Prevent Child Abuse New York's Blog

Sexual Assault Prevention and Intervention Conference

We're exhibiting this week at New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault's (NYSCASA) annual conference, Weaving a World Without Violence (pdf). The conference program looks terrific, and we're looking forward to networking and sharing information with professionals and advocates committed to ending sexual violence and exploitation. The conference is May 9-10, 2012, at the Holiday Inn at 205 Wolf Road in Albany. You'll find details and registration information here.

Spotlight on Child Sex Abuse: Minimizing the Risk to Children

The Penn State and Syracuse University child sex abuse scandals have garnered nationwide attention and understandable outrage. The sad truth is that similar, although less publicized, situations like these happen in our communities everyday. Our task now is to put our collective outrage to good use. What steps can we take to protect children? A good start is to understand where the risk comes from. As the Penn State and Syracuse University cases illustrate, the greatest risk comes from people we know—family members, loyal friends, good employees, trusted members of the community—not strangers.

It’s hard to believe someone we know and like would abuse a child. Perpetrators know this and use that knowledge to ingratiate themselves with parents, children and institutions. In a process called “grooming,” those who sexually abuse children often go to great lengths to appear trustworthy and kind. They are experts at gaining the confidence of children, parents and other adults. They look for situations where they can have easy access to children.

There’s no foolproof checklist to identify an abuser, but there are some warning signs. You should be suspicious of an adult who repeatedly prefers to spend free time with a child or teen rather than adult friends, finds ways to be alone with a child, ignores a child’s cues that he or she does not want to be hugged, kissed or tickled, refuses to respect a child’s privacy in the bathroom or bedroom, discusses sexual experiences or feelings with a child or teen, gives a child money or gifts for no particular occasion.

We must also insist that youth-serving organizations set policies that protect children. Background checks are not enough. People who haven’t been convicted will come up clean. Institutions must establish clear guidelines for adult interactions with children, including eliminating one adult-one child situations, which is where most child sex abuse occurs. They must train their staff how to identify and prevent behaviors that put children at risk. The excuses that it is too expensive or inconvenient to do so cannot stand.

Policies must include immediately reporting any suspicion to police, who are trained to investigate these cases. Right now, there are staff in schools and other institutions who are abusing children or grooming them for abuse. And right now, there are other staff members who suspect this abuse is going on and are doing nothing about it.

Some institutions argue that an internal investigation is enough. This hurts kids. Abused children often don’t respond the way people expect, so they need to be questioned by specially trained personnel. No organization should take the role of determining whether abuse actually occurred, nor should it ignore the signs when confronted with them. The children we fail to protect will suffer the consequences for the rest of their lives.

It is not enough just to believe that the sexual abuse of children is repugnant. If we don’t change our approach—if we don’t take the time to prevent it, or take the risk to believe a child and act on that belief—kids will continue to be hurt.

As part of our commitment to reducing the risk of child sex abuse, our upcoming statewide conference features several workshops on the topics of sex abuse treatment and prevention, including:

• A Truly Safe Place: How Collaboration Between Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Agencies Has Made New York a Better Place
• Think Outside the Box: A Creative Team Approach to Child Sex Abuse
• What Every Direct Services Worker Should Know About Human Trafficking
• Understanding the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
• Engaging Your School Community: Interactive and Accessible Sexual Abuse Prevention
• Preventing Sexual Abuse in Early Childhood (Two-Part Institute)

The conference is April 16-18 at the Marriott Hotel in Albany. Information and registration can be found on our web site.

Conference Early Bird Deadline Extended and Other CAP Month News

I'm sure, like me, you're disturbed by what you've been seeing in the news lately. Each new day seems to bring a new horror with heartbreaking stories of children being beaten or sexually abused. The good news is that child abuse is largely preventable. Last week, the Daily News featured an op-ed from seven New York district attorneys. They called for increased funding for child abuse prevention, citing early childhood home visitation—such as Healthy Families New York and Nurse Family Partnership—as a proven model for improving outcomes for at-risk kids. We prepare for April—Child Abuse Prevention Month—deeply concerned about the grievous harm inflicted on some children, but encouraged by the fast-growing support for prevention that we see every day.

Here's more Child Abuse Prevention Month news:

Child Abuse Prevention Conference Early Registration Deadline Extended to March 16

Could you benefit from knowing the latest techniques for working with impoverished families? Wondering about recent shifts in child welfare? Need to better understand commercial sexual exploitation of children, trauma-informed care, attachment, logic models or trained optimism? These and many more topics will be discussed at Diverse Paths, Common Dreams, PCANY's 2012 statewide conference, on April 16-18 at the Marriott Hotel in Albany. We believe professional development opportunities are critically important for service providers working with kids, so we're providing an extra incentive for you to join us at the conference: We've extended the Early Registration deadline by a week. Register and pay by March 16 to receive the special early registration discount.

Pinwheels for Prevention Still Available

They're popping up in front yards, at community events and in front of City Halls. They're pinwheels and we've distributed thousands of them in preparation for Child Abuse Prevention Month events. This April, students, families, organizations and advocates around the state are coordinating Pinwheels for Prevention campaigns in their communities. Pinwheels for Prevention is a nationwide campaign, created by Prevent Child Abuse America and its state chapters. Pinwheels are a happy and uplifting token of childhood. They represent the joyful, healthy and safe childhood that every child deserves. Our Pinwheels for Prevention product line includes everything you need for your campaign. Pinwheels, lawn signs, window clings, postcards, buttons and pins can be purchased separately or in one of our Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkits, which come in various sizes to fit your campaign plans. See our online store for more information and pricing.

Price Chopper Pin-up Campaign to Benefit PCANY

I'm pleased to announce that Price Chopper supermarkets is once again sponsoring a pin-up campaign to benefit Prevent Child Abuse New York. Throughout the month of April, customers can purchase a $1 Pinwheels for Prevention pin-up at any register. Every dollar collected supports our programs. Many thanks to Price Chopper and campaign sponsor Fox 23 WXXA for joining us in the fight against child abuse.

2012 NYS Child Abuse Prevention Conference: Call for Workshop Proposals

Prevent Child Abuse New York is pleased to announce Diverse Paths, Common Dreams, the 2012 New York State Child Abuse Prevention Conference . Our 17th annual event will be held April 16-18, 2012, at the Marriott Hotel in Albany. Plenary session speakers Include:

• Victor Bernstein, PhD., School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, It Sounds So Easy but It's So Hard To Do: Developing Effective  Working Relationships with Families Living in Difficult Circumstances
• Donna Beegle, Ed.D., Speaker, Trainer & Author, Communication Across Barriers, We CAN Make a Difference for Children and Families Living in the Crisis of Proverty
• Bryan Specht, Founder, Promised Land Society and Awful Grace Project, National Board Member, Prevent Child Abuse America, Awful Grace: Resiliency, Wisdom, and the Hope of Prevention
  

We are now accepting workshop proposals  that focus on developing the knowledge and expertise needed by practitioners in today’s complex environment. Preference is given to presentations that are highly interactive, include strategies to engage the audience, and leave participants with new skills and learning they can immediately put to use in their jobs, in their homes, and in their communities.

Workshop tracks include:

• Parent/Caregiver Education and Support
• Effective Prevention Strategies
• Skills for Direct Services Provision
• Collaboration and Implementation within and across Systems
• Not-for-Profit Management and Leadership
  

For more information and instructions for submitting a proposal, please refer to the Call for Workshop Proposals .

The deadline for submission has been extended to December 16, 2011. Please email or call Jennifer Dailey, jdailey@preventchildabuseny.org, 518-445-1273, with any questions.

NYS Child Abuse Prevention Conference 2011

Prevent Child Abuse New York is pleased to once again present the New York State Child Abuse Prevention Conference on April 11-13th at the Marriott Hotel in Albany, NY. The conference seeks to expand participants' skills and practice to strengthen families, promote optimal child development, and improve outcomes for children and families.

Participants will be provided with the quality programming this conference is famous for—nationally known keynote speakers and highly rated workshops—along with some new offerings. This year's plenary sessions will be presented by:

Deborah Daro, Ph.D. (Research Fellow, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago)

Preventing Child Abuse: Learning from the Past to Build for the Future, Monday, April 11

Jodi Pfarr (aha! Process Consultant, Bridges out of Poverty)

A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Tuesday, April 12

Milton Creagh (Motivational Speaker, Television Personality, Author, Father)

Voices from the Heart, Wednesday, April 13

In response to participant feedback, we're presenting several intensive institutes that facilitate more in-depth learning. The conference includes more than 40 training and skills-building workshops and in-depth institutes presented by renowned experts in the areas of:

Parent/Caregiver Education and Support

Effective Prevention Strategies

Skills for Direct Services Provision

Collaboration and Implementation within and across Systems

Not-for-Profit Management and Leadership

Exhibit space for commercial and not-for-profit vendors is available at the conference. More information can be found in the exhibitor's packet on our website. The deadline for applications and payment is March 4, 2011.

We're looking forward to the best conference yet—one that will leave you with new skills, new resources, and renewed energy and inspiration to do the work that you do.

Register and pay by March 4 to receive the discounted rate!

Seeking Workshop Proposals for the NYS Child Abuse Prevention Conference

These's no doubt that non-profits - especially human services agencies - face unprecedented challenges. In today's complex environment, professional development opportunities are critically important, as non-profits are expected to demonstrate that their services are improving outcomes for the people they serve.

With this in mind, Prevent Child Abuse New York is pleased to announce Strengthening Families: Connecting Prevention and Intervention, the 2011 NYS Child Abuse Prevention Conference. Our 16th annual event will be held April 11-13, 2011 at the Marriott Hotel in Albany.

We are seeking workshop proposals [pdf] that aim to expand participants’ skills and practice to strengthen families, promote optimal child development, and improve outcomes for children and families. We plan to offer diverse array of workshops that focus on developing the knowledge and expertise needed by practitioners in today’s complicated environment. Special attention will be given to bridging the gap between prevention and intervention services and practices that align with the priorities of state systems (e.g. child welfare and other child- and family-serving state systems).

Workshop tracks include:

• Parent/Caregiver Education and Support
• Effective Prevention Strategies
• Skills for Direct Services Provision
• Collaboration and Implementation within and across Systems
• Not-for-Profit Management and Leadership

If you're interested in submitting a proposal, please refer to the full Call for Workshop Proposals for detailed instructions.

The deadline for submission is December 15, 2010.

2010 NYS Child Abuse Prevention Conference

The 2010 New York State Child Abuse Prevention Conference, Education, Inspiration & Solutions, is being held April 26-28 at the Marriott Hotel in Albany, New York. 

The conference includes more than 40 training and skills-building workshops for professionals working with children and families, focused on the following tracks: Parent/Caregiver Education and Support, Domestic and Family Violence, Child Abuse treatment and Prevention, Child Welfare, and Not-for-Profit Leadership. 

The plenary Speakers include:

• Dr. John Pelizza, Ph.D., Motivational Speaker, The Common Link in Balancing Work and Life.
• Shawn Dove, Campaign Manager Campaign for Black Male Achievement, Open Society Institute, Navigating the 7C’s of Deep-End Leadership
• Dr. Bruce Perry,  M.D., Ph.D, Senior Fellow, The ChildTrauma Academy, How Early Experiences Effect Development, Including the Impact of Maltreatment on Brain Development

Having an exhibitor booth at the conference is an excellent advertising and networking opportunity for both non-profit and commercial.  

For more information regarding the 2010 Conference Registration or schedule please contact Jennifer Dailey at 518-445-1273.

Excellence in Child Abuse Prevention Awards

Do you know someone who has made an exceptional difference in the lives of New York's children and families? Who works tirelessly to see that children live in families that love, nurture and protect them? Who has made their community a better, more supportive place for parents and kids? If so, we want to hear about them!

Prevent Child Abuse New York and New York's Children and Family Trust Fund are proud to announce the 15th annual award recognition of excellence in the field of child abuse prevention in New York State.

Qualified nominees will have had an impact on any of four levels:

• Societal issues, such as social norms or public policies.
• Community issues, such as community development.
• Personal relationships, such as family or peer-to-peer interactions.
• Individual knowledge, attitudes, skill, or behavior about children or maltreatment.

The awards will be presented at the 15th Annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference, Education, Inspiration & Solutions, being held at the Marriott Hotel in Albany, New York, April 26-28, 2010.

Individuals, organizations and companies are all eligible for nomination.

For more information about the NYS Child Abuse Prevention Conference and the Excellence Awards, please call 518-445-1273.

What Do Think About Angela Shelton?

Angela Shelton's keynote at the 2009 Child Abuse Prevention Conference was inspiring, energizing and very, very funny. Angela has a real gift for connecting with people. Don't just take my word for it—see what the audience had to say about Angela.

Excellence in Child Abuse Prevention: Now Accepting Nominations

Prevent Child Abuse New York and New York's Children and Family Trust Fund are proud to announce the 14th annual award recognition of excellence in the field of child abuse prevention in New York State.

We are seeking nominations of individuals groups and companies who have helped create families and communities where children are loved, nurtured and protected, who have had an impact on any of four levels:

• Societal issues, such as social norms or public policies.
• Community issues, such as community development.
• Personal relationships, such as family or peer-to-peer interactions.
• Individual knowledge, attitudes, skill, or behavior about children or maltreatment.

The awards will be presented at the 14th Annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference, Transformations, being held at the Marriott Hotel in Albany, New York, April 20-22, 2009. Awards will be presented during conference plenary sessions.

The deadline for nominations is March 18, 2009.

Possible nominees can include:

Individuals: Nominations for volunteers, community or political leaders, service providers, or advocates whose efforts have contributed significantly to programs and/or policies that support and strengthen families and build a brighter future for children.

Groups: Nominations for civic, community, or volunteer organizations whose efforts have contributed significantly to building communities or influencing policies that support children and families, strengthen families, and build a brighter future for children.

Companies: Nominations sought for local businesses, corporations or media who have made a significant contribution to building communities or influencing policies that support children and families, strengthen families, and build a brighter future for children.

Self-nominations are also accepted.

Get the nomination form here.