Prevent Child Abuse New York's Blog

Social Networking Safety: A Guide for Parents

A strange thing happened to me recently: I got a Facebook friend request from my mother. While my mother—with the help of her teenage nephew—managed to create a Facebook profile, her knowledge of how teens use social networking sites consists of a vague understanding that they will on occasion post a picture or send a message to a friend.

Luckily for my mother, her child-rearing days are over, and she need not concern herself with such matters. This is not the case for millions of parents who may find themselves bewildered by the pace and volume of their kids' online social networking.

Nancy Willard, Director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, recently addressed the topic of internet safety at a Princeton University forum. Her message to parents was simple—the internet is here, kids will use it, so you need to set clear guidelines for proper use based on a child's age and maturity.

Need some help figuring out how to do that? Download her reference guide: Social Networking Safety: A Guide for Parents

How Are America's Children Doing?

It depends. This year's America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008 reports some good news and some bad news.

I'm an optimist, so let's start with the good news. Fourth and eighth graders scored higher in reading and math than in the last assessment. The report also found a decrease in childhood deaths from injuries, as well as a decrease in eighth graders who smoke every day.

The bad news? An increase in low birthweight babies and an increase in the number of adolescents giving birth.

These are other findings are described in the report's content areas which include demographic background, family and social environment, economic circumstance, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.

The report is compiled by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, a working group of Federal agencies that collect, analyze, and report data on issues related to children and families, with partners in private research organizations. It serves as a report card on the status of the nation's children and youth, presenting statistics compiled by a number of federal agencies in one convenient reference.

The Economics of Early Childhood

A recent report issued by the Rand Corporation confirms what child advocates have long known: Investing in children, particularly in early childhood, improves lives, saves lives and saves money.

In the report, Rand Researchers apply two economic models—human capital theory and monetary payoffs—to early childhood issues, demonstrating how these concepts can be used to guide policy.

The report makes a strong case for investments in prevention, using theory and empirical analyses to show that treating poor outcomes later in life is far less effective.

Read the research brief here.
Read the full report here.

Resources for Families Web Site

The New York State Council on Children and Families has announced a new web site containing a unique collection of resources focusing on contemporary family issues. The site provides a user-friendly interface to locate high-quality resources available on-line, in local libraries or by purchase from book sellers, and is designed for parents, professionals, and community leaders, particularly those who serve children and youth.

Resources found on the site are useful both to families raising children before birth to adolescence and to the professionals that support them.

Subject areas span the gamut of issues and topics important to families, including child development, special-needs children, stress management, violence prevention, and more.

Visit NYS Family Resources.

Child Welfare League of America Radio Blog, "Speaking for America's Children"

On the Line with CWLA is a thought-provoking, interactive, live Internet radio program focusing on subjects, stories, and strategies of special interest to child welfare policymakers, providers, and practitioners. The program, devoted solely to discussions about the welfare of America's vulnerable children, features a forum where numerous points of view and voices of experience within the child welfare universe can be heard.

The live program, hosted by broadcasting veteran Tony Regusters, is a production of CWLA that will provide a platform for CWLA member organizations, their staffs, its partners, and concerned citizens in the national community to share ideas and thoughts about critical issues that affect child welfare agencies, vulnerable children and teens, and their families.

The weekly subject-oriented, solutions-driven program will broadcast Wednesdays, 2:00-2:30 pm ET and feature indepth, timely discussions with leading child welfare experts, agents, and advocates; leadership and representatives from CWLA's member agencies; and local and national political figures working to improve child welfare and give a voice to child welfare professionals, providers, and practitioners nationwide.

The call-in number is 347-326-9411

Click here to listen online.

Trends in CM- abuse down, neglect slightly up

David Finkelhor and Lisa Jones, UNH Crimes Against Children Research Center, recent analysis of 2006 NCANDS data was released this month. It shows additional declines in sexual and physical abuse for 2006 over 2005, and the total national decline since 1992 at 53% for sexual abuse and 48% for physical abuse.  State-by-state change rates are also available in the  bulletin at this website:

Updated Trends In Child Maltreatment, 2006- Bulletin

or
Crimes Against Children Research Center

Federal report "Child Maltreatment 2006" now available

Child Maltreatment 2006 is now available online. This 17th annual publication provides national and State findings on referrals for child maltreatment, substantiated cases, and types of abuse and neglect.  Information on perpetrators of maltreatment, child protective services (CPS) workload, and preventive and post investigation services is also included.

In 2006, CPS agencies investigated reports involving the possible maltreatment of nearly 3.6 million children. An estimated 905,000 children were found to be victims of abuse or neglect.

The report is available online at:
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm06/index.htm

CDC Child Maltreatment Research & Definitions

Available online from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

Child Maltreatment Surveillance - UNIFORM DEFINITIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS, 148 page document
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/CM_Surveillance.pdf

More information on child maltreatment and the SSNR framework can be found in the following publications, available online:

*  The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/pdf/Childhood_Stress.pdf

*   Preventing Child Sexual Abuse within Youth Serving Organizations: Getting Started on Policies and Procedures
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/PreventingChildSexualAbuse.pdf

*   Child Maltreatment Surveillance, Uniform Definitions for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/CMP/CMP-Surveillance.htm

•  Nonfatal Maltreatment of Infants --- United States, October 2005--September 2006
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5713a2.htm?s_cid=mm5713a2_e

Study: 1 in 50 U.S. babies abused, neglected in 2006
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/04/03/infant.neglect.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Additional CDC information on child maltreatment can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/CMP/default.htm

The NYSPCC Professionals’ Handbook – Supervised Visitation Services for High-Risk Families

SUPERVISED VISITATION SERVICES FOR HIGH-RISK FAMILIES Edited by Mary L. Pulido, Ph.D.

The NYSPCC Professionals’ Handbook – Supervised Visitation Services for High-Risk Families was written so that providers of service, judges, referees, and other professionals interested in supervised visitation, would gain insight and understanding of the inner workings of The NYSPCC’s therapeutic supervised visitation model, Positive Parenting Plus (PP+). The authors of this handbook are experts in the provision of supervised visitation services, legal services, and trauma recovery services. This handbook will help meet the need for detailed information about programming, protocols, safety considerations and legal issues impacting supervised visitation programs that deal with high-risk families. For information on how to order this book please click here.

San Antonio Parenting Education Program Seeks to End the Cycle of Abuse

SAN ANTONIO—Through its Precious Minds, New Connections program, Baptist Child & Family Services is trying to break the cycle of child abuse by offering specialized parent-training courses.

According to the Center for Public Policy Priorities, the number of confirmed victims of child abuse in Bexar County was 5,755 in 2006—and most abusers reportedly were parents or caregivers.

The Precious Minds, New Connections program is an annual $3.6 million initiative funded by the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation. It is carried out through annual grants to 26 organizations in the foundation’s four-county service area, which includes Bandera, Bexar, Comal and Kendall counties. The Baptist Child & Family Services program is the largest in both size and reach.

Fili Garcia

“Parenting education enables parents to understand early childhood development and develop realistic expectations for child behavior,” according to the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation. “All of this knowledge is known to lead to less likelihood that a child will be abused and his or her development neglected.”

For more information on the article, visit: http://www.baptiststandard.com/postnuke/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=7462