Stop Abuse Campaign

Sign the Petition Today!

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:55:48 +0000

Here is a perfect opportunity for you to get involved and make your voice heard. Read the message from the team of The Invisible War, a documentary film about rape and women in the military, and then please make sure to sign the petition and share it among your friends. Together, we will make a difference.

SIGN PETITION: http://www.change.org/petitions/support-military-sexual-assault-survivors

Rape is not an occupational hazard

Thank you so much for signing in support of MST survivors! With your help, we’re going all the way to Capitol Hill to show military and political leaders that rape is not an occupational hazard.

Lately, it seems that people need reminding about that: current conversations about women in combat are taking a turn for the worse, with political leaders and pundits alike saying that men can’t handle fighting side by side with women, and that women who serve should “expect” to be raped. These statements and the attitudes that they perpetuate are abhorrent, and they contribute directly to an atmosphere that promotes and accepts rape and sexual assault. As we all know, MST is not something to be tolerated or expected.

That’s why, now more than ever, we need you. Together, we can create a tangible difference, not just symbolic rhetoric: we’re targeting the lawmakers and laws that will alleviate suffering for MST survivors and lay the groundwork for true change and prevention. Please share this petition with as many of your friends and loved ones as possible and help us reach our goal of 10,000 signatures and beyond. Then, visit www.invisiblewarmovie.com and find out other ways you can take action.

Thank you,
Kori & The Invisible War team

Become an AbuseStopper by taking The Pledge. More important, become a member of the Stop Abuse Campaign. It’s quick, easy and it’s the right thing to do. Support the only organization in America with a mission and plan to stop ALL of abuse. Get involved and learn how. Make an effort to make a difference, because sooner or later, abuse touches us all.

2011 George Polk Awards in Journalism

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:25:35 +0000

Sara Ganim 2011 George Polk Award Winner for Penn State/Jerry Sandusky Sex Scandal

Congratulations to Sara Ganim, a 24-year-old crime reporter with The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa. who who brought to light allegations of child sex abuse against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky and who helped expose the institutional cover up that followed. Sara exemplifies that ONE person can make a difference in stopping abuse. She used her talents as an incredibly tenacious journalist to seek out the truth that many had fought hard to keep hidden. It encourages each of us to get involved however best we can by using our own skills, talents and abilities. All of us applying those gifts toward a common goal of stopping abuse and alleviating the suffering of those involved, will position us into becoming the first generation poised and planned to stop abuse – ALL abuse. Join the Stop Abuse Campaign today.

Boy Scouts Ordered to Release Secret Sex Abuse Files

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:06:37 +0000

The Boy Scouts of America, one of the nation’s oldest youth organizations, has been ordered to release an estimated 5,000 secret files detailing allegations of sexual abuse by Scout leaders around the nation. Known as “ineligible volunteer files,” the documents have been maintained since the 1920s and are intended to keep suspected molesters and others accused of misconduct out of Scouting. “These files exist solely to keep out individuals whose actions are inconsistent with the standards of Scouting, and Scouts are safer because of them,” Deron Smith, public relations director of Boy Scouts of America, told the Times.

That’s all well and good for keeping the Scouts safe, but what about their failure to warn boys, their parents and others about pedophiles in their ranks? What about a sense of responsibility for the safety to the rest of the community? Clearly, there is evidence of an effort to conceal widespread sexual abuse, as no authorities were ever alerted to the files of allegations. Now, a judge overseeing a lawsuit brought by the family of a California boy molested by his troop leader in 2007, has ordered the Boy Scouts of America to hand over the confidential files. We can do better and demand better of ourselves and each other. Become an AbuseStopper today by taking The Pledge. More important, become a member of the Stop Abuse Campaign. It’s quick, easy and it’s the right thing to do. Support the only organization in America with a mission and plan to stop ALL of abuse. Get involved and learn how. Make an effort to make a difference, because sooner or later, abuse touches us all.

Boy Scouts ordered to release secret sex abuse files

Organization must turn over last 20 years worth of confidential documents

By The Associated Press Monday, February 20, 2012, 10:37 AM

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A judge overseeing a lawsuit brought by the family of a California boy molested by his troop leader in 2007 has ordered the Boy Scouts of America to hand over confidential files detailing allegations of sexual abuse by Scout leaders around the nation.

Al Steven Stein molested a boy at a Boy Scouts meeting but troop leaders allegedly tried to stop the boy's mother reporting it to police

The Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge said last month that the Irving, Texas-based organization must turn over the last 20 years’ worth of records by Feb. 24, with victims’ names removed, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. The files will not be made public.

Known as “ineligible volunteer files,” the documents have been maintained since the 1920s and are intended to keep suspected molesters and others accused of misconduct out of Scouting. Scouts officials have resisted releasing them and won’t discuss their contents, citing the privacy rights of victims and the fact that many files are based on unproven allegations.

The officials deny that the files have been used to conceal sexual abuse.

“These files exist solely to keep out individuals whose actions are inconsistent with the standards of Scouting, and Scouts are safer because of them,” Deron Smith, public relations director of Boy Scouts of America, told the Times.

The Santa Barbara case is significant because it seeks to unlock files that have never been turned over by the Scouts, including all since 2005. It also alleges wrongdoing that took place relatively recently, even as the Scouts have stepped up protective efforts.

The trial is scheduled for April, nearly five years after the boy, then 13, was molested by volunteer troop leader Al Stein at a Boy Scouts Christmas tree sale in Goleta. Stein pleaded no contest to felony child endangerment in 2009.

He was sentenced to two years in prison but was paroled early and is living in a Salinas motel with other sex offenders, his attorney Steven Balash told the newspaper.

The victim’s name has not been released. His mother claims that David Tate, then the Los Padres Council Scout executive, asked her not to call police after she reported her son’s claim of abuse.

“He said that wasn’t necessary, because the Scouts do their own internal investigation,” said the woman, whose name the Times withheld to protect her son’s identity. “I thought that was really weird… I thought it was really important to call the sheriff right away.”

Why Spanking Does Not Work

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:59:21 +0000

To spank or not to spank has long been a question dividing not just the abuse community, but the general public as well. A new analysis now out reveals the latest scientific research available on the age old question, and clearly the answer is a resounding NO! The research suggests that short term benefit gained by spanking, is not worth the damage potentially caused in the long term.

Don’t forget!! Become an AbuseStopper today by taking The Pledge. More important, become a member of the Stop Abuse Campaign. It’s quick, easy and it’s the right thing to do. Support the only organization in America with a mission and plan to stop ALL of abuse. Get involved and learn how. Make an effort to make a difference, because sooner or later, abuse touches us all.

Why Spanking Doesn’t Work

A new analysis concludes that spanking fails to alter kids’ behavior in the long term. What it does instead is amp up their aggression.

By Bonnie Rochman | @brochman | February 6, 2012

Want your kid to stop whatever dangerous/annoying/forbidden behavior he’s doing right now? Spanking will probably work — for now.

But be prepared for that same child to be more aggressive toward you and his siblings, his friends and his eventual spouse. Oh, and get ready for some other antisocial behaviors too.

A new analysis of two decades of research on the long-term effects of physical punishment in children concludes that spanking doesn’t work and can actually wreak havoc on kids’ long-term development, according to an article published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Studying physical punishment is difficult for researchers, who can’t randomly assign children to groups that are hit and those that aren’t. Instead, they follow children over many years, monitor how much they’re spanked, and then take measure of their aggression over time. “We find children who are physically punished get more aggressive over time and those who are not physically punished get less aggressive over time,” says Joan Durrant, the article’s lead author and a child clinical psychologist and professor of family social sciences at the University of Manitoba.

In fact, regardless of the age of the children or the size of the sample, none of more than 80 studies on the effects of physical punishment have succeeded in finding positive associations. “If someone were to hit us to change our behavior, it might harm our relationship with that person. We might feel resentful,” says Durrant. “It’s no different for children. It’s not a constructive thing to do.”

(MORE: The Healthland Podcast: Spanking, Drinking and Mind Control)

Children who are spanked may feel depressed and devalued, and their sense of self-worth can suffer. Harsh punishments can wind up backfiring because they can foster lying in children who are desperate to avoid being spanked. Later in life, physical punishment is linked to mental-health problems including depression, anxiety and drug and alcohol use. There’s neuroimaging evidence that physical punishment may alter parts of the brain involved in performance on IQ tests and up the likelihood of substance abuse. And there’s also early data that spanking could affect areas of the brain involved in emotion and stress regulation.

Yet, as I wrote last summer in a story about the first real-time study of parents spanking their children, some research has found that up to 90% of parents say they use corporal punishment:

Despite a battery of disciplinary techniques, including the infamous “time out,” redirection and the increasing emphasis on positive discipline (try substituting “hold the cup carefully” for “don’t spill your juice”), spanking and slapping are still pretty popular.

Moms and dads who spank do so because they believe it’s effective, and research actually shows that it is — in the short term. A child reaching for a tempting object will stop if he gets swatted. “It does work in the immediate moment, but beyond that, in most cases, it’s very ineffective,” says George Holden, the study’s author and a professor of psychology at Southern Methodist University. “The most common long-term consequence is that children learn to use aggression.”

Case in point: one mother in the study hit her toddler after the toddler either hit or kicked the mother, admonishing, “This is to help you remember not to hit your mother.”

“The irony is just amazing,” says Holden.

In some countries, spanking is not a choice. Durrant is currently living in Sweden, where she’s researching child-and-family policies and the evolution of that country’s law prohibiting physical discipline of children. In 1979, Sweden was the first country to pass such legislation; now 32 countries — including much of Europe, Costa Rica, Israel, Tunisia and Kenya — have a similar law.

Neither the U.S. nor Canada has gotten on board. “Whenever I mention the law, there is an assumption that this is government telling me how to raise my child,” says Durrant. “[But in Sweden] they see it as a way to make sure children get the best start possible in life.”

Fox News’ Liz Trotta – Women in Military Should Expect to Get Raped

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:18:04 +0000

The views espoused by Fox News’ pundit, Liz Trotta, are more than unfortunate remarks. They speak to one of the key issues that lead to abuse, an outdated, ultra-conservative view of women. Perhaps she intended her remarks to provoke and shock more than to add thought and insight, but why? Why, with such a powerful platform to educate and reach so many millions of people, would Liz Trotta choose to degrade our military’s servicewomen? How much longer and how much lower do we allow our level of discourse in this country to stoop to, before we stop with the degrading of abused women? Keep in mind, many of the women she is speaking of are currently serving this country at war or veterans. Here at the Stop Abuse Campaign, we strive every day to raise the level of awareness by elevating the conversation and the dialogue about stopping abuse in this country. Liz Trotta, and those that think like her, may as well be speaking up for the rights of the raper to rape. We can do better. It’s up to all of us to hold ourselves and each other accountable.

Become an AbuseStopper today by taking The Pledge. More important, become a member of the Stop Abuse Campaign. It’s quick, easy and it’s the right thing to do. Support the only organization in America with a mission and plan to stop ALL of abuse. Get involved and learn how. Make an effort to make a difference, because sooner or later, abuse touches us all.

Fox News’ Liz Trotta On Women Raped In Military: ‘What Did They Expect? These People Are In Close Contact’ (VIDEO)

Fox News pundit Liz Trotta made a series of incendiary statements about rape in the military during a Sunday appearance on the network.

Trotta was reacting to news that the military will allow women to work closer to the front lines. Speaking to Fox News host Eric Shawn, she alleged that feminists wanted “to be warriors and victims at the same time.”

She cited a recent Pentagon report that sex crimes committed by army personnel have increased by 64% over the past six years. Then she made a startling statement:

“I think they have actually discovered there is a difference between men and women. And the sexual abuse report says that there has been, since 2006, a 64% increase in violent sexual assaults. Now, what did they expect? These people are in close contact, the whole airing of this issue has never been done by Congress, it’s strictly been a question of pressure from the feminists.”

Trotta also alleged that “feminists” have demanded too much money to fund programs for sexual abuse victims. “You have this whole bureaucracy upon bureaucracy being built up with all kinds of levels of people to support women in the military who are now being raped too much,” she said. Shawn argued that the programs are necessary to protect those victims. Trotta responded that the purpose of the military is “to defend and protect us, not the people who were fighting the war.” Trotta has a history of controversial statements. Among other things, she joked about assassinating President Obama during his campaign in

WATCH THE FOX NEWS INTERVIEW HERRE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/13/fox-news-liz-trotta-rape_n_1274018.html

Sandusky’s Grandkids

AbuseStopperT — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:11:48 +0000

Victor Vieth and other Child protection advocates express concern after a Pennsylvania judges allows former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky to see and correspond with his grandchildren, albeit in the presence of a parent.

Victor is the Director of the National Child Protection Training Center in Winona, Minn. and a Board Member of the Stop Abuse Campaign.

According to the ruling Monday, Sandusky will be allowed to host his grandchildren at his house as well as talk with them on the phone, and via email, text, and Skype. The judge stipulated that a parent must be in attendance at all times.

“It might be argued that, given the nature of the charges filed against [Sandusky], contact with children in general should be prohibited out of an abundance of caution to protect the public safety. However, the request … is accompanied by the assurance that the parents will supervise any personal or electronic contact,” Cleland wrote. The judge added that prosecutors “presented no evidence” that the grandchildren’s parents “are not capable of assuring the safety of their children.”

A second judge will rule on Sandusky’s access to three of his 11 grandchildren, which involves a custody dispute between Michael Sandusky, his son, and Jill Thomas, his former daughter-in-law, who objects to their children having any contact with the elder Sandusky.

The Sandusky case is forcing Pennsylvania lawmakers to examine the state’s child abuse laws, most of which have not been updated in over 40 years. For example, state law defines child abuse only if it involves a perpetrator who is a family member or caregiver, such as a teacher or coach. Which means that, in some instances, what might be defined as child abuse in one state could be categorized as sexual assault in Pennsylvania.

State law also does not require training for how to report abuse, which Kutulakis says is needed to prevent judges from being swayed by emotional arguments the defense may make such as how Sandusky misses his family. On Friday his legal team provided the judge letters and drawings made by his grandchildren.

However Victor Vieth, director of the National Child Protection Training Center in Winona, Minn., says nothing in Friday’s hearing “indicated Sandusky is not at risk of harming these children.”

“Most people who are violated, they love their perpetrator…. That is partly why it’s hard for kids to make a disclosure” that they are abused, Vieth says. “The fact you have letters saying ‘I love grandpa’ – all of that is irrelevant to the question. The bottom line is what procedures or mechanisms are in place to protect children he may have contact with?”

Vieth says law, education and medical students should be required to take semester-long courses on identifying and how to respond to child abuse and that the same training should be mandated for judges assigned to child protection cases.

To read more visit CSMonitor.

Vatican Investigated 4,000 cases of child sex abuse in the last 10 years

admin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:33:45 +0000

A virus is a sickness, that left unchecked and ignored will eventually spread and take over your body, making you very ill and depending on how severe, kill you. Abuse is a virus that does the same destruction wherever it goes unnoticed and unchecked. Take for instance the revelation just out of the Vatican stating that, in 10 years time, it has investigated 4,000 cases of child sex abuse within it’s organization. Not only was the abuse ignored and or disbelieved, when proof was found, the abuser was simply removed from one spot and placed in another to continue the abuse somewhere entirely new. That’s akin to taking out a sick person’s organ to transplant into a healthy body. It only spreads the disease further and creates more sickness and helping no one heal. We can do better. The Catholic Church is learning that lesson in the hardest and most expensive way possible. The thousands of victims paid the biggest price of all. Help to stop abuse in your home and your community by becoming an AbuseStopper.

Vatican Investigated 4,000 Cases of Child Sex Abuse in the Last 10 Years -By Nick Pisa

A senior Vatican cardinal has revealed how more than 4,000 cases of sex abuse by priests on children have been investigated during the last ten years.

Cardinal Joseph William Levada revealed the figues as he opened the conference on child sex abuse

The shock figure was announced by American cardinal Joseph William Levada as he opened a conference on the wide scale phenomenon which has rocked the Roman Catholic church with cases reported all over the world.

Cardinal Levada, who is head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, described the figure as a ‘dramatic increase’ and came in the face of global indignation at the scale of the problem and which has forced Pope Benedict XVI to apologise for previous cases during papal visits as he meets victims.

Addressing the conference in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University he also stressed that the Catholic Church had an obligation to report paedophile priests to the police and civil authorities – in the past there have been cases in Ireland and elsewhere that bishops ‘dragged their heels’ in naming offending clergy.

The event called ‘Towards Healing and Renewal’ is being attended by more than 100 senior bishops and clergy from all over the world – with Ireland’s leading Roman Catholic Cardinal Sean Brady among the delegates and it comes after Benedict ordered an Apostolic Visitation into the Irish Catholic Church following two damning reports on the extent of abuse there.”

Joelle Casteix, of support group SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), said: ‘How many meetings will it take for Rome to learn that child sex abuse is a crime, predators must be made public and jailed and church officials who cover up molesters must be held accountable ?

‘Even after years of promises, meetings and empty apologies, the Vatican cannot do the simplest, cheapest, and the most child-friendly action possible: make public decades of secret files on clergy sex offenders and enablers.’

She also attacked Cardinal Levada and added: ‘Conference leaders say the purpose of the event is to create guidelines on how to handle reports of childhood sexual abuse.

February Is Teen Dating Violence (DV) Prevention and Awareness Month

admin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:04:57 +0000

Teen Dating Violence (DV) Prevention and Awareness Month is a national effort to raise awareness about abuse in teen and 20-something relationships and promote programs that prevent it during the month of February.

The repercussions of teen dating violence are impossible to ignore – they hurt not just the young people victimized but also their families, friends, schools and communities. Throughout February, organizations and individuals nationwide are coming together to highlight the need to educate young people about relationships, teach healthy relationship skills and prevent the devastating cycle of abuse.

The History of Teen DV Month

For years, young people across the nation have organized to put a stop to dating abuse. With their adult allies, they achieved a major victory in 2005 when the importance of addressing teen dating abuse was highlighted in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

The following year, Congress followed the lead of dozens of national, state and local organizations in sounding the call to end dating abuse. Both Chambers declared the first full week in February “National Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Week.” Then in 2010, Congress began dedicating the entire month of February to teen dating violence awareness and prevention.

Now in its third year, Teen DV Month is celebrated by leaders in government, student bodies, schools, youth service providers,
community-based organizations, parents and more. Join us in promoting awareness of and preventing dating abuse. For more information and how you can get involved, go to: http://www.teendvmonth.org/

DONT FORGET!! Become an AbuseStopper today by taking The Pledge. More important, become a member of the Stop Abuse Campaign. It’s quick, easy and it’s the right thing to do. Support the only organization in America with a mission and plan to stop ALL of abuse. Get involved and learn how. Make an effort to make a difference, because sooner or later, abuse touches us all.

Did You Know… Epidemic of Rape in U.S. Military

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:26:09 +0000

Much of what we choose to promote on our website is here to help you, our readers, become better informed and educated. By doing so, we hope to raise the level of conversation and awareness around issues of abuse. The following article is an eye opening piece on the military’s treatment of any soldier who reports personal abuse having taken place while in the service. Did you know, that for our service men and women, if you are sexually assaulted and or raped, and this act is reported by you, it’s victim, you are discharged from duty? No wonder this behavior goes unreported at an even greater extent among our service men and women. WE CAN DO BETTER! We have to change the way we treat survivors, both in the military and civilian population. CNN has put together an informative and enlightening interview that must be seen. It’s time we offer hope and help to those who are victims and survivors. It is possible to stop abuse and you are vital to that very noble effort. Don’t forget! Take the pledge while you’re here. It’s quick and easy and it qualifies you as an official Abuse-Stopper! Become a member while you’re here and join the fight directly! It’s quick and easy and you are instantly making a difference!

‘Epidemic’ of rape in the U.S. military

From the CNN Newsroom, February 8, 2012CNN talks to Rep. Jackie Speier, who is calling for impartial investigations of alleged rape in the U.S. military. Watch the CCN Interview! http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2012/02/08/nr-speier-military-rape.cnn#/video/us/2012/02/08/nr-speier-military-rape.cnn

Failure starts in college

AbuseStopperT — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:28:20 +0000

FAILURE TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM ABUSE BEGINS IN COLLEGE

Victor Vieth[1]

Americans are justifiably outraged about recent allegations of child sexual abuse in the Los Angeles school district, particularly allegations that school and other authorities may have failed to react appropriately to earlier complaints of abuse. The possibility that clear outcries of abuse may have been ignored or not properly responded to is part of a pattern we have seen developing through in other recent cases at Penn State, Syracuse and the Citadel. The disturbing trend in these cases can be seen in the fact that these are not isolated instances. Indeed, a number of studies conducted over the course of 20 years, have found that most mandated reporters, including teachers, social workers, physicians, and physician assistants fail to report the majority of child abuse cases. Even when reports are made, most cases are deemed unfounded, or not properly investigated. The failures of mandated reporters and child protection professionals begins at the undergraduate and graduate level where institutions of higher education fail miserable to properly prepare graduates who will encounter abused children as mandated reporters or as child protection professionals.

Most mandated reporters won’t report cases of child abuse

A 1990 study found that only 40% of instances of child abuse and 35% of the most serious cases known by mandated reporters were relayed to Child Protective Services. More recent studies show that 50% of mandated reporters do not disclose accounts of suspected substantiated abuse, to proper authorities.

There are many reasons witnesses choose not to report child abuse. Unfortunately, one of the most common reasons suspected abuse goes unreported is because of relationships between witnesses and alleged abusers. Insufficient evidence, lack of certainty that abuse has occurred, the belief a report will cause additional harm are just a few of the reasons cited by reporters who have failed to meet their obligation to disclose abuse. Ambiguity in some mandated reporting statutes and lack of training on how and to whom to report also contributes to underreporting. Regrettably, a lack of legal obligation is also cited among some witnesses, as a reason for their failure to report. This is perhaps the most unsettling of all, as it is they who hold the power to seek justice for those who can’t. Most victims of abuse will not come forward on their own out of fear of the alleged perpetrator, shame or embarrassment about their victimization or concern about community response.

Many serious cases of maltreatment are not investigated

When universities and other institutions of higher education fail to properly equip the professionals who will be responsible to future victims, these would-be officials are forced to learn—on the job—what they should have experienced in training. As a result, even cases of severe child abuse are screened out of the system with little to no investigation.

Indeed, according to the Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4), a large percentage of cases of child abuse identified by professionals were not investigated properly. Only 50% of the nation’s identified cases of child abuse received investigation and only 30% of the cases in which children suffered from “serious harm” were explored by authorities.

Most colleges and universities do not prepare mandated reporters and child protection professionals

Over two decades of research document US law enforcement officers, social workers, nurses, doctors, prosecutors, judges, and other child protection professionals leave their undergraduate and graduate institutions inadequately prepared to respond to cases of child abuse.

In a 2006 study, Winona State University analyzed the websites of 1,416 universities and colleges wherein bachelor degrees were offered in the following fields: criminal justice/law enforcement (393), social work (340), human services (113), nursing (390), medicine (96), psychology (794), sociology (639), and education (105). WSU professors searched these sites using the terms “child maltreatment,” “child abuse and neglect,” “child protection,” “child welfare,” and “child advocacy.” Only 29% (410) of these web sites had any course work addressing issues of child maltreatment. Moreover, when course work was offered, it was typically in fields of sociology or psychology—thus leaving the vast majority of child protection professionals with no training at the undergraduate level. Where undergraduate coursework on child mistreatment was offered, the coverage was often cursory. Not one of the 1,416 universities analyzed had any sort of concentration on child maltreatment.

Commenting on his lack of training, social worker Marc Parent said he received “Two weeks of solemn discussion on child protective issues, but little on getting a drug dealer to let you into an abandoned building or talking a restless police officer into sticking around until you get through with a case and back into your car.”

The problem extends to graduate schools as well. A study of American Psychological Association (APA) accredited graduate programs found that many of the programs “fall far short” of guidelines proposed by the APA for minimal levels of competence in handling child maltreatment cases. The study found, the lack of graduate training for psychology students “contradicts the rapidly expanding literature on responding to maltreatment and the demands of this interdisciplinary, professional endeavor.”

Discussing her educational background, psychologist Anna Salter writes:

In the two years I spent at Tufts getting a Masters degree in Child Study and the five years I spent at Harvard getting a Ph.D. in Psychology and Public Practice, there was virtually nothing on child sexual and physical abuse in any course I took. I had one lecture on the victims of child abuse, but not a single lecture anywhere on offenders. Ironically, many of the lectures were on maladies so rare I’ve yet to see them in twenty years of practice.

The need for reform

The National Child Protection Training Center is working with dozens of universities throughout the United States to implement undergraduate and graduate courses that will prepare mandated reporters, such as teachers, to recognize and report reasonable suspicions of abuse. In addition to better preparing future mandated reporters, these universities also provide certificate, minors, majors and graduate degrees in Child Advocacy Studies—programs that will better prepare future law enforcement officers, social workers, mental and medical health professionals, as well as prosecutors and judges to competently respond to allegations of child abuse from the outset. Unless and until these or other common sense measures are taken at universities throughout the country, tragedies like the abuse coverups at Penn State, Syracuse, the Citadel and the LA School District will not be isolated instances—they will continue to be the norm.

[1] Director, National Child Protection Training Center.