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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 Articles - |
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. |
Feature Story Archives - 2016
presentations from a variety of sources on
issues of child abuse and trauma |
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Vatican Commission on child abuse web site:
http://www.protectionofminors.va/ |
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Vatican launches website after child sex abuse scandals
by Delia Gallagher, CNN
Rome (CNN) -- The Vatican has launched a new website detailing its efforts to protect children from sexual abuse by clergy. It's the first time the Vatican is publishing the documents and resources in one place, including an email and phone number to contact its commission for the protection of minors.
The commission was established in 2013 and is headed by Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley.
"It is very important to the Commission that we are as transparent as possible," project coordinator Emer McCarthy told CNN Tuesday. "Our members want people to know that they are doing their level best to carry out the commission of the Holy Father."
"Much of the work of the Commission is listening, study and reflection, so there will not be day-to-day updates, but the website is the vehicle to let people know that we are here," she added. |
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 Cassy Qualls
westcoastactive.org |
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You Don't Have To Be Another Child Abuse Statistic
Struggling with an eating disorder I learned about 'imbalance'
by Cassandra Qualls
westcoastactiveliving@gmail.com
My name is Cassy Qualls. I went through years of abuse in my childhood and I learned very quickly that it could control my life if I let it, but I knew I was made to fight. My heart is to share with you some of the things I've learned through this journey and provide practical advice and education that helped bring healing to my life.
I am so excited to have the opportunity to connect with those of you who share similar stories. |
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Predator in Posession -- The case of Scott Powell from New Canaan, Connecticut
The World Needs to Know to Fight Back
by Dr. Jill Jones-Solderman
Foundation for Child Victims of Family Courts & US Whistleblower.org
Scott Powell of New Canaan, Connecticut, has launched law suits in Ct. Federal District Court against officers of the New Canaan Police Dept. suggesting a deprivation of rights to access to his children, caused when the children reached out to the only accessible source of safety for them, their septuagenarian grandparents who leaped into action at a moment's notice when they learned from their granddaughters of unimaginable acts of abuse committed against them. The complaint (Case No. 3:16-cv-01654-SRU) was filed Oct. 3rd , 2016. |
Scott Powell, along with other Predators in Possession of children who harbor secrets against abusive parents know what rocks to look under to procure the services of inimical providers. In this instance, Scott Powell procured the services of Father's Rights panderer psychologist Eric Frazier, alleged to be the “expert” du jour to hire to procure false, toxic testimony against innocent, unsuspecting protective parents, such as Jane Powell whose suffering under the rabid, vengeful stalking of her ex-husband has been relentless.
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Internet Safety 101
from Enough Is Enough
NAASCA wants to provide helpful info and tools that aid in the fight against all kinds of child abuse and trauma. The world of the Internet is it's own universe, and kids are often far more adept than we adults in using it.
We're delighted to recommend the work being done by Enough Is Enough through their Internet Safety 101 project.
When children go online, they have direct and immediate access to friends, family, and complete strangers, which can put unsuspecting children at great risk. Children who meet and communicate with strangers online are easy prey for Internet predators. |
Predators have easy and anonymous access to children online where they can conceal their identity and roam without limit. Often, we have an image of sexual predators lurking around school playgrounds or hiding behind bushes scoping out their potential victims, but the reality is that today's sexual predators search for victims while hiding behind a computer screen, taking advantage of the anonymity the Internet offers.
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Many experience PTSD |
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Caring for those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
by James Cartreine
Are you taking care of someone who seems to be against you? This can be the experience of taking care of a family member with post-traumatic stress disorder — PTSD — and it can take a huge toll on everyone involved. At the same time, caring for a person with PTSD can be an act of love and courage.
What causes PTSD?
PTSD can develop when people experience massively stressful events that involve childhood physical or sexual abuse, being sexually assaulted, or narrowly escaping getting killed or severely injured, whether from accidents or violence or military combat. PTSD can also be caused by witnessing these kinds of things, by them happening to a close friend or relative, or by learning about them in the course of one's work, such as being a first responder or a social worker helping victims of abuse. |
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by Laura A. Ahearn, L.M.S.W.
Executive Director |
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Parents for Megan’s Law and the Crime Victims Center
FACT SHEET - Statistics of Child Sexual Abuse - Who Are The Victims?
www.ParentsForMegansLaw.org
"Adults sexually victimized as children have described their bodies as crime scenes, the evidence of victimization, indelibly imprinted. The memories of the abuse, the mechanisms of coping which developed as a result, and the lifelong consequences of choices made during adulthood, to deal with their suffering, are always there as a reminder of the victimization. Please join us in our efforts to prevent child sexual abuse and rape."
....Laura A. Ahearn, L.M.S.W.
....Executive Director |
NAASCA recently encountered an excellent FACT SHEET on the statistics of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) which will be helpful to helping raise awareness and educate the public. The non profit Parent's for Megan's Law and Crime Victims Center is located in Suffock County, Long Island, New York.
The uniformed reader will no doubt be stunned. Yet these relate only to childhood sexual abuse, and NAASCA reminds you that we address all childhood abuse and traumas, be they sexual assault, violent and physical abuse, emotional and mental traumas or neglect and maltreatment. |
We offer you their FACT SHEET inside, but they also have many other useful resources and a lot of info that will help survivors, advocates and the public understand the issues of child abuse and trauma, including their book "Megan's Law Nationwide" (see a partial list inside, too).
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 Princess Madeleine in 2013
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Sweden
Princess Madeleine of Sweden: Why I'm Campaigning to End Child Sex Abuse
by Princess Madeleine
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 60,000 children were sexually abused in the United States in 2014. Globally, 18% of women and 8% of men report being victims of childhood sexual abuse. Despite these astronomical numbers, child sexual abuse is rarely discussed and solutions do not adequately address the public health crisis affecting such a large number of children.
We know that children who are sexually abused are at a greater risk for later mental health and anxiety syndromes, including depression and suicidal thoughts. The societal and economic consequences of not addressing the problem, or investing in prevention of, sexual abuse of children are grave. In 1999, my mother decided to use her voice to speak about children's rights and founded the World Childhood Foundation, which has since funded more than 1,000 projects in 20 countries. I have always admired my mother's courage and aim to continue her work in combatting child sexual abuse. Now as a mother of two, I am even more determined to help create a world free from sexual abuse for all children in our lifetime.
But it is not our children's obligation to keep themselves safe. We, as adults, have an obligation to ensure that our children are surrounded by child protectors.
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 www.SiouxFallsFeminists.com |
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Sioux Falls Feminists Present The Characteristics of Domestic Abuse
Warning Signs of Domestic Abuse, Signs of an Abusive Relationship, and Signs of a Healthy Relationship
by Dale Hemming, Sioux Falls Feminists
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dale Hemming is a 'card carrying' member of the NAASCA family and has appeared on our "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk radio shows. We are proud to have his support He's an exceptionally engaged community member and activist.
According to Futures without Violence, while three-quarters of those who commit family violence are men, women make up 84 percent of spousal-abuse victims and women make up 86 percent of those abused by a romantic partner. |
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Justifying ‘Institutional Enabling'
by Bill Murray, NAASCA founder and CEO
At the National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (NAASCA) we recognize a phenomenon we call ‘Institutional Enabling' as a common yet powerfully destructive force whereby an organization, group or leader of a group tacitly or implicitly takes a stand that's against the well-being of child sexual abuse victims and still-suffering survivors.
By implication this choice is tantamount to taking the side of the predator. At best the message is that an organization, be it a club, a church, a school system, a professional group, a charity or a for-profit business, is ‘circling the wagons' to self-protect, and at worse that it repudiates the experiences and testimony of the wounded party. |
We've been active in the protest of such an effort, that of ‘Whole Foods' CEO John Mackey, who until recently directly supported his associate, Marc Gafni, a former rabbi turned spiritual guru, on the official Whole Foods web site, and by serving as Chairman of the Board of Mr. Gafni's ‘Center for Integral Wisdom'.
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if this was a communicable disease mass
inoculations would be the order of the day
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United Kingdom -- Opinion
If child abuse were a disease, we'd see urgent action. Our culture must change
by Sue Berelowitz
The resignation of Lowell Goddard as chair of the official inquiry into historical child sex abuse is an opportunity for us to now focus on the really critical issue. For the inquiry to be credible the whole purpose must be to learn the lessons from past institutional failures so that children now and in the future are effectively protected.
The inquiry I chaired into child sexual exploitation in gangs and groups found extensive evidence of professionals and institutions refusing to see the signs and hear the voices of abused children. This was institutional denial by those whose job is to protect children from rape and sexual violation. |
There is a dangerous belief that the sexual abuse of children is a “historical” phenomenon, that it's about a few rotten apples in high places or recognised positions of power. Let's look at the reality.
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 Dr Regina M Baldwin
http://www.hope4hurtinghearts.org
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Defining Types of Abuse
Part One in a Trauma Series
by Dr. Regina M. Baldwin
This is a powerful series that will define types of abuse and then we will look at the consequences and what God's Word says about it. Don't miss this series and please share. More people than you realize suffer silently and we must all learn how to walk with them through the process to victory. If you have suffered abuse .. there is hope .. you don't just have to survive. |
In recent decades the topic of abuse has become more prominent than ever before. The word has been overused and misapplied at times and the consequences of this is that it undermines the reality of abuse and it's profound effects on the damaging impact it has in the lives of many children and adults. We will consider the different types of abuse, the impact abuse had on lives (even Christian lives) and how we as Christians can respond to those victims in a healing and transforming way.
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Family Estrangement: Advice and Information for Adult Children
by Dr Joshua Coleman
It can be painful to find yourself in the position where a relationship with close family members is untenable. The information in this guide will help you to think about the outcomes that you want for yourself in relation to your current family situation, or life without a family network.
Family difficulties can often leave members in a position where they are unable to communicate. Some of these rifts develop over long periods of time, whilst other family relationships can change suddenly and unexpectedly. It's possible tensions can be exacerbated by an important life event, or that ongoing family difficulties have a ‘knock-on' effect on your relationship with others.
This guide has been put together by the Stand Alone community and its members, and has been informed by a talk for both estranged parents and adult children from Dr Joshua Coleman in August 2014. |
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Immediate and Long-Term Impacts of Child Sexual Abuse
by John N. Briere Diana M. Elliott Title - written in 1994
Research conducted over the past decade indicates that a wide range of psychological and interpersonal problems are more prevalent among those who have been sexually abused than among individuals with no such experiences.
Although a definitive causal relationship between such difficulties and sexual abuse cannot be established using current retrospective research methodologies, the aggregate of consistent findings in this literature has led many to conclude that childhood sexual abuse is a major risk factor for a variety of problems. This article summarizes what is currently known about these potential impacts of child sexual abuse. |
The various problems and symptoms described in the literature on child sexual abuse are reviewed in a series of broad categories including posttraumatic stress, cognitive distortions, emotional pain, avoidance, an impaired sense of self, and interpersonal difficulties.
Research has demonstrated that the extent to which a given individual manifests abuse-related distress is a function of an undetermined number of abuse-specific variables, as well as individual and environmental factors that existed prior to, or occurred subsequent to, the incidents of sexual abuse.
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“Children need some stress in their lives”
The new science of resilience
July 4, 2016
by Lucy Maddox
The landscape of the Hawaiian islands is as idyllic as a postcard: long, sandy beaches, hibiscus flowers, clear waters of tropical fish and coral reefs. When you arrive at the airport the air is warm and ukulele music is piped out at you. Flower garlands are for sale.
There are hundreds of islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, spread over 1,500 miles in the central Pacific Ocean. The eight main islands include Kauai, Maui and the island of Hawaii, nicknamed The Big Island to differentiate it from the whole state. The Big Island has a live but well-tempered volcano, which has created a dream-like landscape of black rock. |
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FBI Releases New Version of Child ID App
The FBI today is announcing a reboot of its popular Child ID App, which provides parents with an easy way to electronically store their children's pictures and vital information to have on hand in case their kids go missing.
The application, which works on most Apple and Android smartphones and tablets, allows users to store up-to-date images and physical descriptions—like height, weight, birthmarks, etc.—that could help responders in the event of an emergency. The information is stored only on your device—not with your mobile provider or the FBI.
The latest version of the Child ID App contains updated features, including high-resolution image capability, a default recipient field (where you can enter your local police department's e-mail address, for example), and optional automatic reminders to update your children's profiles. |
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The Parent's Guide to Child Abuse: 17 Warning Signs and Ways to Prevent It
by Tanvier Peart
Every 10 seconds, child abuse is reported. Everyday, four to seven children die from child abuse and neglect. As unfathomable as it is to ever think someone would want to hurt a child, sadly, it's happening. What's even more heartbreaking is that many children are suffering in silence as their parents have no idea they're being victimized.
"We currently live in a day and age where abuse is on the rise and children are falling victims on daily basis, without their parent's awareness," notes Kemi Sogunle, award-winning author and founder of the nonprofit Love Not Hurt. As moms and dads, it's our job to do our best to protect our kids. |
No matter how uncomfortable the subject of child abuse is, it needs to be discussed.
Here are common warning signs for parents to look out for, and steps moms and dads can take to help keep their children safe. |
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Preventing Bullying And Cyber-Bullying
A Guide for Students, Educators and School Administrators
from: tobecomeateacher.org
Over the past decade, bullying has emerged as a priority issue for students, parents and educators across the United States. Behaviors that were once dismissed as an apparently normal part of childhood and youth are increasingly being recognized as problem behaviors that not only need to be addressed but in some cases, criminalized. In short, bullying has come to the forefront as a widespread social problem with far-reaching consequences. There is also a growing recognition that bullying is sometimes connected to deeply rooted assumptions about race, class, sexuality, disability and other forms of perceived difference.
However, as emphasized by all three of the experts interviewed by Tobecomeateacher.org for this article, there is no one single factor that appears to make a child or teen susceptible to bullying. |
Jodee Blanco, whose New York Times bestseller, Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman's Inspirational Story , has played a pivotal role in raising public awareness about bullying, insists that bullying is not simply about name calling. “Bullying also happens by virtue of kindness and acceptance denied,” says Blanco. “Bullying is also all the kind things that are never done, and for this reason, it not simply about name calling. This also means that any kid can be victim of bullying.”
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Washington D.C.
3 Survivors of childhood sexual abuse
by Lesli Foster
Washington, DC (WUSA9) -- For decades, the people you are about to meet lived with painful secrets they were afraid to reveal. Secrets - that upended their childhoods, tore apart families and haunt them today.
WUSA 9 anchor Lesli Foster sat down with three survivors of child sexual abuse to talk about their journey from hurt to healing. It's a path weighed down with emotional baggage they didn't begin to unpack for decades. |
Al Chesley is a former NFL football player and children's advocate. Joy T.J. Riley is an author and speaker. And, Valerie Meola is also an author who speaks out about abuse and prevention.
Here are their stories.
"It was something I thought I was going to take to the grave with me," says Al Chesley.
“By the time I had been told it was okay to tell, it had already happened. By a couple of abusers," says Joy T. J. Riley. |
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The devastating effects of emotional abuse
by Reflejos Publications
In many ways, emotional abuse has sometimes more lasting effects that physical abuse. Emotional abuse is more personal, is more about you as a person, about your spirit. If somebody says to you “you are ugly, stupid, incompetent or that no one could love you,” you are more likely to think that you are the problem. That is because we tend to expect that those we love will care about how we feel. When loved ones fail to care that we are hurt, it feels like betrayal.
There are many ways to be emotionally abusive; you can say the most loving words with sarcasm, communicate contempt with body language, rolling eyes, disgusted looks, cold shoulders etc. Emotional abuse can happen between parent and child, husband and wife, among relatives and between friends. Emotional abuse occurs when a person in a relationship tries to control information available to another person with intent to manipulate that person's sense of reality or their view of what is acceptable and unacceptable. People who suffer from emotional abuse tend to have low self-esteem. |
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Violence against the world's children is epidemic, report shows
by Mary Brophy Marcus
A new study reveals an epidemic level of violence against children across the globe - including kids here in the U.S.
More than one billion children ages two to 17 - over half of the world's kids - experienced violence in the past year, researchers report in the study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. The problem is equally rampant across both developed and developing countries alike.
"There are two billion children in the world. This is a minimum of one out of two, and we're not just talking about their whole life. We're talking just in the past year," said lead study author Susan Hillis, senior advisor for global health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
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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. |
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Because of the Adversity I Faced in Childhood, There's Nothing I Can't Do
How to overcome adverse childhood experiences as an adult
by Brian F. Martin and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D.
DomesticShelters.org
A 16-year-old who grew up experiencing adversity in childhood said the above to Brian Martin several years ago, and he included her story in his book, Invincible: The 10 Lies You Learn Growing Up With Domestic Violence and the Truths to Set You Free. |
Thinking about this statement raises an interesting question: Why do so few who experience adversity in childhood believe the same thing that this young woman believes? It is a question that intrigues us both and has brought us to this conclusion: The primary barrier is that most don't connect the adversity they grew up with to the challenges they face today.
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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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