with her before she escaped last week.
St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly said 25-year-old Johnson had sex with the teenager when she was underage, but would not comment on whether the evidence supports the teen's story of being held against her will.
Johnson was charged with numerous crimes including a felony count of promotion of prostitution, but Kelly would not say if that charge was related to the teenager. Johnson also faces two felony drug charges and a felony gun charge. He is being held in St. Clair County Jail on $2 million bond.
If found guilty of all five charges Johnson would have a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Johnson's mother, 54-year-old Owida Johnson, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of child endangerment and was being held in jail on $15,000 bond. The teenager, now 19, told police that the mother had her falsify medical records when the now 2-year-old child was born.
Kelly said the two counts of child endangerment involve two children, but would not say to whom the other child belonged. Two children were taken from the Johnson home on Thursday by a SWAT team.
Kelly said the investigation is ongoing while the teenager is with family members and the children are in the hands of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
"These are only the preliminary charges," Washington Park Police Chief Dave Clark said. "We are continuing the investigation and there could possibly be additional charges pending."
Officials found unsafe and sanitary conditions in the home including exposed wiring, spoiled food in the refrigerator, animal feces and insects and vermin, Kelly said.
Police said the teenager told them she met the suspect through a social acquaintance and visited his southwestern Illinois home around the time she was reported missing. The teenager told police that the man wouldn't allow her to go back to her parents and that she repeatedly tried to escape the house.
Clark said the teenager bolted from the home on Aug. 20 and told investigators that her time in captivity included almost daily beatings and sexual assaults.
Investigators plan to have the child's DNA tested to determine whether Johnson is the father, Clark said Friday.
Johnson's brother, Eric Johnson, told the News-Democrat that the teenager wasn't held against her will and frequently went to neighborhood stores and the child's pediatrician.
He said his brother had thrown the teenager out of the home several times.
"She always came back," said Eric, who also said he once offered to take her to a shelter.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57500725-504083/steven-johnson-illinois-man-charged-with-sexual-abuse-accused-of-holding-teen-captive-in-home-for-three-years/
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Texas
Man Gets 99 Years For Sexually Abusing Sisters
"When you steal a 12-year-old relative's first kiss and play "Strip Connect Four" with her 11-year-old sister, you have pretty much punched your ticket," said Assistant District Attorney Bill Vassar.
by Tim Curry - Criminal Justice Center
A 65-year-old man who repeatedly sexually abused two sisters has been sentenced to 99 years in prison with no possibility for parole.
Last week, jurors in state district Judge George Gallagher's court convicted Charles Samuel Burgess II of one count of continuous sexual abuse of children and one count of indecency.
The jury later sentenced him to the maximum on each count—99 years and 20 years in prison, respectively. They also assessed the maximum $10,000 fine.
The sentences will run concurrently, but because Burgess was convicted of “continuous sexual abuse of children”—a charge that carries no parole eligibility— he will never get out of prison.
During the trial, prosecutors Bill Vassar and Heather Davenport presented evidence that Burgess sexually abused two relatives when they took “Birthday Trips” alone to his house in Arlington.
The oldest girl was abused in April 2010 and April 2011, when she went and stayed with Burgess for several days to celebrate her 11th and 12th birthdays.
The youngest girl was abused in August 2010 when she went and stayed several days with Burgess for her 10th birthday.
The jury heard emotional testimony from the oldest girl who talked about the abuse and said that her first kiss was from Burgess.
The youngest girl testified that she and Burgess played “Strip Connect 4” and when she lost, she had to undress.
During the punishment phase of the trial, the girls' father lashed out at Burgess, calling him a monster for abusing his girls and putting them through a trial.
The trial marked at least the sixth time that a Tarrant County jury has convicted a defendant of continuous sexual abuse of a child and sentenced him to the maximum with no possibility for parole.
Seventy-two members of our community have now said that the maximum sentence is proper for pedophiles who continuously abuse children.
In 2007, the Texas Legislature enacted the Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Young Child or Children statute, which is commonly referred to as “Jessica's Law.”
The law, which was passed after Jessica Lunsford was kidnapped, raped and killed by a registered sex offender, enhances punishment in cases involving ongoing or continuous sexual abuse of children.
http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-man-gets-99-years-for-sexually-abusing-sisters-20120827,0,1101460.story
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Georgia makes parent volunteers in schools mandatory child abuse reporters. Is that a mistake?
by Maureen Downey
Schools in Georgia are now informing parents of a law passed this year that broadens the list of people mandated to report child abuse. The list now includes volunteers at churches, colleges, clubs, summer camps or soccer fields or parents who chaperone a field trip. They could go to jail if they fail to report suspected abuse.
A Fulton parent sent me a copy of a letter she wrote to her legislator expressing concerns about the law. She writes: “… there are hundreds of volunteers in the FCS system and I believe this law leaves the door open for the possibility of a volunteer thinking they see a case and reporting it ‘just in case.' After all, if they don't, they might be charged with a misdemeanor, right? This leaves a terrible scenario where an innocent child/family may be traumatized by the removal of a child and lengthy “investigations.” I personally would call this child abuse.”
A short excerpt of the letter is below. I asked the Fulton school system to explain this new policy, and that response is also below.
Like other systems, Fulton is following a state directive to notify all school volunteers that they must report any suspected child abuse to the Department of Family and Children Services or face legal charges. Fulton is holding a meeting Monday evening to explain the law to parents.
Cherokee included this mention of the law in its guidelines for volunteers: Understand that under current GA Law (O.C.G.A § 19-7-5), school-affiliated volunteers are considered as “mandated reporters” of suspected child abuse. Should you gain information as it relates to a suspected case of child abuse through a verbal/written communication, direct observation, or some other manner, you must report this information to your school's administration immediately. It will become that administrator's (or designee's) responsibility to then report the suspected abuse to the appropriate state or local investigative agency.
The AJC reported on this law in the spring when it passed the General Assembly. Here is an excerpt of the story:
The change, when it becomes law, will mandate reporting by any employee or volunteer at any kind of agency, business, nonprofit or other group that works with children. Violators of the reporting mandate can be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The amendment was added to House Bill 1176, which shortens sentences for lesser crimes to reduce the load on prisons. It was approved unanimously by both houses and awaits the signature of Gov. Nathan Deal, who promoted the initiative as one of his top priorities.
Spokesman Brian Robinson said Deal “definitely will sign” the bill. It becomes law July 1. “You're going to see an exponential increase in reports of potential child abuse, ” predicted John Adams, a former human resources official for the Cobb County School District.
Adams, who now runs a teachers advocacy group called Educators First, said the new provisions would conceivably apply to every PTA member and even parents who volunteer in a classroom. Institutions will probably have to train, or at least educate, everyone who could fall under the law's provisions, Adams said.
Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, authored the current mandatory reporting law that is limited to a handful of professions. This year, she proposed expanding it to all Georgians, but lawmakers thought that went too far. She said her goal was education and deterrence rather than prosecution for failure to report. She noted that three professionals have been convicted since the statute took effect in 2009.
The amendment was a bipartisan effort. It was written by Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, with help from Carter at Emory, and folded into the governor's sentencing bill by Rep. Rich Golick, R-Smyrna, co-chair of the House Special Joint Committee on Georgia Criminal Justice Reform.
Oliver said lawmakers concerned about child abuse seized on public support for action in the wake of the scandal at Penn State University, where assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was accused of child sexual abuse. Oliver wanted to ensure that coaches were required to report suspicions of abuse.
Perhaps the biggest change: Previously only employees were clearly mandated as required to report suspected abuse, but now volunteers will fall under the provision.
“It's obviously going to be a big thing, ” said Mike Bryant, executive director of the Bogart-based Georgia Association of Christian Schools. The group represents 55 mostly Baptist schools, a half-dozen of them in metro Atlanta. The schools require background checks and fingerprinting of teachers, Bryant said, but churches and schools are probably “all over the map” on checks for volunteers at Sunday school and church nurseries or for chaperoning field trips.
From a Fulton parent:
It has recently come to my attention that parents who volunteer in the Fulton County School system will now be required to to become “mandatory reporters” for any suspected child abuse. As a parent and volunteer myself, I am very disturbed at the amount of responsibility this gives us. We read to kids, provide teachers lunches, assist in the library, we are not accredited counselors or social workers.
I am concerned for a number of reasons…there are hundreds of volunteers in the FCS system, and I believe this law leaves the door open for the possibility of a volunteer “thinking” they see a case and reporting it “just in case.” After all, if they don't, they might be charged with a misdemeanor, right? This leaves a terrible scenario, where an innocent child/family may be traumatized by the removal of a child and lengthy “investigations.”
Should this scenario play out — even once- — is not only too much, but can you imagine the family suing the volunteer? There will be no union or financial aid for them. This is just too much of a heavy burden to take I believe, and, in the best interest of all children, I do believe this is not a wise law. Just at the point when FCS need all the volunteer assistance they can get, I think they will lose many. I, for one.
I got online to complete the “training.” It took all of five minutes with two questions to answer, and they were multiple choice. If I got it wrong, they gave me another go. This is very poor [training] and unacceptable to me for the task you are asking of us. It really does not give me confidence in people's observation abilities to correctly identify abuse. I am really concerned for the times we will get this wrong.
From Fulton schools spokeswoman:
Just to be clear this is not a school system mandate, but Georgia State mandate signed by Gov. Deal during the last legislative session. Systems are simply complying with the law. Fulton is going above the state law requirement by providing training. The training is online and at each school. FCS is also providing a new code of conduct so that volunteers can read and understand best practices before they begin to volunteer.
Safety will always be a priority for the school system. So although the law adds additional responsibility for volunteers, more importantly, it's an extra safety-net to expose possible student abuse. The spirit of the law is to add more eyes and ears to the identification and reporting of child abuse in our schools as well as any child service organization.
As far as liability, the law clearly states that there are no legal consequences for any child abuse report made in “Good Faith;” however, failure to report when you suspect that a child is being abused can be considered a misdemeanor in Georgia. Once a report is received, all allegations are thoroughly investigated by the appropriate agency or department.
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/08/26/georgia-makes-parent-volunteers-mandatory-child-abuse-reporters-is-that-a-mistake
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Pennsylvania
Op-Ed
Funding concerns remain for victims of sexual abuse
by KRISTEN HOUSER
It is time to take action to stop the marginalization and manipulation of sexual assault victims.
Being outraged simply isn't enough.
Comments by Missouri Rep. Todd Akin that “legitimate rape” rarely results in pregnancy, spoken to justify his stance that abortion should not be allowed even in cases of rape and incest, have outraged the nation.
His erroneous statement was so toxic that politicians on both sides of the aisle called for him to drop out of the race for his re-election.
Also in the spotlight is GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, who co-sponsored a “personhood” bill with Akin that would prohibit rape survivors from seeking an abortion and could treat terminating a rape-related pregnancy as a homicide.
The two also partnered on another bill to prevent Medicaid recipients who are impregnated by a rapist from obtaining an abortion unless they are victims of “forcible rape.”
The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape is adamant that all rape is forcible rape.
Any rape is a legitimate rape. The perpetrator's relationship to the victim, differences in age or toxicology or inebriation of any party is irrelevant.
All rape is devastating.
We are heartened to see so many Pennsylvanians and politicians outraged over Akin's comments and publicly reminding one another that “rape is rape.”
We also are perplexed. Despite the high-profile sexual assault cases in state headlines during the last year, we have not seen this enthusiastic support for rape victims evidenced by funding for services for sexual assault victims.
In fact, Congress recessed on Aug. 7 without reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, which is a main source of funding for services to sexual assault victims of all ages.
In Pennsylvania, funding for rape crisis services has had no increase in more than 11 years.
In fact, funding was cut three times during the last decade while the cost of providing services has increased.
Thus, while we have been thankful in recent years for receiving “flat funding” in the budget instead of sustaining outright cuts, the allocation for rape crisis services has become increasingly inadequate.
The child sexual abuse scandals involving the Philadelphia Archdiocese and Jerry Sandusky have put Pennsylvania in the center of the national discussion about child sexual abuse.
There are positive outcomes — more adults are asking for information about perpetration and how to keep children safe.
We have learned the importance of reporting suspicions of child sexual abuse to trained authorities to investigate. We have been made painfully aware that people we know, love and trust commit these crimes, not monsters. And we know victims, survivors and those who love them need help.
When the NCAA announced that the $60 million fine it was imposing on Penn State was to be used to create an endowment to fund initiatives to prevent, investigate and treat child sexual abuse, numerous child welfare and victim service organizations in Pennsylvania asked to be made a priority.
The 50 rape crisis programs represented by PCAR, which serve victims of all ages in all 67 counties of the commonwealth, are deserving and in need of the funding that might be available from this fine.
Far too many human service agencies that help victims of sexual assault have been woefully underfunded.
It is time to act besides expressing outrage.
Every Pennsylvanian should contact their congressmen and senators and tell them to pass the Violence Against Women Act now.
It provides needed funding to services for victims of rape, incest and child sexual assault regardless of how long ago they endured their abuse.
Every Pennsylvanian should contact their state representatives and senators and tell them that supporting sexual assault victims means funding victim services.
It means investing in prevention so that we might one day be able to spend less on investigation and treatment. It means putting your vote where your mouth is.
And Pennsylvanians everywhere can use these teachable moments to invite your local rape crisis center staff in to your churches, civic organizations and neighborhood associations to talk factually about sexual assault prevention.
Talking doesn't end sexual violence.
But your actions can.
Kristen Houser is vice president of communications and development of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape in Enola.
http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2012/08/funding_concerns_remain_for_vi.html
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Ohio
Domestic violence, animal cruelty often linked
2 defendants in Toledo Municipal Court reflect correlation of anti-social behaviors
by TANYA IRWIN
Several defendants recently charged in Toledo Municipal Court with animal abuse had prior domestic violence convictions, which experts say is not unusual.
Jason Burrell, 1018 Colburn St., Toledo, convicted of a domestic violence charge in 2000, is to be sentenced today in Toledo Municipal Court for crushing a puppy to death and leaving the body in his yard.
Aaron Nova, 2635 Moline Martin Rd., Millbury, who is facing a charge of abusively handling a dog named Marbles at the Lucas County Dog Warden's Office, where he is a kennel worker, was convicted this year of punching the mother of his child and trying to drag her from a car.
Domestic violence and animal abuse are connected because of what sociologists call "generalized deviance," said Kenneth Shapiro, executive director of the Ann Arbor-based Animals and Society Institute.
"Anti-social behaviors of different stripes occur in the same individual," Mr. Shapiro said. "How individuals come to subscribe to deviance is, of course, a much more complicated question, with many pathways leading to it."
One example is exposure to individuals who "solve" problems using violence and other anti-social manipulations -- this is the "modeling" effect and explains why the cycle of violence is often intergenerational, he said.
Animal abuse and domestic violence are correlated, but it can vary which occurs first, Mr. Shapiro said.
Professionals who investigate one type of abuse are well positioned to observe other types of abuse, said Bee Friedlander, managing director at the Animals and Society Institute.
"It is important that all professionals who investigate violence in the home be trained on the cycle of violence, so that they are aware of the connection and better able to respond, Ms. Friedlander said, adding that the institute provides such training. "Some states, including Ohio, have gone a step further, with cross-reporting laws."
In Ohio, animal control officers/agents are mandated to report child abuse (along with teachers, doctors, lawyers, and child-care workers.)
"We do contact children services, adult protective services, and/or police when we see evidence," said John Dinon, executive director of the Toledo Area Humane Society. "I have also done several talks for Lucas County Children Services and other mandatory reporters (nurses primarily) so they understand the link, know we are a resource, and know to look out for animal cruelty and call us if they see it when investigating child abuse."
Society doesn't consider animal cruelty as severe as violence against humans. But animal abuse could be a tip-off to other violence or an abuse, Mr. Dinon said.
"If someone starts this behavior earlier in life, they have access to animals but don't have a spouse or kids yet," Mr. Dinon said.
A bill that has been passed by the Ohio House would require a child under 18 years of age who commits cruelty to a companion animal to undergo psychological evaluation to determine if the child needs individual or family counseling and, if recommended by the evaluation, to undergo individual or family counseling.
The legislation would also permit the court, when issuing a criminal protection order, a criminal domestic violence temporary protection order, a civil stalking order, a sexually oriented offense protection order, or a civil domestic violence protection order, or approving a civil domestic violence consent agreement, to include within the scope of the protection order or consent agreement any companion animal in the residence of the person to be protected.
Lynn Jacquot, director of the Battered Women's Shelter in the YWCA in downtown Toledo, said often if there are pets in the home, threats against them are part of a partner's tactics to keep the targeted partner under control and prevent plans for leaving.
"We have heard terrible stories from survivors about their pets being injured and even killed by their abuser," Ms. Jacquot said. "We offer safety and support for survivors and their family members, including their pets and other animals under their care. We understand that many survivors will not leave pets in harm's way, and there needs to be a safety plan that includes pet safety for the family."
The YWCA started a pet shelter program, the Jacob and Lauren Saunders Fund, in 2008 in partnership with the humane society, the dog warden, and local clinics, kennels, stables, and veterinarians.
"We have sheltered dogs, cats, bunny rabbits, gerbils, birds, and a ferret," she said. "We continue to expand our program, and this year we are working to provide networks to outlying counties."
Access to the program is through the YWCA's domestic violence crisis line at 888-341-7386.
http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/08/27/Domestic-violence-animal-cruelty-often-linked.html
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Utah
Graduate shares her story about multiple personalities
by Emily Stephenson
UVU graduate and Miss UVU runner-up Jenny Hill recounts her experiences with ritual abuse and her multiple personalities in the newly “Twenty-Two Faces: Inside the Extraordinary Life of Jenny Hill and Her Twenty-Two Multiple Personalities” by Judy Byington.
Byington and Hill have been piecing together the book for the past 20 years since Hill had been seeing Byington, a former therapist, for treatment. Hill wanted to write and felt that her experiences of abuse could help others. Hill has received various threats about publishing her book.
For the past 17 years, Byington and Hill have been piecing together Jenny's biography. Since the age of 7, Hill has written her experiences in journals, feeling that in doing so, she could eventually help others. Hill claims that as a 5-year-old she was raped, tortured, watched another child be murdered and was threatened with death if she told anyone. Her perpetrators are still on the loose.
“I met her about 17 years ago,” said Byington. “I had been an Alberta Canada Mental Health Supervisor, then Director of Provo Family Counseling Center and counseled several ritually abused women who carried multiple personalities.”
Byington explained that since Jenny was not allowed to process her stressful experiences in order to cope, her thinking patterns separated into 22 multiple personalities.
According to Byington, each year in the U.S. over six million children are investigated for physical, sexual or emotional abuse, and it is estimated that millions more go unreported.
“Multiple personalities are always caused by child abuse,” said Byington. “It has to do with the child's developing brain, severity of the abuse and whether or not they are locked into a traumatic situation from which they can't escape.”
“Since the Salt Lake Tribune and Utah Daily Herald articles about “Twenty-Two Faces” were published three weeks ago, I've had nine ritual abuse survivors ask for free counseling through our website, www.22faces.com,” said Byington.
She explained ten ritual abuse survivors approached her at the first book signing at Barnes and Noble saying that they were grateful that Jenny was speaking out.
Byington explained that there are eight adult Occult covens here in Utah. An adult coven is a group of about six to eight people who generally form a group in high school. Covens also come from multi-generational satanic families where fathers teach torture techniques to their own children. Worshippers are very secretive and are addicted to torture and murder.
“These aberrant rites are everywhere, people just don't know about them, or refuse to recognize the problem,” said Byington.
Hill received almost straight As while attending UVU and graduated as an LPN. Byington explained Hill was able to accomplish this because she compartmentalized stress within her alter personalities. “She's an amazing person for what she's been through,” said Byington.
Byington explained that the LDS church conducted a study known as “The 1990 LDS Report on Ritual Abuse.” After interviewing over one hundred ritual abuse survivors across the nation the committee reported that, “45 witnessed human sacrifice.”
“If you've been abused, don't be ashamed of it,” said Byington. “Know that you can overcome it. If it's difficult to talk about, then start writing. That will move subconscious thoughts into the conscious and help you cope.”
Byington said that victims need to understand that anger is one of the most devastating affects of trauma and abuse. She explains that there is a fear behind the anger and you can discover what that fear is. Byington advises that victims try to forgive those who wronged them and research ways to over come their fears.
“Believe in yourself, know that you are a Child of God,” said Hill. “He wants you to be happy. No matter the challenge you can overcome anything if you set your mind on it.”
Byington will be autographing her book at the UVU Bookstore this Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For information on how to handle stress and heal from trauma check the 22faces.com website.
The UVU Review will be giving away one free autographed copy of her book and five copies of her e-book. Check uvureview.com for details on the giveaway.
http://www.uvureview.com/2012/08/27/graduate-shares-her-story-about-multiple-personalities/
