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Feature Stories - 2015
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Abuse / Survivors of Abuse
from GoodTherapy.org
Abuse —physical, verbal, or emotional maltreatment—can leave psychological wounds that are harder to heal than bodily injuries. Intense, often negative feelings may plague the survivor, and he or she may struggle to cope and lead a happy, peaceful life. Distressing memories, anxiety, blocks to intimacy, and trust issues are common, although many people are able to overcome or minimize challenges like these.
Types of Abuse
All types of abuse are painful and can cause psychological distress, and it is not uncommon for a victim of abuse to experience more than one type of abuse. For example, someone who was sexually abused may have been emotionally abused concurrently. Abuse can occur within any relationship construct, whether familial, professional, or social, and it can also occur between strangers. |
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In addition, a number of the coalition members wrote their own letters to the new advocacy group members, in support of the petition that went to the White House.
See what I wrote on NAASCA's behalf inside.
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Domestiv Violence frequently causes emotional abuse and trauma in the children |
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The Many Faces of Emotional Abuse
by Bill Murray, NAASCA founder, CEO
Our organization recognizes all types of child abuse and trauma, including sexual assault, violent or physical abuse, emotional trauma and neglect/maltreatment.
The article we present here discusses emotional abuse, but gives short acknowledgment of the role "parents emotionally abusing their children" plays into the issue.
We think the problem's HUGE, and especially shows up in homes where Domestic Violence occurs. Children who grow up in such families, can hardly avoid being traumatized by watching Mom and Dad go out is, and we believe they're emotionally traumatized even if the kids themselves are never touched. |
Many times the family repeats the abuse generation after generation.
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Ontario Sex-ed School Curriculum
Prevention Info for Kids
by Bill Murray, NAASCA founder
We were delighted to learn through Mary E Graziano, NAASCA family member and our BLOG manager, that the province of Ontario, Canada, has a plan that improves its sex education programs in schools.
The devil will be in the details, as we still can't tell what materials will be used, but we're happy the explanation below lays out what sorts of issues will be covered in which grades .. and that many of the topics are related to child abuse and trauma prevention.
We thought this would certainly be of interest to our members. |
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www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au
(Full Article and Report Inside) |
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Australian Royal Commission Releases Research Report
by Bill Murray, NAASCA founder
EDITOR'S NOTE: We have been following the work of the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse with considered interest. It's our hope that this important work may someday point the way to similar work, on a Federal level, here in the United States. Perhaps a Presidential investigative/action group could be formed. |
In addition to addressing abuses that have occurred inside institutions, NAASCA would like to see similar work done to break through the taboo of discussing child abuse and its life-long trauma, especially childhood sexual abuse, most of which happens in the family or by individuals the child knows well and is taught to trust and love.
About 50 Million american adults are child sexual abuse survivors, victimized at a time when they were completely innocent of responsibility. Turning our back on these people, now adult survivors of child abuse, is unconscionable. NAASCA feels that until we prioritize serving the victims of abuse the pandemic will continue.
We need to stop the silence.
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Laura Landgraf - www.lauralandgraf.com
- author, activist, survivor - |
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The Madness Stops Here
by Laura Landgraf -- Huffington Post
EDITOR'S NOTE: We're proud to present this article from Laura Langraff, a NAASCA family member who's a child abuse survivor and activist. Laura recently appeared on our "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk radio show (link below). Later she wrote, "Bill, you are such a great host! I loved being on your show." Well we loved having her !!
Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1176 -- special guest Laura Landgraf
Tonight's special guest is Laura Landgraf from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, an author, activist, speaker, and life coach. Her mission is empowering women and men who survived childhood abuse. In the process, she believes we protect our children. Laura, a survivor of child sexual abuse and trauma, is soon to come out with book on the subject. "The Fifth Sister: A Memoir." |
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There is a saying, "The madness stops here." You'll hear me say that often. The madness stops here. It means that my background is not my children's. It means, for my son and daughter, incest stopped at my generation.
The tangled web we humans weave has emotional tentacles far more entwined than an octopus. The statistics on child sexual abuse are overwhelming. One in three girls molested by age 18. One in five boys. The median age for molestation is 11-13. Eighty-five percent of molesters are family members or known to them. How are we going to address this with any degree of success? What can one person do?
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Elizabeth Sullivan
EmpowerSurvivors.net |
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Catholics: "Where have all our pastors gone?"
by Elizabeth Sullivan - founder, EmpowerSurvivors.net
NAASCA family member and volunteer - (please also see VIDEO inside)
As a Catholic and survivor of childhood sexual abuse this continued cover up of molestation in our church deeply, deeply saddens me. What saddens me even more is the attitudes of my fellow parishioners who say "Why do these people keep bringing this up? Why don't these people leave it in the past? Why don't they just get over it?."
This is what my fellow parishioners (not all) ask. Where is the concern for the children? Concern for those children that are now adults. Why do we continue, as a church, to not be truly transparent and protect the children and not the priests that abused these children? Why are we not actively supporting survivors?
Are we not to live out the gospel? Is this what Jesus Christ taught? To sodomize, rape and molest children, cover it up, then blame the victim and not support them in recovery? I think not. I have no doubt the He will be truly pissed off at what was done to His children. |
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FREE ebook -- Holistic Self-Care for PTSD and more
EDITOR'S NOTE: How many times have NAASCA family members asked for help understanding, and dealing with, PTSD or Dissociative Identity and other problems.
Well here's a FREE ebook (a nearly 300 page pdf) that's been offered by Dr. Cindee Grace, a retired naturopath, whose only hope is that the work will be shared.
I've included a number of comments from other professionals and fellow authors.
NOTE: The book is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your healthcare provider, and the author is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of the book's information.
We're hoping to have Dr. Cindee Grace as our "special guest" on one of our upcoming "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk radio shows. We thank her for the offer of her FREE ebook and welcome her to the NAASCA family ! |
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Tracy Campion, NAASCA volunteer
www.linkedin.com/in/tracycampion |
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The Cycle of “Discovery” and Suppression
EDITOR'S NOTE: We're proud to introduce the work of one of our newer NAASCA family members and volunteers, professional journalist Tracy Campion from Seattle. She'll be offering articles based on numerous topics that are important and related to our cause.
The singleness of purpose at NAASCA is to fully examine the many issues related to child abuse and trauma, generally speaking from two perspectives: educating the public and offering hope to the still suffering victim of childhood sexual abuse, physical violence, emotional traumas and neglect.
In this first article, Tracy examines the “discovery” (or perhaps more accurately the “RE-discovery”) of the personal horrors and societal cost of childhood abuse, and how difficult it has been to impress on our culture the importance of these as priority issues deserving of our never-ending attention. We need our voices, and our message, to be heard.
Welcome aboard, Tracy .. and welcome to the NAASCA family! |
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The BIG Lie That's Sabotaging Your Life
by Svava Brooks -- NAASCA family member and Abuse Survivor Coach
I know how you feel. You survived child sexual abuse and grew up to be a generous, loving, hardworking person. You never gave up. You kept pushing through and became a success against all the odds.
Yet…
Even though you've worked really hard on your healing and made tremendous progress, some parts of your life refuse to improve. For example, your relationships are unsatisfying, and you still attract the wrong kind of people into your life. |
Why is that?
Believe it or not, you're sabotaging yourself in those areas, and I know how it's happening. There's a BIG lie buried deep in your subconscious. It's the lie you had to believe as a child in order to survive the abuse
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Dr Jill Jones-Soderman
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Founder, Foundation for the
Child Victims of the Family Courts
FCVFC.org - a 501 C 3 |
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FCVFC.org - Foundation for the Child Victims of the Family Courts
by Bill Murray
NAASCA is delighted to present one of our most recent family members, and to announce our intention to include her distinct voice in our efforts, in any number of ways.
Dr Jill Jones-Soderman, PHD, MSW, MSHS, has been in the private practice of psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, mediation and child advocacy for over 35 years. Her involvement in her own continuing education currently includes interdisciplinary studies in psychoanalysis and court case forensics.
A major interest and ongoing aspect of her work involves the study of the violation of civil rights and confidentiality in various provinces of the Court system, with particular emphasis on the abuses in Family Courts throughout the country.
Jill provides an explanation of some of the main components and mission of the foundation she founded, FCVFC, a 501(c)3 whose work clearly resonates with many NAASCA family members concerned with the Civil Rights of our children.
You'll find complete contact info for Jill at the bottom of the page. |
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 scared and ashamed |
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I Wish Every Incest Survivor could Read this Letter
by Christine "Cissy" White
I got this letter from my soul sister, Kathy. It came after I wrote an article on "How to Tell Your Lover You Survived Childhood Sexual Abuse".
Her response was private.
And it moved, surprised and challenged me.
It made me realize how much shame I still carry for the abuse I endured even when I am my most empowered and self-loving version of myself. It showed me how I feel, at best, that I am someone to be tolerated or put up with—not chosen, loved or adored. |
I didn't fully realize I carried this belief until I read her words.
That's one of the things I love about writing—how it reveals others to us and ourselves as well.
Her words, though penned for me, are so filled with love and carry with them a universal message
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 Tammi Stefano
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Child Sex Trafficking through Child “Protection” Services Exposed – Kidnapping Children for Sex
by Brian Shilhavy
Health Impact News Editor
In this Buzzsaw interview, filmmaker Sean Stone interviews Tammi Stefano, the Executive Director of The National Safe Child Coalition (NSCC), and exposes much of the corruption happening within Child Protection Services and Family Courts. This might be one of the few interviews currently available on the Internet that gives this much information on the child sex trafficking business that exists in LA County, and across the nation. Tammi Stefano reveals some very shocking information about the child and human trafficking business currently operating in the United States, which is a huge illegal business that brings in more money than the illegal drug trade and illegal arms trade combined.
Tammi Stefano has spent over two decades on front lines fighting for child safety. She understands the emotions of being victimized, having survived a kidnapping in her younger years. Determination was the driving force that prompted her to go undercover to catch a pedophile school teacher. |
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False narratives of Christian leaders caught in abuse
by Boz Tchividjian
When the abusive behavior of Christian leaders is uncovered, all too often the immediate response is not an unconditional admission or a genuine expression of authentic repentance. Instead, a common response is a new narrative. A false narrative. A narrative that attempts to paint a picture of the situation without any regard for truth. A narrative designed to protect reputations and preserve future incomes. A narrative designed to keep the leaders in the spotlight and the victims out of the way.
Since many of these leaders tend to be narcissistic, the primary purpose of the false narrative is to enable them to hold onto the spotlight as they crave affirmation and continued relevance in a world that is quick to turn the spotlight elsewhere. Seeking out friendly media interviews is one way that provides opportunities for offending leaders to elaborate and “sell” their new narrative. Social media is also a very effective means to communicate this narrative because it tends to attract those who crave the leader's attention and who will be quick to “like”, “share”, “comment”, “reply” or “re-tweet” the leader's narrative. These same followers will often be quick to vilify and attack anyone who questions or criticizes the leader or the narrative.
Though false narratives vary with each offending leader and each situation, three types seem to be common amongst offending leaders: |
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 "Touched" - the film |
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"Touched" - a feature film about childhood sexual abuse
by Bill Murray
EDITOR'S NOTE: Please listen to the 90 min "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk radio show which featured "special guest" Terrance Tykeem. Recorded on August 14th, 2015, Terrance talks openly about his own experience strength and hope as a sexually abused child, and about his current activism. Just click this link:
Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1160 -- special guest Terrance Tykeem -- 8/14/2015
One of NAASCA's newest family members, Terrance Tykeem, has worn many hats as an adult .. professional athlete, singer / songwriter, author, and philanthropist. But his most recent role, that of a feature film producer, propels him forward into the ranks of those most devoted to addressing the pandemic of child abuse.
First molested at ten, Terrance grew up in foster care in Atlanta and Philadelphia as an angry troubled child.
His star-studded film "Touched" is based on the novel of the same name, and details how child sexual abuse not only affects the victim but the entire family system .. parents, siblings, friends of the family. There's also a music video and song of the same name. |
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What If Everything You Knew About Disciplining Kids Was Wrong?
Negative consequences, timeouts, and punishment just make bad behavior worse. But a new approach really works.
by Katherine Reynolds Lewis
Leigh Robinson was out for a lunchtime walk one brisk day during the spring of 2013 when a call came from the principal at her school. Will, a third-grader with a history of acting up in class, was flipping out on the playground. He'd taken off his belt and was flailing it around and grunting. The recess staff was worried he might hurt someone. Robinson, who was Will's educational aide, raced back to the schoolyard.
Will was "that kid." |
Every school has a few of them: that kid who's always getting into trouble, if not causing it. That kid who can't stay in his seat and has angry outbursts and can make a teacher's life hell. That kid the other kids blame for a recess tussle. Will knew he was that kid too. Ever since first grade, he'd been coming to school anxious, defensive, and braced for the next confrontation with a classmate or teacher.
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1in6.org |
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College Freshman Should Be Offered Recovery Services for Child Abuse
by Bill Murray, NAASCA founder
Here's a post, an OPINION piece that I can certainly agree with. In fact, comments of mine made at Occidental College last year may have been its inspiration.
"1 in 6" was invited to make a presentation at the school, which is located in Northeast Los Angeles just a few miles from my home. It also happens to be distinguished as the first college incoming freshman Barack Obama ever attended.
I participated, noting that while colleges and universities around the country should certainly be concerned with warning incoming freshman of "date rape" and the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, etc, there was an additional and missing message to be transmitted. |
These students are often 17, 18 or 19, I pointed out. Orientation week is the perfect chance to offer men and women the opportunity to take advantage of recovery services and therapy for those who've ALREADY experienced child abuse. A huge percentage of these young folk (conservatively 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys) will have just lived through trauma of a sexual, physical, or emotional nature (or through neglect and maltreatment).
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Men .. participate in this Doctoral Research
by Bill Murray
NAASCA is happy to assist Selisha Nelson, a Clinical Psychology PhD Student at Walden University, as she prepares her Doctoral Dissertation that's based on how men with a history of child abuse have experienced adult relationships. |
I'm sure any number of NAASCA's male adult survivor family members will be eager to add to the understanding of the problems and challenges facing former victims of child abuse.
Please consider helping Selisha out by spending the 20 to 25 minutes she estimates is required to participate in her "survey monkey" questionnaire (more info inside).
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Intervention is an adult responsibility |
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Pay attention to the signs of child abuse
Every adult in any society must serve as a guardian of all the children growing up in it
by Claudia Quigg
I was astonished recently when a lovely, successful middle-aged man I know shared with me that during the years he was growing up he suffered some pretty harsh child abuse. He described the abuse in some detail, literally bringing me to tears.
I was moved by his story especially because I knew him during those years. I was enough older that I was an adult when he was yet a 12-year-old. I knew him during the years when this abuse was occurring regularly. I might have been able to help.
And I didn't suspect a thing. |
Moving through my own guilt about this, I have looked into the signs of child abuse that I might have missed. Sure enough, he did exhibit some of these characteristics, but I never connected the dots.
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9 Ways to Teach Your Kids About Love Without Saying a Word
by Joanna Schroeder
Kids learn more about how to give and receive love from what we do than from anything we could ever teach them with words.
1. Disagree with your partner in front of them.
Experts have been saying for a long time that parents shouldn't fight in front of their kids, and I can't disagree with that at all. At least not the highly emotional, private or loud kind of fighting. But parents should absolutely be disagreeing in front of their kids, even if it gets a little heated. |
Why? Because kids need to learn how to fight fairly and with compassion for others. They need to see what a healthy fight with a partner looks like - that there's not belittlement, intimidation, name-calling, manipulation, or abuse happening - in order to know how to behave with their own partners and how they should be treated.
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Parental Alienation is Child Abuse
by Joan T. Kloth-Zanard
Where Did I Go Wrong? How Did I Miss The Signs?
Dealing with Hostile Aggressive Parenting and Parental Alienation
From the book by Joan T. Kloth-Zanard
CHAPTER 3 -- PARENTAL ALIENATION IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Abuse is one of the most gut wrenching issues in our times. Whether it is the abuse of a child, a women, an elder or a man, it is heinous. Abuse comes in three main forms: physical, sexual and psychological (also known as emotional abuse.). It is the mental and emotional abuse caused by a spouse’s deliberate attempt to destroy the Targeted Parent in the eyes of the children that will be the focus of this chapter. Parental Alienation, also classified as Hostile Aggressive Parenting, Enmeshed Relationships, Cross-Generational Coalitions, Relationship Triangles and Alienation, is a growing epidemic in divorce proceedings. It is time to change this and make a difference for the children and Targeted Parent of these psychological abuses. |
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What is Cyberbullying?
by http://www.stopbullying.gov
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. |
Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.
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I began teaching a healthy relationships course 10 years ago to a local high school. The curriculum I was trained in dealt with how to have healthy relationships, and had very little information in it about unhealthy relationships. I very quickly began to see that students had lots of questions and experiences surrounding abuse and unhealthy people and relationships, so I started incorporating abuse prevention and intervention components into my program.
EDITOR'S NOTE: We are delighted to promote, endorse and support the work described here in the Be Smart .. Guard Your Heart material and projects as described here by Karen Addison from Denver, Colorado. A member of the NAASCA family, Karen appeared recently as a special guest on our "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk show (CLICK HERE) explaining her wonderful work. NAASCA is proud to partner with her in these efforts, and to present this article on her behalf.
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A survivor says, "You absolutely can heal"
Carol Levine -- NAASCA.org |
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You absolutely can heal
by RAACE.org - Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere
6/1/2015
Carol Levine, a survivor of child sexual abuse, outspoken victim's advocate and speaker, author, and co-host of the National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse's (NAASCA) "Stop Child Abuse Now" radio show, shared the story of her healing journey with RAACE.
I was born into a wealthy family. My father was an alcoholic and my older brother and I frequently witnessed him abusing my mother. One night, when I was 5 and my brother was 10, my father was threatening to hit her with a heavy iron frying pan, and even though I was a child I knew he was about to kill her. |
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Nonprofit Spotlight: Shattered Canvas, Inc.
Shattered Canvas is a Maryland-based nonprofit organization aimed at supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse and promoting education
We're delighted to feature this article about NAASCA family member JoAnn Kerschner from Baltimore, a child abuse survivor who's developed an impressive advocacy as a big part of her healing. JoAnn is the Executive Director of Shattered Canvas, which offers survivors classes that combine education, community experts, and a support group option. Family members, friends of survivors, or any individual desiring education can attend these classes in a safe and comfortable setting. |
ALSO: Listen to JoAnn's appearance earlier this year on NAASCA's talk radio show: Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1033
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He uses his own difficult story of healing to help others find the strength to tell their own stories and heal themselves. I recently interviewed Randy who, among his other work advocating for child abuse survivors, is helping me put together a bibliography of books to help child abuse survivors.
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Beating Trauma with Elizabeth Cory
by Bill Murray - NAASCA
Here's a great new website just launched by NAASCA family member Elizabeth Corey from Richmond, Virginia. We hope she knows how much we appreciate her efforts, and congratulate her on the web site's launch.
To introduce you, here a little of what Elizabeth says about herself:
As a survivor of family-controlled child sex abuse and trafficking, I spent the first half of my life running an exhausting marathon obstacle course. Through my recovery, I have relieved myself of the constant inner turmoil that ruled my outer life. I have gained the ability to experience a peaceful presence that I never thought possible. Most importantly, I have stopped the manifestations of trauma that haunted my family for generations. I know that cycle is stopped and that adds to my peace. |
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3 Reasons Children Keep Abuse “A Secret”
by Ginger Kadlec
Silence is a child abuser's best friend.
You name it. Any kind of abuse… physical, sexual, emotional and even neglect… flourishes under the cloud of silence. Child abusers know this… and use this to their advantage.
To ensure silence, abusers will often implore children to keep the abuse “our little secret” and encourage them NOT to tell anyone what's happening to them. |
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Can We Stop A Traumatized Child From Becoming A Traumatized Adult?
by Robert Pearl, M.D.
Every day a child somewhere will suffer from abuse and neglect, the result of growing up in a home with domestic violence, mental illness or addiction, or from the loss of a parent due to separation or imprisonment. Such trauma can inflict psychological and physical damage that appears when that child grows into an adult and lasts the rest of his life.
That troubling cause-and-effect link between early and later events is well documented.
But for far too long we have done little to break that inextricable connection or even openly acknowledge it. |
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Texas
Do not delay; children's lives depend on child-abuse reporting
by Willis-Knighton Health System
It's hard to imagine someone intentionally hurting a child, yet nearly a million children are abused every year just in the United States alone. And these are only the reported incidents of child abuse — many more cases are unreported and undetected, often because children are afraid to tell somebody who can help.
Most of the time, kids know their abusers and the abuse occurs in the home. This makes it difficult for kids to speak up. They may feel trapped by the affection they feel for their abusers or fearful of the power the abusers have over them — so they stay silent. That's why it's especially important to be able to recognize the signs of child abuse. |
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Patricia McKnight |
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Lets just keep counting the bodies ..
EDITOR'S NOTE: The subject of this article in no stranger to NAASCA followers.
Patricia A Mc Knight has been an active member of the NAAACA family for several years, and has made several "special guest" appearances on our "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk radio shows.
We've also posted previous articles about the important work she's doing in the fight against child abuse and trauma.
Her body of work represents a voice for children that speaks out loud and clear, and we're delighted to post this article here on our web site.
We're happy to help her in any way we can !
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Be aware .. .. be a voice .. .. be a hero ..
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Child Sex Abuse No Longer A Family Secret |
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Utah
Child sex abuse, No longer a family secret
by Marcos Ortiz
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 Utah) - The numbers are shocking.
Nearly five children in Utah are sexually abused each day.
And most often it's not a stranger but the child's own parent who is behind the abuse.
For years it's been treated as a family secret. But experts say it is time to bring it out in the open for the sake of children.
"At the time it was a perfect storm for incest,” said Deann Tilton who grew up in the 1970's and claims her father molested her.
Steven Ewell is currently an inmate at the state prison in Gunnison.
“For some reason I had an attraction to my daughter,” he told a hearing officer during a review of his case.
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Tim Fisher steps slowly up the driveway, glancing back with mournful eyes a few times toward his sister-in-law across the street, silently pleading for her encouragement. With neat, shoulder-length, salt-and-pepper hair and a mustache, dressed in a plaid button-down shirt and shapeless jeans, Fisher is 49, but in his mind he's the cherub-cheeked boy with the sun-bleached bangs who walked this asphalt hundreds of times, every Saturday for seven years. Today he trembles with the same trepidation that his boyhood self felt.
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Child Sexual Abuse Hides in Plain Sight - 3 short PSA's
People who molest kids usually aren't strangers lurking in the bushes.
EDITOR'S NOTE: These three short PSA's are among the best I've ever seen.
The statistics clearly show they are far more likely to be sexually abused by a person they're supposed to be able to know love and trust. The biggest group of offenders by far is parents, family members and extended family members and the second biggest group includes what I refer to as "caregivers" (teachers, babysitters, coaches, clergy, volunteers).
According to the Department of Justice, these two groups make up fully 90% of predators, while only about 10% of perpetrators of child sexual abuse are strangers to the child. |
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A survivor shares his story: “Together we can do what we cannot do alone”
Bill Murray -- NAASCA.org |
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A survivor shares his story: “Together we can do what we cannot do alone”
by RAACE.org - Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere
4/9/2015
Bill Murray, survivor, public safety advocate (LACP.org), founder of National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (NAASCA.org), host of the Internet talk radio show "Stop Child Abuse Now" (BlogTalkRadio.com/Bill-Murray), and founder of ASCAA, a 12 Step recovery program for adult survivors of child abuse (ASCA12step.org), shared his story with RAACE.
I was sexually abused for several years, starting when I was 11. I didn't tell anyone, and internalized my fear, anger and shame. An introvert with a temper, I started doing badly in school and getting into trouble. I hated myself, and began drinking heavily as soon as I could get my hands on alcohol. |
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The Sickening Child Porn Crisis Infecting U.S. Government Agencies
by Shane Harris -- The Baily Beast
At least 22 current local, state, and federal employees have been convicted of horrific crimes against children. Even worse: There are likely many more of these monsters.
Daniel Rosen, a senior State Department official arrested last month for soliciting sex online with a minor, was reportedly arrested again Sunday night in Washington, D.C., and charged with an earlier crime of voyeurism after police searched his cellphone. And he is only the latest in a long string of government employees to have been accused of crimes against children. |
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Little Girl Calls 911 As Her Mother Is Being Beaten By Her Stepfather
by PenolopyBulnick -- writer/curator for SFGlobe
The little girl on the other end of this 911 call is Lisa Floyd. During this call, she is in tears as she begs the dispatcher to send the police because her stepfather is beating her mother. Everything she says is horrifying to listen to and you can really feel the pain in her words. Fortunately for her, this wasn't the end of Lisa's story. Though, like many stories, things got worse before they got better.
Years after this tape was first recorded, Kit Gruelle, who is an advocate for domestic abuse survivors, wondered what had happened to the little girl named Lisa. Kit was working for the police department and was able to use those resources to track her down. She found Lisa, but, unfortunately, Kit found her in her own abusive relationship. With Kit's help, Lisa was able to work her way out of it. |
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Famous Cases of Child Sexual Abuse
by Arkady Bukh
Child sexual abuse has always been around. In the 1950s when America was wrapped in the artificial setting of the perfect family as portrayed in “Ozzie and Harriet” and “Father Knows Best,” child sexual abuse was never discussed openly and seldom prosecuted.
When a spirit of liberation and sexual freedom started sweeping the country in the 1960s, the number of reports and prosecutions soared until they peaked in the early 1990s with 429,000 being prosecuted in 1991 alone.
The actual numbers may be higher. According to the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, most cases involve family members or friends and about a third of the accounts are substantiated. |
Since then, predator's names like Sandusky and Polanski are well known. Some like Kitzman, aren't as well known, but their trial and conviction had an impact on the investigation of child sexual abuse cases and how alleged predators are prosecuted and tried.
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Pennsylvania |
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Pennsylvania
Revisions in law target child abuse
by Anjani Amladi
Every 10 seconds a report of child abuse is made in the United States — more than 3 million reports involving greater than 6 million children per year. More than five children die every day as a result of child abuse, most under the age of 4. About half of child fatalities caused by abuse or mistreatment are not reported on death certificates. |
Though it may be easy to convince ourselves that child abuse or mistreatment does not happen in our own backyards, the sad fact is that it happens everywhere. Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level and educational level, across ethnic and cultural lines, and, yes, in small, quiet cities and towns in Northeast Pennsylvania. In fact, the Children's Advocacy Center, Lackawanna County's designated child abuse center, provided services to 1,448 children and adolescents in 2014. Of these, 80 percent experienced sexual abuse, 16 percent experienced physical abuse, and the rest experienced a combination of both physical and sexual abuse and/or severe neglect.
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Arizona
10 Point Foster Care Reform Plan
Foster Children's Rights Coalition
by Dawn Teo
EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm sharing this 10 Point Foster Care Reform Plan on behalf of one of our newest NAASCA family members, Dawn Teo from Arizona. Please check out the web site, too, at FosteringRights.org and sign their petition. We plan to have Dawn as a "special guest" on an upcoming "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk radio show. |
From the Foster Children's Rights Coalition web site: Read our 10-Point Reform Plan and the 120 pages of research supporting this proposal, which includes more than 350 specific recommendations for reform. You can help make foster care safer and more nurturing. Learn what you can do to stand up for the rights of children in foster care. Arizona children cannot wait while childhood passes them by. Donate to give foster children a stronger foundation and start to the rest of their lives.
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Australia
Professional knowledge and judicial understanding
Keynote address: 14th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect
The Hon Justice Peter McClellan
April 2, 2015
The Royal Commission has now been in operation for more than two years. We have completed the public hearings for 25 case studies which in most cases have been concerned with the failure of institutions to manage their affairs to adequately protect the children in their care. We have looked at churches, religious schools, and state run institutions. We recently looked at issues in relation to out of home care. But we have many more and varied tasks to complete. |
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U.K.
The Child Abuse Inquiry must radicalise to succeed
by Natasha Phillips
April 2, 2015
With scores of Inquiries already under its belt, and dozens more currently underway, Britain must break the mould with the nation's inquiry into child abuse, and implement an investigation that is truly ground-breaking. If it does not, it will be consigned to history as an expensive exercise, which helped no one.
To date, there have been over 70 inquiries focusing on child abuse in the UK, 67 of which have taken place in England. Today, we have 18 working child abuse inquiries in the United Kingdom, the largest in scope being the nation's Statutory Inquiry Into Child Abuse, which will be looking at historic and present day child sexual abuse in England and Wales. If we needed confirmation that cautionary tales and lessons highlighted by previous investigations have gone unheeded, the sheer number of predecessors to the nation's Inquiry serves to remind us. The prevailing inadequacies of serious case reviews for child abuse scandals also paint a grim picture of justice and welfare systems that either don't understand how to implement effective child protection policies, or don't have the resources to do so. The latest research into departmental responses suggests that both are obstacles to prevention. And with children's services departments around the country still struggling in the aftermath of scandal after scandal, progress is often slow at best and at worst, fleeting. |
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NCFM NOTE: This email exchange about the Duluth model of domestic violence is extraordinary. The exchange is between one who clearly knows what he is talking about, Jason Dale, and those who don't have a clue.
In my view, no one can believe what Scott Miller, Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs (DIAP) Blue Print Coordinator (whatever that is), the “don't have a clue” side of the discussion, believes without total ideological immersion, albeit brainwashing. Clearly, he and perhaps those with whom he works may be incapable of critical thinking.
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How Long Can a ‘Terrifying Psycho' Outrun All of Facebook?
by Bill Murray
Still think child abuse and Domestic Violence don't effect you? Still think your community's immune?
Well here's an article my good friend and neighbor, Scott, forwarded to me about his relative, an article he originally posted on Facebook. It speaks to the fact that no one can be certain these issues aren't in their family, in their community, in their world.
Scott writes, "This girl (his wife's niece) was just visiting us a few months ago. She is living a life that only young people get into and if she lives long enough she'll realize it wasn't too smart, but this guy is a monster in anyone's world."
As April approaches (Child Abuse Awareness Month) we'll yet again be re-doubling the year round mission at NAASCA, to do all we can to reduce the incidence of child abuse today, and to offer hope to the still-suffering adult survivor of childhood trauma. |
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 Child abuse, in any form,
is an ugly thing
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SPECIAL to NAASCA
Child abuse, in any form, is an ugly thing
March 26, 2015
by Arkady Bukh, Esq - www.nyccriminallawyer.com
Child abuse, in any form, is an ugly thing. While ill-treatment of children is turning into a topic that more people talk about openly, it is still underreported to authorities. Another aspect which, until recently, has not received a great deal of attention is what happens to these children when they become adults. |
Do they continue the pattern of abuse? What increased risks, if any, or adult survivors of childhood abuse, face?
Several studies have started putting the focus on these questions — and more.
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Australia
An Introduction to the Men's Rights Movement
March 21, 2015
by Robert Brockway - www.MensRightsAustralia.com
Editor's note: No doubt the material in this article is familiar to most readers here. MRAs and those friendly to the MRM are encouraged to publicise this article as a straight forward explanation of our movement to counter so many lies told about us. Even if people don't want to believe the truth, they can't claim we didn't try to put our case in plain terms. |
The Men's Rights Movement (MRM) also sometimes known as the Men's Human Rights Movement (MHRM) is a pluralistic movement of men and women who have identified certain problems facing men and boys. It is comprised of many organisations and individuals that are loosely affiliated. Despite this, participants within the MRM maintain a largely consistent position on men's rights. The movement accepts robust and frank internal discussions, which are generally conducted in public. Individuals within the MRM are sometimes known as Men's Rights Activists or Men's Rights Advocates (MRAs). While the MRM has existed for a long time, it is only in recent years that it has been growing rapidly and receiving significant media attention.
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1)
Say to yourself: "I am having a flashback". Flashbacks take us into a timeless part of the psyche that feels as helpless, hopeless and surrounded by danger as we were in childhood. The feelings and sensations you are experiencing are past memories that cannot hurt you now.
2) Remind yourself: "I feel afraid but I am not in danger! I am safe now, here in the present." Remember you are now in the safety of the present, far from the danger of the past.
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8 tips for helping your traumatized child rebuild trust
by Susan Cornbluth
When a child experiences or witnesses any form of emotional or physical abuse, their trust can become shattered. Trauma survivors may have trouble trusting their close family relationships or friendships.
The symptoms of trauma can cause problems with trust, closeness, communication, and problem solving. These problems may affect the way the survivor acts with others. |
Traumatized children do not believe the world is safe or that adults will protect them. They often live in fear of what could happen next. All children need calm and caring caregivers, but especially traumatized children. Remaining calm when your child is agitated and teaching calming techniques reduces the anxiety and emotional arousal that affects their mood, sleep, and concentration.
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Debriefing:
Survivors of Child Abuse Testifying at Legislative Hearings Title
by Vicki Polin
EDITOR's NOTE: Here's an article by a member of the NAASCA family, Vicki Polin, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in New Mexico.
As she writes, "Going public in any venue about ones abuse history in hopes of helping others, is an extremely noble cause, yet it is also important to be aware of the risks."
ALSO NOTE: Vicki appeared as our special guest on the "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk show in November, 2014:
Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 968 -- Special guest Vicki Polin |
There comes a time in the lives of several adult survivors of child abuse when they feel the need to do something pro-actively as a way of transforming their child abuse histories into something positive. It's not uncommon for survivors when they reach this stage of healing to start volunteering time for various non-profit organizations that deal with sexual assault, write a book about their lives, go back to school so they can better help others, or even getting involved in the legislative process in hopes of helping to create better laws to protect children –– along with advocating for the civil rights of adult survivors.
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How To Find A Therapist
by Vicki Polin
EDITOR'S NOTE: Vicki Polin, MA, LPCC, a member of the NAASCA family, is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in New Mexico, with over thirty years experience in the mental health field. She is the author of The 1997 Chicagoland Area Sexual Abuse Resource Guide for Care Providers and Survivors.
Vicki appeared as our special guest on the "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk show in November, 2014:
Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 968 -- Special guest Vicki Polin |
When seeking therapy to help deal with past events in our lives (as either an adult and or as a child), most of us may feel clueless in how to go about finding the right mental health professional for guidance. It's not uncommon for individuals to ask a friend, a trust family member, your doctor, or even their insurance company for names of mental health professionals; yet that may not be all that is needed. It is vitally important for survivors of trauma to be educated consumers. It's important to find someone who you feel comfortable with and trust. A therapist who works well for one person, may not be the right person for another.
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Help your children recognize the signs of child abuse
by Rachel McClellan
A new family moved into our neighborhood when I was in the seventh grade. I remember the first time I saw them. All four of the children stepped onto the bus, their eyes darting around as if one of us might pounce on them.
It was their appearance that made me stare. The boys' faces were dirty, their hair long and unkempt. The girls' hair was just as bad, snarled and twisted around their faces like dried weeds. Their stained, tattered clothing barely fit, revealing many scabs and small bruises upon their skin.
Then there was the smell. The air stirred as they passed by me, an odor of dried urine and animal feces. Older kids around me made audible sounds of disgust. |
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Marci Hamilton
SOL-Reform.com |
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SOL-Reform.com web site updated !
EDITOR'S NOTE: We at NAASCA are proud to be signators and co-sponsors of the effort to revise Statute of Limitation legislation thoroughout the United States. Marci Hamilton, a NAASCA family member, is the person most principally engaged for all of us in this issue, as she travels state to state to testify whenever a reform of SOL laws is being considered.
by Marci Hamilton
It is my pleasure to announce that www.SOL-Reform.com, which tracks child sex abuse statutes of limitation (SOLs) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, has been comprehensively updated. This was a herculean task as SOLs are in flux and each state has its own history and law. All updates are for the purpose of public education on child sex abuse victims' access to justice. The site serves survivors, the general public, the media, academics, and lawyers. |
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Op-Ed
Compassionate support can improve healing for survivors of abuse
by Christopher M. Anderson - Executive Director of MaleSurvivor.org
Adverse childhood experiences are a public health crisis affecting more Americans than diabetes and heart disease combined.
Many people instinctively understand that compassionate support is important for people who have lived through abuse and trauma, but instinct can make for a poor teacher. Our initial response to a survivor's disclosure can have a profound impact on his chances for recovery. |
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 Human Trafficking is a 'terroristic abuse' |
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Human Trafficking is a 'terroristic abuse'
from Patricia A. McKnight, activist and NAASCA fsamily member
Human Trafficking is a 'terroristic abuse' against a human being, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, geographic or economic standing.
Articles 1-8 of our Universal Declaration of Human Rights protects the rights of all beings to LIFE, LIBERTY, and SECURITY OF PERSON.
We are asking our #lawmakers #PublicPolicy and #CriminalStatutes updated to a systematic protection and support/prevention measures across the nation for all persons.
Please sign, share, help promote the petition inside that'll be sent to the United Nations & United States President.
Thank you!! |
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The ACE Study
from the CDC - the Center for Disease Control
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is one of the largest investigations ever conducted to assess associations between childhood maltreatment and later-life health and well-being. The study is a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente's Health Appraisal Clinic in San Diego.
More than 17,000 Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) members undergoing a comprehensive physical examination chose to provide detailed information about their childhood experience of abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction. To date, more than 50 scientific articles have been published and more than100 conference and workshop presentations have been made. |
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Stop The Stigma |
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Stop the Stigma
Call for Papers/Presentations
SCRIPT -- Community Multicultural Awareness Related to Male Survivors of Violence and Abuse
What is SCRIPT?
The Summit on Community Resilience, Intervention, Prevention, and Training (SCRIPT) will supply free community intervention training to raise awareness about the integration of efforts of multiple agencies and organizations to support public needs for mental health care, crisis intervention and supportive services in Los Angeles. It is our goal to raise awareness about societal needs regarding intervention, and to improve relationships between government, social services, and community based institutions. Moreover, decreasing social-stressors and increasing overall life satisfaction by giving people tools to recognize mental illness or other compassionate needs for the population.
The target population is anyone interested in working together to support the community and learn intervention strategies. SCRIPT invites social welfare workers, law enforcement, advocacy professionals, academicians and consumers to present and take part in the trainings. |
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Foster Care vs Adult Life
NAASCA is helping promote a study of how experience in foster care can influence outcomes in adulthood. The work is being done out of St Mary's College of Maryland.
Please consider talking a few minutes to take the confidential and voluntary survey which is designed to produce a better understanding of how your experience in foster care is related to your present life.
Feel free to SHARE this request with any other foster care raised adults or groups devoted to the topic.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ExperinceinFosterCare |
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ANNOUNCING .. a brand new project !!!
NAASCA's new BLOG !!!!
by Bill Murray - naasca.wordpress.com
We're proud to present a project I've been looking forward to including for quite some time, yet another way for the community to engage with us .. NAASCA's new BLOG. We hope you'll want to join us there !!!! Tell your friends !
The missing ingredient has been finding a NAASCA family member who could perform as the volunteer who could post for the group and oversee such a project. So .. let me present our new "BLOGmaster" (is that a word?), Mandy Smith from Portland, Oregon, a child abuse survivor, activist and writer. Her blogging skills are excellent.
As she says, "Any way that I can help spread awareness about abuse, count me in!" To this end she's reaching out to others, as the main voice on our NAASCA blog. |
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Do You Really Want to Fight Sex Trafficking?
by Bill Murray
We applaud Jody Williams, our fellow NAASCA family member, for all the work she's doing to help in the fight against Sex Trafficking, to put a dent in the statistics!
We're re-presenting a recent LinkedIn post she wrote, here as a "Feature Article" on the www.NAASCA.org website and are always delighted to have an opportunity to help her spread the word !!!
Be sure to check out her web site: www.SexWorkersAnonymous.com |
ALSO: Take a listen to Jody's special guest appearance on our "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk show in 2014. We're working on getting her to return soon !!
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Support for men .. in Cleveland, Ohio !
from: ClevelandRapeCrisis.org
When someone is a victim of sexual assault, it can be difficult to heal from the experience and move forward with life. Often, sexual assault victims in Northeast Ohio would head to downtown Cleveland to seek services from the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.
For people who live east of Cuyahoga County, this kind of help is now available closer to home.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has opened an office at 54 S. State St., Suite 302, in Painesville. Services are provided for free and with anonymity. The Painesville office joins a Geauga County office that opened in 2011 in partnership with WomenSafe Inc. Those two locations mark the first time in nearly 40 years that Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has offered services outside of Cuyahoga County. |
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Breaking the cycle of child abuse
from: HelpGuide.org
-- your guide to emotional and mental health
If you have a history of child abuse, having your own children can trigger strong memories and feelings that you may have repressed. This may happen when a child is born, or at later ages when you remember specific abuse to you. You may be shocked and overwhelmed by your anger, and feel like you can't control it. But you can learn new ways to manage your emotions and break your old patterns.
Remember, you are the most important person in your child's world. It's worth the effort to make a change, and you don't have to go it alone. Help and support are available. |
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