Free Webinar: How Understanding and Responding to Children's Sexual Behaviors Can Prevent Child Sexual Abuse

Date: April 25, 2012
Time: 1:00 PM -2:30PM Eastern

This workshop covers how to determine whether sexual behaviors in children are age-appropriate and how to respond to behaviors that are outside of what you would expect to see in children of various ages.  Register:  Stop It Now Webinar

Objectives

• What are Age Appropriate Sexual Behaviors in pre-pubescent children
• How to use context to determine whether behaviors are concerning or harmful
• How to respond appropriately including talking with parents or other adults about concerning behaviors
• Practice putting knowledge into action by discussing various scenarios

This workshop is particularly appropriate for professionals who work with families or children, including child care providers, home visitors, teachers, and staff of youth serving organizations.
The focus is on pre-pubescent children
Presenters

Yvonne Cournoyer - Program Director, Stop It Now!

Sarita Hudson - Director of Public Engagement, Stop It Now!



April is Sexual Assault Month!

Caroline County Hosts Walk to End Sexual Violence

1st Annual Teal Ribbon Walk to End Sexual Violence - tomorrow!!

Hosted By Caroline County Alliance Against Violence
In Support of Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault www.rcasa.org

April 14, 2012 at Caroline High School

Register on site tomorrow or call 540-371-6771
Cost per Individual: $25
Cost per Team Member: $15

All Funds support education, prevention, and intervention on sexual violence and abuse in Caroline County

                                                     *Central Virgina offers 24hr Hotline*
                                                              1-540-371-1666
               free crisis intervention, counseling, support and medical accompaniment
                                                       

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

Healing through Creativity helps to end the need for silence, the feelings of abandonment and the undeserved guilt often felt by survivors. The event recognizes organizations that educate, serve and protect the community

HTC are seeking artists, volunteers, participants, performers and presenters for the survivor art event in October. This conference helps survivors of domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse, disability, war trauma, disease, disability, eating disorders, cancer, grief and loss display their heart felt art works, attend workshops and connect with other survivors. The conference is slated for October 2009. People can participate in Charleston WV, Bluefield VA, Roanoke VA or even online.

Volunteers are needed for long or short term at the live event or online. You can participate anonymously and you don’t need to be situated in the US to help. Survivor supporters are welcome to share their thoughts, creativity (art, writing poetry, drawing, painting, sculpting, jewelry making, etc) at the Healing through Creativity message board at

www.healingthroughcreativity.org/forum

For more info on HTC please check their website http://www.healingthroughcreativity.org/ and while your on the Web, join them on MySpace
www.myspace.com/healingthroughcreativity