A Child Advocate's Blog

Helping Parents Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Jetta Bernier's Guest Post to " Safe To Compete ", a program of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children http://tmblr.co/Zf7J_qu3U8w5  Efforts to prevent child sexual abuse over the past decade are showing results and confirmed cases are down. Yet still too many children - an estimated 1 in 10 - are at risk of being sexually abused or exploited. As a parent, you can be your child’s best protection. Here’s how. What’s a Parent to Do? Begin talking to your child about body boundaries and privacy by age 3. Remember, it’s easy, if you begin early and reinforce messages over time. Only allow those you trust to provide genital, perianal and bathing care for your child. Encourage children’s independence in personal self-care. Discourage co-bathing with siblings and adults. Introduce concepts of “OK” and “Not OK” touch. Avoid using the terms “good or bad touch.”  Children get confused by the notions that a

Sex-Wise Parents can raise sexually safer and healthier kids! Reposted from the Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM,) Blog, original post found here:  Sex-Wise Parents can raise sexually safer and healthier kids! | National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) This week the Talk Early, Talk Often series continues on the SAAM Blog with a guest post from author and expert Dr. Janet Rosenzweig. Join us on Tueday, April 2 for a twitter chat hosted by @JanetRosenzweig on child sexual abuse prevention. Use the hashtag #TweetAboutIt to participate.  Parents are the strongest influence on their children's decisions about sex and sexuality, yet most parents underestimate their own power. A major national survey reported in 2010 that 46 percent of teens continue to say that parents most influence their decisions about sex, while just 20 percent say friends most influence their decisions. At the same time, parents overestimate the influence media and friends have on their chi

Unclear if state mandated reporter law applies to former Brooks headmaster January 11, 2013 By Douglas Moser dmoser@eagletribune.com Unclear if state mandated reporter law applies to former Brooks headmaster NORTH ANDOVER — The relationship Brooks School disclosed last week involving its former headmaster and a one-time student was not reported to state children’s services authorities, and it is unclear whether a report was required under state law with the information made public so far. Massachusetts requires a range of professionals who work with or near children, including school officials, to report suspicions or evidence of neglect or physical or sexual abuse to the state Department of Families and Children or face a fine. Brooks disclosed in a letter to alumni on Jan. 3 that former headmaster Lawrence W. Becker had an inappropriate relationship with a student at some point during his tenure. A school spokeswoman said the relationship occurred while publisher Steve For

We Can Make It Right. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHICAGO, IL, January 14, 2013 – Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett recently launched a lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) seeking to have all of the NCAA penalties against Penn State’s football program thrown out. These sanctions brought about by the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse case include a $60 million fine which is to be used for funding child sexual abuse prevention and treatment programming. The lawsuit represents an about face in terms of Governor Corbett’s public position on the sanctions. This past July he was quoted as saying, “We must repair the damage to this university. Part of that corrective process is to accept the serious penalties imposed by the NCAA on Penn State University and its football program.” The temptation is to ask why Governor Corbett has chosen to do this, or even seek to answer that question ourselves. But asking why or trying to discern the impetus for this dec

Prep school head failed to report impropriety; Headmaster allegations at first unknown to authorities AP Steve Forbes served as president of the brooks School’s board of trustess at the time in question. (AP) January 4, 2013 Peter Schworn   The Boston Globe Former headmaster of Brooks School...                 Despite knowing that the headmaster of Brooks School had ­engaged in an improper relationship with a student, publishing executive Steve Forbes, president of the college preparatory school’s board of trustees at the time, did not report the incident to authorities, the school said Friday.   Forbes, an alumnus who served as board president from 1987 to 1997, took steps to address the matter but did not discipline the headmaster, Lawrence W. Becker, or report the ­alleged relationship to the full board, according to a school spokeswoman, Karen Schwartzman.   Becker went o