Virginia to Offer 3,000 Small Grants for Teen Violence Prevention

The Virginia Department of Health is offering $3,000 mini-grants for community-based or youth-serving agencies to implement activities from the Choose Respect Playbook.

Applications must be received by 3:00PM Friday, January 28, 2011 via email, fax, or mail.

For more information, download the funding announcement and application materials at http://www.vahealth.org/Injury/datingviolence/index.htm under the “News and Events” heading at the bottom of the page.

For questions or submissions, contact:

Erica A. Williams, MS Violence Prevention Specialist
Division of Prevention and Health Promotion
Office: 804-864-7741 Fax: 804-864-7748
Email: erica.williams@vdh.virginia.gov


Office of Family Health Services
Virginia Department of Health
109 Governor St, 8th floor
Richmond VA 23219

Alarming Report on Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Correction Facilities

No matter what crime a person may have committed, rape should never be part of the punishment."-Lovisa Stannow

A long-awaited report from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics(BJS)finds that youth in juvenile corrections facilities are sexually abused at alarming rates and are victimized significantly more often than adult inmates.

The Commission's report emphasized that sexual abuse is an especially complex problem for younger inmates, explaining that "juveniles are not yet fully developed physically,cognitively, socially, and emotionally and are ill-equipped to respond to sexual advances and protect themselves." The Commission also found that many corrections facilities do a poor job preventing, identifying, and responding to the sexual abuse of those in their custody.

• Mandated by Congress, the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission(Bipartisan) led by U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton in June 2009 issued a comprehensive report on sexual violence in U.S. detention facilities.


• Approx. 93,000 youth are confined to juvenile facilities,more then half 16 or younger
  The detained youth who participated in survey reported sexual abuse at a rate of 12% or almost 1 to 8 at their current facility.


• survey did not include the youth who are locked up in adult facilities,of who according to Lovisa Stannow, Executive Director of Just Detention International are at a greater risk for abuse.
• 9,198 youth detainees participated in survey given in 195 facilities from all fifty states and the District of Columbia.


• 80 percent of the reported abuse was perpetrated by a member of the facility's staff.


• 95 percent of youth who alleged abuse by staff reported at least one female perpetrator.


• Victimized youth usually endured repeated sexual abuse,often more than ten times,
  and frequently by multiple perpetrators.


• 65 percent of youth who had previously been sexually assaulted at another facility also reported having been sexually abused in their
  current facility.


• Youth with sexual orientation other than heterosexual reported being sexually abused by another inmate at a rate more than ten times higher than that of youth who identified as heterosexual.


• By law, The Department of Justice has until June 2010 to codify final standards based on those recommendations.

Additional Links to this report and stories like it :

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2113
(Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth 2008-2009)

http://toysoldier.wordpress.com/2007/03/07/sexual-abuse-scandal-rocks-texas-juvenile-prison-system/
(blog on Sex scandal in Texas over 700 allegations)

http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/about/PubLNo108-79.txt
(Prison Rape Elimination Act)

http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/colorofjustice/coj.html
(trend: youth to adult facilities)

One child is raped in South Africa every three minutes, a report by trade union Solidarity said on Wednesday. A report compiled by Solidarity Helping Hand said that while there were about 60 cases of child rape in South Africa every day, more than 88% of child rapes were never reported."This means that about 530 child rapes take place every day - one rape every three minutes," said spokesperson Mariana Kriel.

The report will be released by Solidarity Helping Hand http://www.helpinghandfund.co.za/ It also contained statistics and facts about the levels of child murder, rape and abuse in South Africa."Several interviews with social workers and other employees of social welfare organizations across South Africa are included in the report, providing a unique look at the experiences of people who work with child abuse on a daily basis.

According to the report, the levels of child abuse in South Africa were increasing rapidly.The executive director of Solidarity Helping Hand, Danie Langner, said: "In 2007/08, 1 410 cases of child murder were reported - 22% more than in the previous year. In addition, it was found that 45% of all rapes in the country were child rapes.

The shocking reality, however, is that these figures do not nearly reflect the true extent of the problem. The report also highlighted the severe shortage of trained social workers and the difficult working conditions they faced."Certain organizations, such as Childcare South Africa, http://www.childcaresa.org.za/ work with more than two million children and their families on a daily basis. This means that the average social worker handles nearly 200 cases each year, while the accepted norm is 60.

"Langner who was interviewed after th report came out was quoted as saying"For the first time in the country's history, social work is regarded as a scarce skill."

There were 12,500 registered social workers in South Africa in 2007. The difficult working conditions and poor remuneration packages meanwhile discourage people from following the career.

Langner said the report covered several issues, including the influence of gangs and drugs, as well as facts regarding child pornography and the trade in children. (see links at end of post for related stories)

"The simple fact that 80% of all children under the age of two that are helped at Childline http://www.childlinesa.org.za/ in Port Elizabeth have skull fractures, or the fact that young boys are flagrantly abused by middle-aged men at advertised places in the Western Cape or the fact that 43% of all cases in which Childline South Africa is involved are those of sexually abused children, must simply be exposed,Langner said.

Helping Hand will also launch a CD Hande vir Hoop (Hands for Hope) at the launch of the report. Police director Piet Byleveld, one of the country's top detectives, will also receive an award for his contribution to child protection.

In need of free legal advice and assistance in South Africa try, Isis Legal Clinic - Western Cape, Knysna started by Anna-Marie de Vos.

For related stories in South Africa:

http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/f3fc05773cf6402cad1cfba0da4b5428/03-06-2009%2009-06/Child_raped_every_3_min_-_repor

Pastor Rapes Eplipetic(seizure) girl twice after church service
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/44278fec24cf41e3b794b3a97676b15e//Pastor_held_for_raping_teen
man gets 20 yrs after raping 15yr. old girl in 2007
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/f313887745e04608be02c5571dd4e6d4//Man_gets_20_years_for_rape
2 seperate men arrested in April for child rapes
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/586f9f67cd4547e9b0694106d79fe61b//2_arrested_for_child_rapes
child sex ring uncovered in South Africa
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/b917e91e43f64be1a7d0e3be005b4294//Child_sex_ring_uncovered_in_Dbn

Homeless Minorities at greater risk for Sexual Violence among other things According to U of Washington Study

"People tend to think homeless are a homogeneous group. We are trying to show this isn't true," said co-author Ana Marie Cauce, a UW psychology professor.

"A lot of people believe homeless adolescents are on the street by their own choice. That usually isn't the case," said Bryan Cochran, lead author of the study and a UW doctoral student in psychology.

When you see these quotes above:
Does it motivate you to find out more?
Do you think all homeless females are prostitutes by choice?
Do you believe that your friend(s)may have been homeless at one point in their life?
Do you want to help debunk the myth that only Young White Heterosexual, Older African -American Males are the ones who live on the street?

Homelessness hits all of us in various ways and no one is hit harder then the parent of a child on the street.

“Homeless youths who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender have a perilous existence on the street. Compared to heterosexual homeless youth, they experience more physical and sexual violence, use more drugs and abuse them more frequently, have more sexual partners and have higher rates of mental illness”, according to a new University of Washington study.


*The study that was done by the University was multi-ethnic,of which Fifty-five percent were male and out of that an overwhelming majority, 71 of 84, identified themselves as bisexual.


I myself haven’t been homeless,but I had the pleasure as a youth to work on behalf of Homeless Adults. I also had a few friends growing up,just like many others out reading this who didn't think that it would be that bad to live alone, be free, have fun, chill with friends, not have to work, come and go as you please, be a free spirit and etc.. Not one of us knew the implications or the problems this new found freedom and glory would have in our lives. and like so many youth out there right now, we also had underlying reasons for walking or running away or may have felt at the time, in that very moment had no choice or recourse.


As I type this, I am still looking for and holding out for Jenny(my free spirit)who at the age of 17 decided to be a drifter. The last I heard of her was a year later, she was said to be teaching youth to rally,sounds just like Jenny! Man, I hope she made it and for those reading who may be in fact wondering, the answer is YES, she was a Libra. The last thing we did together was talk which lead to laughter, then dancing in a circle spinning 'til we fell down. She then told me she was into women,thinking of eating only cheese(as a protest) proceeded to kiss me then said,always remember to make ME happy and just F__ the world!

Well, to all my "Jenny's" may you be safe on your journey home & you will be happy to know I finally learned how to make me happy.

Hopefully by continuing to read this blog among other sources, you increase your awareness and sympathy to the fight we have ahead of us to make everyone save.

The study showed sexual minorities had nearly twice as many sexual partners in their lives than did heterosexual homeless youth, 24 vs. 13. Both groups reported having unprotected sex about half the time. However, Cochran said, the important factor is who street youth are having sex with and sexual minorities may be more likely to be having sex with partners who have HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.

I think that it is important that we not only be aware of but address the different issues that may come when dealing with someone who was or currently is homeless. You never can know who come to your doorstep, clinic or group so for that alone we should learn not to be so technical, mechanical when it come to playing a supportive role, or assuming that everyone is a “clinical case”. We should follow the rule of thumb like we do when it comes to sexual violence,which is that no two Victims of a sexual crime or abuse will be alike, that is especially true of women and men who have been or continue to live on the street.

The study gave insight on what is a staggering scaling problem for each city.

Click the link for full article

http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=2400


if you are a runaway or know one who is call 1-800-RUN-AWAY(786-2929)

if you would like help or info check out these resources http://www.rachelmiller.info/linkso-africanamerican.htm