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Interested in a Fabulous Volunteer Opportunity? Join PAVE’s Board of Directors!

February 7, 2012 By Amanda 1 Comment

Pave logo with sloganPAVE  is looking for committed, energetic members who want to serve on our Board of Directors. It is an excellent chance for experienced, dedicated individuals to be part of shaping the future of our organization.

Service on our Board of Directors offers a tremendous opportunity to help mold our programs and strategies, the impact of which will be felt for many years.  Both experienced and first time board members are welcome. While we would certainly welcome individuals with great connections and/or professional skills, a PASSION for sexual and dating violence prevention is absolutely critical. Previous experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, violence prevention or intervention or is highly desired.

If you are interested in becoming a PAVE BOD member, please submit a letter of introduction and your resume to amanda@ShatteringTheSilence.org.

A PAVE Board Member:

  1. Demonstrates an interest in and personal commitment to PAVE’s vision, mission and values.
  2. Exercises duty of loyalty and due care in the management of PAVE’s fiscal affairs.
  3. Serves as an ambassador, building relationships with potential supporters and donors in the community.
  4. Attends all bi-monthly board meetings, board committee meetings, and required special events.
  5. Makes a personal financial contribution at a level that is meaningful to them.
  6. Actively participates in one or more fundraising activities.
  7. Acts in the best interests of the organization, and excuses themselves from discussions and votes where they have a conflict of interest.
  8. Stays informed about what’s going on in the organization. They will ask questions and request information. They will participate in and take responsibility for making decisions on issues, policies and other board matters, especially financial matters.
  9. Works in good faith and communicate openly and honestly with staff and other board members as partners towards achievement of our goals.
  10. Maintains roles and responsibilities with a high level of accountability and intentionality.
  11. Makes a commitment to serve as a PAVE Board Member for a minimum of two years.
  12. Adheres to and upholds the values of feminism and anti violence.
  13. Adheres to the responsibilities for the board of directors as required by the Illinois Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986 (805 ILCS 105 – attached).
  14. Insures that PAVE functions in compliance with all relevant state and federal laws.

 

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PAVE Action Alert: South Dakota Legislation on Sexual Violence

February 6, 2012 By Amanda Leave a Comment

HB 1218 & SB 68: Removing the Statute of Limitations for Reporting on Rape

“SIOUX FALLS (AP) – It has taken Jolene Loetscher more than 15 years to come to terms with a rape she says she endured as a teenager in Nebraska, but according to state law at the time, she waited too long to seek punishment for the man she accuses of stealing her childhood in the back of the store where she worked.

While 23 states currently have no statute of limitations on some form of sexual assault, prosecutors in several states – including South Dakota, where Loetscher now lives – remain bound by laws that restrict the length of time they can charge someone for a sex crime.

In South Dakota, prosecutors can only charge a suspect in a rape case up to seven years after the crime was committed or until the victim is 25, whichever is longer.

Loetscher, now 33, hopes to change that with the help of her friend, South Dakota state Sen. Mark Johnston, who has introduced a bill in the state Senate that would eliminate the state’s statute of limitations for rape cases.” Please click this link to read the entire article from the Associated Press. If you are reading from South Dakota, please contact your state representative and voice your support for this bill.

You can Read the most recent draft of SB 68 here.

 

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PAVE Invites you to our 2nd Annual Criminal Justice Training, Baton Rouge Louisiana

February 2, 2012 By Amanda Leave a Comment

Register Today!

Shattering the Silence of Sexual Violence: A Multidisciplinary & Collaborative Approach

Louisiana state seal

Tuesday March 6, 2012
8:30am – 4:30pm
Louisana State Police Training Academy; Baton Rouge

Free training for public sector; $100 for CLE
Seating is limited; 5.75hrs CLE Credit*
*Credit approval pending

Click Here to Register Now

Col. Mike Edmansun invites you to join him and other criminal justice leaders from across Louisiana in this multidisciplinary training to address many of the complex issues and perspectives surrounding sexual violence. Due to feedback from last year, this training will have a focus on sex offenders, prevention and offender management.

Speakers include:

- Angela Rose, PAVE Executive Director & nationally acclaimed educator on sexual violence

- Niki Bird, PAVE Policy Director & national speaker, survivor and advocate

- James “Jimmy” Le Blanc, Secretary, LA Department  of Public Safety and Corrections

- Walter Leger III, LA Speaker Pro Tempore

- Col Mike Edmanson

Click Here to Download the Event Flyer

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From SheWrites: 10 Reasons Not to Discuss Child Sexual Abuse in 2012

January 31, 2012 By Amanda 1 Comment

Please view original post here: http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blogs/10-reasons-not-to-discuss-child-sexual-abuse-in-2012

10 Reasons Not to Discuss Child Sexual Abuse in 2012

I have heard them all.  I have heard all the reasons why parents don’t discuss child sexual abuse prevention with their children.  I have heard them so often that I can recite them by heart.  As the new year approaches, I decided it would be a good idea to memorialize the top 10 reasons for not discussing the subject.  I invite you to add any that may have been omitted.

  1. Children are seldom victims of sexual abuse. Actually, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in the United States, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused by the time they are 18.  Consider those numbers for a moment.  They are shocking and devastating.  Those figures alone should motivate parents to seek out prevention strategies.
  2. This kind of thing doesn’t happen where we live.  Actually, child sexual abuse has no socio-economic boundaries.  It doesn’t care if you are black or white, rich or poor or what religion you practice.  It can creep in when you least expect it.
  3. We don’t let our children go near strangers. Actually, 93% of all child sexual abuse occurs at the hands of someone known to the child and trusted by the parents.  Even if a child is never around strangers, he or she could be victimized by a neighbor, a coach, a religious official or family member.  Parents who teach only stranger danger are doing a disservice to their child.
  4. My child is not old enough for this discussion. Actually, the appropriate age to discuss child sexual abuse prevention is when a child is three years old.  The conversation can start as simply as “Did you know that the parts of your body covered by a bathing suit are private and are for no one else to see or touch?”  Continue the conversation by explaining to the child that he should tell Mommy, Daddy or a teacher if someone touches him on those private parts.  Be sure to include any necessary exceptions for potty training, hygiene and doctor visits.
  5. I don’t want to scare my child. Actually, when handled properly, children find the message empowering and are not frightened at all.  Parents do not refrain from teaching traffic safety for fear that their child will be afraid to cross the street.  So too should we address the subject of body safety.
  6. I would know if something happened to my child. Actually, child sexual abuse is difficult to detect because frequently there are no physical signs of abuse.   The emotional and behavioral signs that may accompany sexual abuse can be caused by a variety of triggers.
  7. My child would tell me if something happened to him. Actually, most children do not immediately disclose when they have been sexually abused.  Contrary to a child who falls down and runs over to tell his parents, a child who has been sexually abused is likely being told not to tell anyone because no one will believe him, that people will say it is his fault, that the disclosure will cause great sadness in the family and that the behavior is their little secret.
  8. We never leave our child alone with adults. Actually, children can be sexually abused by other children.  The very same lessons that can help prevent children from being sexually abused by adults, can keep them safe from other children.  Teach children what touch is appropriate and what is inappropriate, teach them the proper terminology for their private parts and teach them who they can talk to if anyone touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.
  9. I don’t want to put thoughts in her head. Actually, there is no data to indicate that a child who has been taught about child sexual abuse prevention is more likely to fabricate that they have been sexually abused.  According to Victor Vieth, director of the National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University, “Children do lie, but seldom about being abused.  All human beings can and do lie, but it’s hard for kids to do it about sex.  They can’t lie about something they have no knowledge of,” he said, “and children don’t learn about oral sex on Sesame Street.”
  10. It’s not going to happen to my child. Actually, as the statistics reveal, child sexual abuse is so pervasive that it could happen to any child.  This reason is the catch-all. Educated, loving parents have actually said this to me.  If one were to ask any parent whose child has been sexually abused if they thought their child would ever be sexually abused, I can guarantee each one would say no.  No one wants to believe this could happen to their child.  We need to stop denying that it could happen and recognize that there are ways to prevent it from happening.  Make the decision to talk to your child about sexual abuse prevention in 2012.  It could be the greatest gift you ever give them.  Have a safe and healthy New Year.
Bio:

Jill Starishevsky is an Assistant District Attorney in New York City, where she has prosecuted hundreds of sex offenders and dedicated her career to seeking justice for victims of child abuse and sex crimes.  Outside the courtroom, Jill’s fondness for writing led her to create The Poem Lady, where she pens personalized pieces.  Her mission to protect children, along with her penchant for poetry, inspired My Body Belongs to Me, a children’s book intended to prevent child sexual abuse by teaching 3-8 year-olds their bodies are private.  A mother of three, Jill is also founder of HowsMyNanny.com, a service that enables parents to purchase a license plate for their child’s stroller so the public can report positive or negative nanny observations.

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From the Prevention Institute: Reporters can do better: Media coverage of Sandusky trial amplifies shame/silence of sexual abuse

January 30, 2012 By Amanda Leave a Comment

From http://www.preventioninstitute.org

Reporters can do better: Media coverage of Sandusky trial amplifies shame/silence of sexual abuse

Read the original article on the Huffington Post. 2012-01-11-images-pamelapic2.jpgThis article was co-authored with Pamela Mejia. Mejia is a Research Associate at the Berkeley Media Studies Group, where she analyzes how the media talks about public health and social issues. She was a lead author on “Breaking News on Child Sexual Abuse.”

People are still talking about Penn State. This week, a judge released the timeframe for the events leading up to the trial of former defensive coach Jerry Sandusky. His arrest last November triggered a wave of news coverage. But what is the media coverage saying, and how might it affect the public conversation as Sandusky’s trial moves forward?

A new study, Breaking news on child sexual abuse: Early coverage of Penn State by the Berkeley Media Studies Group, commissioned by the Ms. Foundation for Women analyzed the first nine days of coverage. The study found gaps in reporting that should be fixed so that news coverage reaches past a single case to investigate how to prevent child sexual abuse, including what institutions can do.

The Bad News
There is room for journalists to improve their coverage. For one thing, though more than half of the news and general coverage introduced the idea that Penn State University bore institutional responsibility for the abuse, the great majority of the coverage focused on Sandusky’s culpability. As we discussed in an earlier Huffington Post column, coverage that focuses on the ‘bad guy’ misses the point that institutions were using their power to silence the scandal and were in large part responsible for the sexual abuse continuing and the large number of victims.

Where are the survivors? The survivors themselves were almost entirely absent from the coverage. Instead, former head football coach Joe Paterno dominated- the news talked about him more than any other figure, and the coverage was overwhelmingly laudatory. In fact, the coverage was over three times as likely to discuss the consequences of the allegations for Paterno, as it was to talk about the consequences for the survivors.

Where was prevention? Finally, and perhaps most critically, solutions to child sexual abuse and discussion of prevention were virtually non-existent in the coverage. Stories like this are important for opening up the issue, but news coverage is still are not yet talking about ways to prevent children from being abused, and how institutions themselves bear responsibility for perpetuating–or reducing–incidents of child sexual abuse.

The Good News
Sports reporters get the story. The news coverage of the Sandusky case attracted many sports writers to the issue, some of whom were likely covering the topic for the first time. Almost one half (48%) of the initial coverage appeared in the sports sections. Child sexual abuse shouldn’t just be relegated to the crime section – especially when coaches and other sports professionals are involved.

Much reporting calls a rape a rape. Though Sandusky and his lawyer notoriously tried to downplay the allegations with phrases like “horsing around,” most of the news avoided repeating this minimizing language, and instead used phrases like “rape,” “sexual abuse,” and “sexual assault.” In cases of child sex abuse, when the news media doesn’t “soft pedal the enormity of the abuse perpetrated,” readers have a clearer picture of what the survivors experienced, and may better understand why prevention is critical.

Reporters–and their sources, advocates for prevention–can do better. The media spotlight won’t shift from Sandusky and Penn State anytime soon: journalists and advocates can take advantage of this opportunity to work to improve the coverage of child sexual abuse, and expand it to push for policies that will institute prevention.

Reporters can keep the issue on the sports pages and elsewhere in the news. The Penn State scandal is just the most recent and public instance of a crime that happens every day, one that, according to the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance, “flourishes in secrecy.” To help end that secrecy, keep the spotlight on the issue beyond the current news cycle. Explore other sports stories on child sexual abuse: Investigate what coaches, teams, and schools are doing to make sure it doesn’t happen in their institution. Reporters need to shine a light on our accepting environment, expose the norm that child sexual abuse is an every day occurrence, and cover institutional and policy changes that would better support victims and penalize cover ups. Their stories need to show that young people are more important than sports heroes.

Advocates can release their comments to the media quickly. Many of the statements released by advocacy groups did not appear in the media until well after the first week of coverage and therefore could not be quoted by journalists as the story broke. If prevention advocates want to contribute to breaking news, they will need to respond faster and let reporters know what sorts of information and insights they can bring to a story.

Advocates and reporters can push for solutions. Advocates can suggest policies and programs that can shift the focus to prevention. Reporters can talk to advocates, researchers, policy makers and others in authority and push them for answers to these and other important questions about how to prevent future abuse. Reporters should ask: “What can we do to prevent another Penn State?” “What are communities already doing?” Media coverage of the tragedies that occurred at Penn State has helped open unprecedented and vital conversations about child sexual abuse. As the story continues to unfold, journalists and advocates have a unique opportunity to shift the conversation to what can be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

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Documentary Feature “Invisible Scars” Begins Production in San Diego on Sunday January 22, 2012

January 30, 2012 By Amanda Leave a Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Documentary Feature “Invisible Scars” Begins Production in San Diego on Sunday January 22, 2012

“Invisible Scars” is based on the life of Johnna Janis (A PAVE Ambassador), a survivor of child sexual abuse. Award winning filmmaker Sergio Myers and his 7Ponies Productions, signed on to direct and co-produce.

SAN DIEGO, CA – January 21, 2012 – This is a woman’s story of hope, healing, and resiliency. During this inspirational journey, she reveals the invisible scars that have negatively impacted her throughout her life. Like many other women and men, she was sexually abused by people she trusted. On the outside she is a mother, daughter, wife, and friend who appears strong and confident. She is a full time student who spends most of her free time competing in triathlon competitions, and trains for hours, days, weeks and months to prove to herself she is as good as the rest of her competitors. However, on the inside she has struggled with acknowledging and accepting the ugly and shameful truths of her past that have haunted her for most of her life.

 

In August of 2010, Johnna’s strong exterior was crushed by a car accident that left her permanently damaged and unable to compete as a triathlete. In order to heal herself physically she also needed to come to terms with healing herself emotionally.  In this story we witness her journey of self-discovery through therapy, meeting other survivors, as an ambassador of PAVE, as a wife and mother, and as a self-proclaimed athlete.

 

“I am beating the odds, and changing the statistics. I know who I am now, and I love that person. I felt that now was the time to come forward and tell my story.” -Johnna Janis

 

 

 

“This is a very difficult topic to discuss and Johnna is extremely brave for publicly sharing her story. I am honored to be a part of it.” Sergio Myers, director and co-producer of “Invisible Scars”, likes to explore diverse topics. He is best known for his award-winning feature documentary on the Heaven’s Gate suicide cult and his hit reality TV series MTV’s Sorority Life.

 

In recent years Sergio Myers has directed-produced a variety of projects with various subject matter: “L.A. Love Story Part 1” and “L.A. Love Story Part 2” (two short dramas loosely based on real events in his own life); “Jordon Saffron Taste This” (a whimsical mockumentary about a chef who loses his taste buds); most recently “The Zombinator” starring Patrick Kilpatrick and Joseph Aviel (an indie Zombie feature filmed in only four and a half days); and feature documentary “Blog Me Fashion: FrockOn” (based on a group of women who started the indie fashion website frockon.com).

 

Johnna Janis will be co-producing this film with award winning director and producer Sergio Myers.

 

http://www.facebook.com/Invisiblescarsdocumentary

www.7ponies.com

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Oregon moves forward on Healthy Teen Relationships Act

January 27, 2012 By Amanda 1 Comment
Teen dating violence image

One third of high school students have been or will be involved in an abusive relationship.

Spearheaded by by ally Representative Jules Bailey, The Oregon legislature is moving forward on ground-breaking initiative, The Healthy Teen Relationships Act (HTRA – OR HB 4077). Nationally, 1 in 10 adolescents report being a victim of physical dating abuse. Learning about healthy relationships is a long-term investment that can shape healthy adult relationships and families. Teaching teens about healthy relationships can help to prevent future domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, promote their future career/educational development, and more. This bill is a bipartisan effort to address the issue of teen dating violence, especially in our schools. The bill directs school districts to have a response policy to the issues of dating violence among teens. It also creates a fund, separate from the state’s General Fund, that can accept private moneys to do a longitudinal study on teen violence and the effectiveness of healthy relationship education.

As HTRA moves through the House Human Services Committee on its way to Ways and Means to get funding for its survey component, the bill has garnered enthusiastic support from the Oregon community as well as from prevention advocates across the country (including PAVE) who are hoping HTRA sets a precedent that other states and perhaps even the feds will follow. If you are reading from Oregon, please contact your representative and let them know how important HTRA is to you!

You can read the most recent draft of HTRA here.

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National Sexual Violence Resource Center Releases Resources for SAAM 2012

January 26, 2012 By Amanda Leave a Comment

SAAM LogoHello PAVE Community,Chapters and Affiliates,

As we gear up for Sexual Assault Awareness month this April, please check out The National Sexual Violence Resource Center who has recently released its resources for Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2012.  This year’s resources focus on healthy sexuality and provide a wonderful discussion of gender norms and are useful far beyond SAAM. Please click the link above to visit their resources site and utilize this wonderful information in your school, community or even in your own home.

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Report Alleges University Of Wisconsin Athletic Official Sexually Assaulted Student

January 26, 2012 By Amanda Leave a Comment

Please read the following AP news article about a sexual assault in PAVE’s home town.

From the Associated Press:

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A University of Wisconsin student alleged that an athletic department official grabbed his crotch at an alcohol-fueled party during the football team’s trip to the Rose Bowl, according to an independent report released by the school on Tuesday night.

The report says the student alleges former senior associate athletic director John Chadima put his hand down the student’s pants at the end of a party in Chadima’s suite at a Los Angeles hotel on Dec. 31.

The student — identified only as John Doe in the report — said he was “shocked and frightened” and slapped Chadima’s hand away.

Chadima was put on administrative leave on Jan. 6 and resigned the same day. He previously had issued an apology for a “lapse in judgment,” and issued another statement through his attorney Tuesday.

“I make no excuses and have come to the realization that over the past few months, alcohol had controlled and consumed my life,” Chadima said. “I am taking steps to correct that problem in my life at this time. I will take full responsibility for my lack of judgment and actions that evening.”

The report said its findings were based on interviews with 23 people, including students and professional staff — but they were “unable to arrange an interview” with Badgers football coach Bret Bielema.

Three student employees of the athletic department declined to be interviewed.

The report also reviewed information from Chadima’s office computer and school-issued cell phone.

Chadima declined to speak with the panel.

The report said Chadima hosted a bowl game party for staff and student employees for at least the past four years. The most recent party began Dec. 30 and lasted into the early morning hours of Dec. 31, at Chadima’s hotel suite. According to the report, Chadima provided “alcohol, beer and mixers” and guests were invited to serve themselves. Some of the guests were under age 21.

Somewhere between 1:30 and 2 a.m., the alleged victim was leaving along with the last few people left at the party when he said Chadima asked him to “stay here and have a drink with me.” The alleged victim said he and Chadima both had several more drinks and “probably were intoxicated,” but were coherent and in control of their physical movements.

According to the report, Chadima then said he thought the student was gay, and said some of the other student employees thought he was gay. The student said it made him “uncomfortable and defensive.”

The student then said Chadima reached over and removed the student’s belt, putting his hands inside the student’s pants and touching his genitals. The student said he slapped Chadima’s hand away and swore at him.

At that point, the student said Chadima said he thought the student liked it, asking “What are you going to do about it?” and saying “I could have you fired.”

The student said he quickly left the room, and Chadima seemed to want to gloss over the incident as “just joking around.”

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.

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PAVE Featured in Psychology Today

January 18, 2012 By Amanda Leave a Comment

Check out this Psychology Today article about Joe Paterno and Penn State. PAVE has a great shout out.

Click here to see original post at www.psychologytoday.com

Did Joe Paterno Really Break His Silence?

How shattering the silence stops abuse

By Robin Sax

Joe Paterno “broke his silence on the Sandusky case since being fired from Penn State University.” Clearly not a tell-all nor a hard ball interview, Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post portrayed Paterno as a sympathetic, sick, frail old man who simply did the best he could.  Do you feel sorry for him?  Do you think he deserves a pass? Do you think his age, notoriety and illness is justification to the many victims who would not have been abused had Joe-Pa cared about him as much as he cared about himself, his team, and the school.Denial, minimization, blame are the tenets of sexual abuse cover-ups and misunderstanding.  While Joe-Pa may not have known what to do then, he should be able to say I know what to do now.  The missing parts of the interview were the noticeably absent questions of: 

  1. Did you ever confront Sandusky? If so, what did he say?  What did you say?
  2. What would you do if this happened today?
  3. When you saw Sandusky as recently as September 2011 did you think it was strange that he was still courting kids on campus?

A hundred more questions come to mind.

The value of Paterno’s silence breaker is that this gives us an opportunity to talk about sexual abuse– a subject that despite how progressed people think we are– is one that many would prefer to remain a silent subject.

On Tuesday, January 17 on Fox 11 KTTV’s Good Day LA, Angela Rose shattered the silence of sexual violence by sharing her own story of overcoming being kidnapped when she was 17 years old and sexually assaulted by a repeat sexual offender who was on parole for murder. Although her case was perpetrated by a stranger, Angela stresses that sexual abuse is typically committed by someone who is known to the victim. The offenders prey on their victims using trust as well as silence and fear as a tool to continue to offend. Angela Rose founded the nonprofit PAVE: Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment and she is partnering with other groups to tackle this societal problem.

Child sexual abuse is a worldwide pandemic and prevalence rates are known to be as high as 60 percent. Sexual abusers tend to choose occupations that put them in close contact with children. They can be found in every profession. They are heterosexual and homosexual — they don’t discriminate.

While Penn State and Syracuse are now institutions that have been exposed, there are hundreds of other schools that work harder to cover up the abuse than simply expose it and deal with it.  In all of these cases, the pattern is the same when a child reports sexual abuse and when confronted with the investigation process— a process designed to be a fact finding process—the child is the one who is disbelieved, penalized, and blamed.  The children get victimized twice – once by the people they look up to and admire, and then again through the cover-ups of the perpetrators, and their colleagues.

Take a case that as not received the same attention as Sandusky or Fine.  It is the case of Steven Noyes of Naples Florida.  In April 2011, nine-year old Jane Doe reported that she was sexually and inappropriately touched by her fourth grade teacher Steven Noyes.  Not surprisingly, he denied all allegations and hid in the joy of being the “beloved teacher.”   While the school  initially suspended Noyes, it came out that he was doing report cards, continued official duties and even  communicated with children  and parents during his time on “admin leave.” It smelled of a BS admin leave with no real intention of looking objectively into the facts of the allegations.  The smell got worse when the school seemed to have conducted a shoddy (at best) internal investigation that  resulted not only in Noyes returning to school but culiminated in the ultimate blow when principal Ginger Sauter suggested that the child leave the school with zero justification. So, like these other high profile cases the school seemed to practice their same protection for themselves instead of saying “mea cupla, we screwed up, and we are sorry.”

School and institutions have choices.  They can choose to pick denial, minimization and blame and live being more concerned about the institution, the school, and the teacher – or they can stop blaming the victim and protect the victim.

When the institutions protect abusers, they not only are allowing for rampant prolific abuse to continue but are sending the message for victims to stay silent because the adult and institution will always win.  Children are being taught that  horrific,  vile, and abusive behavior is acceptable  and that their words do not matter.

We are here to say victim’s words DO matter.  Their disclosures are critical.  The victim’s voices must be heard and we the growns up cannot be silent.  The fact that we even have to have laws of mandated reporting to order people in positions of trust to report is telling even and of itself.  The fact that those who work with children have to be mandated to tell is just troubling.   Do we really need a law to say “tell.”  Do we need to have laws to say do the right thing and don’t kick the victim out of school too?

We can no longer be silent.  We all have a responsibility to tell whether mandated by  the law or not.  We are the adults – and kids count on us to be vocal and stand up for our victims who will live with this pain for the rest of their lives.   In New York City, buses and subways are covered with billboards that say “When you see something, Say something!” We urge you to REPORT IT!  In workplaces and in the armed services there are hotlines given for anonymous reporting.  Whether duty bound by mandated reporting laws, we the adults should retrain our default to tell and to tell until someone does something.   The more silent you stay, the more children are hurt.

You can make a difference. Report! Advocate! Get involved and most importantly, tell.

Love Our Children USA: Love Our Children USATM is the leading national nonprofit and ‘Go-To’ prevention organization fighting all forms of violence and neglect against children in the U.S. Since 1999, Love Our Children USA has broken ground in preventing violence against children and eliminating behaviors that keep them from reaching their full potential. Love Our Children USA teaches effective parenting solutions and fosters kid success by creating valuable programs that empower positive changes in parenting and family attitudes, bullying and cyberbullying prevention, Internet safety and school violence prevention through public education.    The goal of Love Our Children USA is Keeping Children Safe® and strengthening families. www.loveourchildrenusa.org

PAVE: Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment is a multinational nonprofit that uses art, education and grassroots action to shatter the silence of sexual violence. www.ShatteringTheSilence.org

Robin Sax is a Fox 11 legal analyst,  California-based attorney and former sex crimes prosecutor, who has authored six books including It Happens Everyday Inside the Life of a Sex Crimes DA and Predators and Child Molesters:  A Sex Crimes DA Answers 100 of the Most Asked Questions.  http://robinsax.com/

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