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National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
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NAASCA Highlights
- Feature Article - |
EDITOR'S NOTE: Here are a few recent stories and feature articles from a variety of sources that are related to the kinds of issues we cover on our web site. They'll represent a small percentage of the information available to us, the public, as we fight to provide meaningful recovery services and help for those who've suffered child abuse. We'll add to and update this page regularly, bringing you just a few of the featured articles on the web site. |
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Patricia McKnight |
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Updates in Illinois - Crimes Against Children
by Bill Murray for Patricia McKnight
We're happy to present the following article on behalf of NAAACA family member Patricia McKnight who leads the effort at "Butterfly Dreams Abuse Recovery" (www.butterflydreamsabuserecovery.com). She's also a seemingly tireless speaker, advocate and author (her book is "My Justice"). Trish offers effective peer-to-peer support and assistance to anyone in need of resources.
Patricia has appeared on a number of our "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk radio shows, and will no doubt re-appear in the not too distant future. She's told the story of her abuse, how it effected her early adult life and the path she's on now ... her journey of recovery.
Among the things we most admire about Patricia McKnight is her unending commitment to protect children, educate the adult community and offer support to the still-suffering adult survivor of child abuse. That's what makes Trish a loved, admired and respected NAASCA family member. |
Updates in Illinois - Crimes Against Children
by Patricia McKnight
Hello Friends:
Permit me to inform you of some changes we are initiating here in Illinois and how it just might be able to affect the future of our children & families across the nation.
You may have seen the petition - 'Family Crimes & Terroristic Abuse Act' - Trecia's Law - www.change.org/p/family-crimes-and-terroristic-abuse-act-amending-prosecution-policy-provisions-in-crimes-of-family-related-exploitation-trafficking-extreme-acts-of-grievous-bodily-injury-threats-to-create-a-believed-sense-of-certain-death-terroristic-violence?recruiter=3351592&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
Myself and two fellow advocate resource partners have submitted a collection of research to justify the need for Federal Policy & Prosecution Updates in measures to spot a 'terrorized' silent victim, and how to assist them through intervention & life skills recovery, which will prevent the cycle of family violence moving forward. Our collected data has been requested for further research by Assistant Attorney General, Jessica O'Leary. According to Ms. O'leary, she and her staff are confirming the Statistics Report which was personally investigated and published via Butterfly Dreams Abuse Recovery for FFY 2011 Child Maltreatment Report, Children's Bureau. (www.survivorsjustice.com/child-maltreatment-report-ffy-2011) Along with the statistics report, is also data from CDC, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Health, National Domestic Violence Hotline, and National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Network.
This data was recently addressed in my meeting with Congressman John Shimkus, who confirmed the Congressional Statement of 2012 Campus & Military Sexual Assault. In the published statement of Adult Sexual Assault they stated - 'For every 1 report of sexual assault that is made, at least 6 others are not'. The tragedy of this is much worse when we consider this crime committed against a child, especially one who is trapped inside a home filled with control and fear. As of now we can absolutely confirm 1 in 9 children suffering sexual abuse, so if we allow this same variable we can assume at least 1 in 3 children who are being sexually assaulted and manipulated by adult offenders, which show direct family & parental offenders in 92% of all reported maltreatment cases.
When children are being shared, traded, drugged, or exploited by persons within their home there is most commonly a constant 24/7 dominance, which may be so extreme that threats of death or grievous injury, possibly including weapons, are used to silence children and control every moment of their existence. They are being trained to protect their family offender. They are being taught that society does not care if their parents are using given parental authority as a weapon against them, violating the written statutes of Human Rights Protection at the highest level as established by our United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Documents/UDHR_Translations/eng.pdf)
Sadly warriors, as you know these types of crimes within our homes are quite commonly overlooked by our neighbors, community members, educators, even law enforcement. We do not prosecute the Family Offender for Crimes Against Humanity even though these are the most destructive crimes. We have years of documented studies which substantiate the ongoing life altering and permanently injuring effects from the painful burdens forced upon young persons; many of whom do not even understand what's happening. This way of life becomes all they have ever know and influences the type of person they grow to become.
This is where we can provide the greatest possible change for the future of our next generation. As a survivor of public sex trafficking, terroristic violence, and ongoing mental health & emotional challenges, which have not only impaired my ability to live in a positive manner, but everyday I see how it is still affecting the relationships and lives of my adult children and my grandchildren. This is the pattern of harm which causes a young person to seek self medicating methods of coping in their home everyday. This is the pattern of harm which will affect their ability to focus on their education, to succeed at believing in their personal value as a human being, and the good they can pass on to their children. It affects criminal behavior, outbursts of anger, bullying, gang violence, and some of these victims end up becoming adult sexual predators and offenders against other children. It is the cycle of human destruction we have been taught to accept and tolerate, protect in secrecy and ignore within our family unit for centuries. The amount of tax payer money spent to assist adult survivors, provide child protection, educate in prevention, helping those suffering addiction, homelessness, lack of job skills, education, ongoing mental & medical healthcare; these tax dollars can never be fully accounted for but according to information available by CDC today, it is estimated at some $130 Billion every single year.
Friends in researching the Federal Statutes, Social Services Policies, National Child Abuse & Neglect Data Systems Statistics, and even the National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Network; we have found many lasting effects from these crimes. We have also witnessed repeatedly the lack of defending protective human & civil rights concerning Family Offenders & Predators Against Children within our justice system. We know this is a man-made type of disease which impacts every age, gender, ethnicity, economic and geographic area. We know there are absolutely no barriers this disease doesn't invade and the only cure is to provide a safe healthy home environment. Not every family can be assisted. Not every child can be saved. However, if we implement awareness posters, education in schools, and provide the necessary prosecution guidelines to deter predators of Family Crimes, we can at least provide a beginning hope and societal involvement to assist as many as possible.
We are the very first generation to publicly begin addressing the serious levels of harm and extreme terroristic actions which invade our homes. Throughout human history we have repeatedly forced unspeakable crimes against those who cannot defend themselves and those in extreme destitute areas. Generation after generation have been taught to dismiss some level of violence within the family unit, and as a result it has been permitted to become more vicious and severely destructive, affecting more lives and causing more deaths than any other disease known to mankind. The only way to end this grievous pandemic is by working together.
Many new laws and strategies of prevention have been implemented since the creation of Child Abuse Prevention Act 1984 & Violence Against Women Act 1994. As intelligent as the human being is we have only just updated our laws in 2014 to permit protections & assistance resources for ALL persons of harm. This now allows for each state to provide resources for Men, Women & Children. It widens the scope of prosecution, and releases persons under the age of 18 years from prosecution when they are arrested or rescued in crimes of prostitution. No longer across our nation can any minor child be held responsible for the act of prostitution, they cannot give consent to the sexual act, so therefore they cannot be prosecuted for it. These measures are huge, but it still does not deter a Family Offender. Every state has their own statute guidelines for Criminal Child Sexual Abuse, Sex Trafficking, Physical Injury, and Neglect. Each state has their own Statute of Limitations regarding how long a child victim has to bring forth charges for their suffering. In Illinois child victims have ONE YEAR after their 18th birthday for these types of crimes, and when it comes to physical harm it must be prosecuted within three years from the date of injury. We allow 20 years for Criminal Sexual Abuse of a Child, but only ONE YEAR for the crime of Criminal Sexual Assault or Forced Sexual Servitude of a child. These are the technicalities which prevent a balance and stable set of prosecutorial measures and continue to confuse many Social Services Agents when determining a child's welfare. Many states have initiated Erin's Law which permits Public School Sexual Abuse Education; however very few schools have been able to fund the additional trainings needed to provide this prevention measure.
The measures stipulated in 'Family Crimes and Terroristic Abuse Act' begins quite simply in the belief that our country and our United Nations both have written laws to protect Human Rights, specifically the RIGHT TO BE SAFE. This is our greatest individual protection and guarantees that without regard to age, gender, ethnicity, religion, geographic or economic standing; every person has a right to be free from harm & free from the fear of harm. This is basic education in our American & Societal History; giving all schools the power to create the greatest change for our human society in history by simply making sure that every young person believes that without regard to the type of harm being done, without regard to who the offender might be; without regard to any demographic; NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO CAUSE GRIEVOUS INJURY OR SEX CRIMES AGAINST YOU. We as adults expect that our laws be enforced when it comes to our protection, but yet we do not teach that same standard to our children. We have the definitions and statutes needed to provide them with the voice they deserve when violations are committed against them, especially when the action is a daily/weekly offense which might go on for years and be committed with extreme heinous; a manner that can only be described as 'terroristic abuse'.
Warriors, please join myself, Grounds of Grace Director Ms Dana Pfeiffer, and Legal Advocacy Director Ms. Lisa Chilton as we request a full Federal Review & Update of Public Policy to implement protections for our children and punish Family Offenders for these extremely detrimental acts against children, specifically the focus for those acts causing grievous injury or any form of sex crimes against persons 0 to 15 yrs old. Review the information on this petition and encourage your legislators to begin addressing this issue now. We will only end this destructive disease as a United Human Society, and it will take each and every victim or adult survivor to lead the way in the healthy development of our children tomorrow. Bringing the nature of Family Crimes to the forefront of our society will influence the direction of our basic human existence as a whole, and the overall well being of our entire planet. For the sake of all that it is good, please help implement 'Family Crimes & Terroristic Abuse Act' (www.change.org/p/family-crimes-and-terroristic-abuse-act-amending-prosecution-policy-provisions-in-crimes-of-family-related-exploitation-trafficking-extreme-acts-of-grievous-bodily-injury-threats-to-create-a-believed-sense-of-certain-death-terroristic-violence)
Thank you for your time and consideration.
If you have any questions about research collected, would like to take our survey on 'terroristic abuse', or would like to donate to provide the needed funding as we move forward; please feel free to contact me at the number below or send an email to p.mcknight@charter.net. Today we have resources across the country and around the world. Today we have proven scientific data on the many types of developmental impairments as a result of these traumas. Today we are strong adults who have addressed almost every type of societal issue; Gay Rights, Women's Rights, Civil Rights, even Human Rights; however it seems our greatest failure would be to ensure that every child is given the same protections under the law and permitted the necessary assistance and time in healthy development before deciding to bring forth charges for the varying degrees of harm endured. We believe that as the strong survivors of yesterday our greatest accomplishment will be how we influence the safety of our children tomorrow.
Respectfully,
Patricia A. McKnight
trish.mcknight@live.com
618 / 304-7438
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About Patricia McKnight
Owner/CEO - Butterfly Dreams Abuse Recovery (www.butterflydreamsabuserecovery.com)
Speaker/Advocate/Author: 'My Justice' Peer Support/Assistance Resource
Certified Human Trafficking 101 Trainer 40 hr Illinois Domestic Violence Support Advocate Child Sexual Abuse Awareness & Prevention Specialist Family Crimes and Terroristic Abuse Act - Trecia's Law - www.change.org/p/mr-president-please-enforce-the-right-to-be-safe-for-all-persons-especially-our-children-enforce-family-terrorist-act-trecia-s-law
Author: 'My Justice'
Paperback/Ebook/Kindle & Nook
Authorhouse.com/Amazon.com/BN.com/Lulu.com
Blog: www.survivorsjustice.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/pub/tricia-mcknight/39/2a8/753/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/triciagirl62
Available for Speaking/Writing/Research/Assistance
Contact me to discuss an awareness & recovery presentation for your next event!! =
**Always believe anything is possible with you in the active equation ~~ trish mcknight**
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