Thursday, June 9, 2011

Warning Signs in Children and Adolescents of Possible Child Sexual Abuse

Any one sign doesn't mean that a child was sexually abused, but the presence of several suggests that you begin asking questions and consider seeking help. Keep in mind that some of these signs can emerge at other times of stress such as:
  • During a divorce
  • Death of a family member or pet
  • Problems at school or with friends
  • Other anxiety-inducing or traumatic events

Behavior you may see in a child or adolescent

  • Has nightmares or other sleep problems without an explanation
  • Seems distracted or distant at odd times
  • Has a sudden change in eating habits
    • Refuses to eat
    • Loses or drastically increases appetite
    •  Has trouble swallowing.
  • Sudden mood swings: rage, fear, insecurity or withdrawal
  • Leaves “clues” that seem likely to provoke a discussion about sexual issues
  • Writes, draws, plays or dreams of sexual or frightening images
  • Develops new or unusual fear of certain people or places
  • Refuses to talk about a secret shared with an adult or older child
  • Talks about a new older friend
  • Suddenly has money, toys or other gifts without reason
  • Thinks of self or body as repulsive, dirty or bad
  • Exhibits adult-like sexual behaviors, language and knowledge

Signs more typical of younger children

  • An older child behaving like a younger child (such as bed-wetting or thumb sucking)
  • Has new words for private body parts
  • Resists removing clothes when appropriate times (bath, bed, toileting, diapering)
  • Asks other children to behave sexually or play sexual games
  • Mimics adult-like sexual behaviors with toys or stuffed animal
  • Wetting and soiling accidents unrelated to toilet training

    Signs more typical in adolescents

  • Self-injury (cutting, burning)
  • Inadequate personal hygiene
  • Drug and alcohol abuse
  • Sexual promiscuity
  • Running away from home
  • Depression, anxiety
  • Suicide attempts
  • Fear of intimacy or closeness
  • Compulsive eating or dieting

Physical warning signs

Physical signs of sexual abuse are rare.  If you see these signs, bring your child to a doctor.   Your doctor can help you understand what may be happening and test for sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Pain, discoloration, bleeding or discharges in genitals, anus or mouth
  • Persistent or recurring pain during urination and bowel movements
  • Wetting and soiling accidents unrelated to toilet training

What You Can Do If You See Warning Signs

Remember, the most effective prevention takes place before there’s a child victim to heal or an offender to punish.

Shareimagebrowser image this Handout

Warning Signs in Children and Adolescents of Possible Child Sexual Abuse by Stop It Now! is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.  For permissions beyond the scope of this license go to www.StopItNow.org/terms_of_use.

Click on the attachment below to download the handout version of this page.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Update to Email Posted "Not Again"

UPDATE: Moreno Valley, CA

"Police found the guy, he admitted it.
He is 17 years old, with no arrests and he said "wanted just to talk to a pretty girl"....hmmm, He made a illegal U-turn in the street, put the car in park right next to her and she saw him place his hand on the door knob. All while she was saying no. (? talk).
Anyways, PD can't arrest him on that. His parents are notified too. I have an address and license plate, so I will be keeping an eye on him.

Safety training came in handy, as my daughter was able to give enough information to help the Police. Moreno Valley Police was awesome, not one flaw. Even to the extent in bringing in a sketch artist. (They may still ask the other girls and see if this is the same guy doing this back in Dec...hmmm). At least that will put to ease the community here (to a point).

We learned from this and I do plan on finding out why the schools policy is NOT to activate the 911 system. That needs to change. Give an Officer the chance to stop the car. But with no call, how can MVPD respond? And if it turns out to be a call like this.. okay. 
Any young girl/boy that is so frightened that they are in fear of their safety and feel they must run, that needs to be looked into. And what does it teach our young girls when adults do not call the Police. Is that setting in her mind that this is not a big deal? Thank you to Officer Gordon, my daughter was not treated like a no big deal.

Let's do what we can this coming school week. Walking and driving around the schools with our eyes open. Remember we are the eyes and ears, let MVPD do the rest. 951-247-8700-5 MVPD non-emergency line.

FACTS:
368 registered sex offenders in Moreno Valley, all accounted for (registered). Thank you MVPD!
1 in 5 girls & 1 in 10 boys before the age of 18 will become a victim of a sexual crime.

Safety tips for all ages:
Play the license plate game. Pass a car and ask what that plate was? Get your child use to looking at the plates.

If approached, remind your child/youth to yell "NO" and run in opposite direction or towards people and Tell or 911.

If approached on the street, you can go under a parked car and grab onto the pipes. This is very hard to remove a person from. Remember Yell! Yell! When safe Tell Tell!

Never, Never get in a car. Even if faced with a weapon. RUN, YELL! TELL!

Teach all ages to use the phone and how to dial 911. When not sure if it is important, call the non-emergency and let the Officers decide.

Have a secret password. Teach then, that if said around them, that they need to get to a phone and call 911, even if they do not understand where is the danger. If younger the password is used in-case another person is picking up your child, the child can ask for the password and know that the person is safe.

Buddy system.. never to old for this.

We all have to be more aware. Not just our children, But our Community Children.
Thank you and Stay Safe!"
JulieAnn Stewart-Cleaveland

This is the fight of our professional careers. Are You In or Out?

What's taking so long? This is the fight of our professional careers. Are You In or Out? "Hell has a special level for those who sit by idly during times of great crisis."
Robert Kennedy

The Art of SETTING LIMITS, Its not as easy as it looks.

Art of Setting Limits Setting limits is one of the most powerful tools that professionals have to promote positive behavior change for their clients, students, residents, patients, etc. Knowing there are limits on their behavior helps the individuals in your charge to feel safe. It also helps them learn to make appropriate choices.


There are many ways to go about setting limits, but staff members who use these techniques must keep three things in mind:
Setting a limit is not the same as issuing an ultimatum.
Limits aren’t threats—If you don’t attend group, your weekend privileges will be suspended.

Limits offer choices with consequences—If you attend group and follow the other steps in your plan, you’ll be able to attend all of the special activities this weekend. If you don’t attend group, then you’ll have to stay behind. It’s your decision.
The purpose of limits is to teach, not to punish.
Through limits, people begin to understand that their actions, positive or negative, result in predictable consequences. By giving such choices and consequences, staff members provide a structure for good decision making.
Setting limits is more about listening than talking.
Taking the time to really listen to those in your charge will help you better understand their thoughts and feelings. By listening, you will learn more about what’s important to them, and that will help you set more meaningful limits.
Download The Art of Setting Limits

SYSTEMATIC USE OF CHILD LABOR


CHILD DOMESTIC HELP
by Amanda Kloer

Published February 21, 2010 @ 09:00AM PT
category: Child Labor
Wanted: Domestic worker. Must be willing to cook, clean, work with garbage, and do all other chores as assigned. No contract available, payment based on employer's mood or current financial situation. No days off. Violence, rape, and sexual harassment may be part of the job.

Would you take that job? No way. But for thousands of child domestic workers in Indonesia, this ad doesn't just describe their job, it describes their life.

A recent CARE International survey of over 200 child domestic workers in Indonesia found that 90% of them didn't have a contract with their employer, and thus no way to legally guarantee them a fair wage (or any wage at all) for their work. 65% of them had never had a day off in their whole employment, and 12% had experienced violence. Child domestic workers remain one of the most vulnerable populations to human trafficking and exploitation. And while work and life may look a little grim for the kids who answered CARE's survey, it's likely that the most abused and exploited domestic workers didn't even have the opportunity to take the survey.

In part, child domestic workers have it so much harder than adults because the people who hire children are more likely looking for someone easy to exploit. Think about it -- if you wanted to hire a domestic worker, wouldn't you choose an adult with a stronger body and more life experience to lift and haul and cook than a kid? If you could get them both for the same price, of course you would. But what if the kid was cheaper, free even, because you knew she wouldn't try and leave if you stopped paying her. Or even if you threatened her with death.



Congress Aims to Improve Laws for Runaway, Prostituted Kids

by Amanda Kloer

categories: Child Prostitution, Pimping

Published February 20, 2010 @ 09:00AM PT

The prospects for healthcare reform may be chillier than DC weather, but Democrats in the House and Senate are turning their attention to another warmer but still significant national issue: the increasing number of runaway and throwaway youth who are being forced into prostitution. In response to the growing concerns that desperate, runaway teens will be forced into prostitution in a sluggish economy, Congress is pushing several bills to improve how runaway kids are tracked by the police, fund crucial social services, and prevent teens from being caught in sex trafficking. Here's the gist of what the new legislation is trying to accomplish:

Shelter: Lack of shelter is one of the biggest vulnerabilities of runaway and homeless youth. Pimps will often use an offer of shelter as an entree to a relationship with a child or a straight up trade for sex. In the past couple years, at least 10 states have made legislative efforts to increase the number of shelters, extend shelter options, and change state reporting requirements so that youth shelters have enough time to win trust and provide services before they need to report the runaways to the police. Much of the new federal legislation would make similar increases in the availability and flexibility of shelter options.

Police Reporting: Right now, police are supposed to enter all missing persons into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database within two hours of receiving the case. In reality, that reporting doesn't always get done, making it almost impossible for law enforcement to search for missing kids across districts. This hole is a big problem in finding child prostitution victims and their pimps, since pimps will often transport girls from state to state. The new bill would strengthen reporting requirements, as well as facilitate communication between the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the National Runaway Switchboard

We Must Never Forget These Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen and Women

We Must Never Forget These Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen and Women
Nor the Fool Politicians that used so many American GIs' lives as fodder for the fight over an english noun - "Communism"