Canada, USA, Pakistan Head Positive Stories in the War on Child Sexual Abuse - Episode XVIII

It's so hard to find positive stories on Child Sexual Abuse.
Please let me know if you come across one with more than local effects.

Launch ‘Mera Bacha Alert’ in 14 days to tackle
child sexual abuse: Pakistan PM Imran

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan attends a session during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, June 14, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei 

Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS/Files

ISLAMABAD: The new mobile application called “Mera Bacha Alert” should be launched  in a two-week period, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Tuesday, directing officials to ramp up efforts to effectively tackle the cases of childrens' abduction, sexual abuse, and murders in Pakistan.

By registering missing children on the “Mera Bacha Alert” app, the kids' details would soon be made available to the provincial inspectors-general of police (IGPs) and other senior police officers.

The “Mera Bacha Alert” app would be connected with the Pakistan Citizen Portal app so that the progress on any case — including the recovery of child — can be monitored, a press release issued by the PM Office said.

Breaking the silence on childhood sexual abuse,

Brandy’s story

NICOLE KLEINSTEUBER  NEWS, QUINTE

"It was like we were living in a fog.  It was a nightmare."

Those were the words Brandy-Calvert Ringelmann used to describe the first six months after learning her child had fallen victim to a sexual assault.

"It's like an out of body experience," she stated recalling her nightmare of seven years ago like it was yesterday.

She will never forget the shock that followed and reaching out to calm her child, like she was 'watching a horrible movie' unfold in front of her eyes.

"The whole time you're thinking this can't be happening," she said.  "It's time to wake up.  Your heart races and everything goes in slow motion.  Your brain goes into shock.  You believe your kid and in your gut you know."

Living life under these new circumstances Calvert-Ringelmann said it became clear where the deficiencies are in the existing support systems and the successes.  That is how the G May Project was born.

With Calvert-Ringelmann at the helm, for three years the board has been advocating all levels of government including the Federal Justice System for tougher sentences for convicted pedophiles and the province for long-term supports that include social workers for victims of childhood sexual abuse.  For the third straight year, The G. May Project and its supporters are hitting the streets of Trenton, Ontario, this Sunday with the aim of instilling hope and healing and change the conversation around sexual abuse.

The slow rhythmic beat of a drum moving through downtown Trenton is the only sound that accompanies victims of childhood sexual abuse, trauma and their supporters.

"It's quite moving," she explained.  "We are silent so the kids don't have to be."

Prior to the march, the community is also invited to take part in the healing ceremony that begins at 3 p.m on Sunday at Fraser Park in Trenton.

"The day is about coming together, healing and having a holistic moment together as a group and making things better for the future," she said.

The annual healing ceremony and march is planned for each October to fall inline with Childhood Abuse Prevention Month in Ontario.  Every October, Children’s Aid Societies across the province including Highland Shores Children's Aid, work with community partners to break the silence around child abuse by raising awareness about the rights of all children and youth to safety and well-being and the responsibility of adults and community services to help children and youth who may need support.  As part of the month-long campaign everyone across the province is asked to dress in purple on October 24 for Dress Purple Day in order to collectively speak up and share the message that child abuse and neglect can be prevented and that help is available.

In Ontario, 89% of children who receive services from Children’s Aid Societies do so because their families are unable to meet their physical and emotional needs. This means that the majority of families working with Children’s Aid Societies are dealing with issues that are not related to the extreme abuse that most people associate with Child Welfare. Some of these difficulties include mental health concerns, addictions, social isolation, trauma and extreme financial stress.

According to data complied by Statistics Canada in 2016, male and female victims of police-reported sexual offences differed notably by age. Overall, among female victims of all sexual offences, 50% were either children under the age of 12 (16%) or youth aged 12 to 17 (34%). Of all female child and youth victims, 39% were victims of sexual offences: 22% were sexual assault and 17% were sexual violations against children.

Compared to females, a much larger proportion (73%) of male victims of police-reported sexual offences were either children (42%) or youth (30%). Despite this, sexual offences were still less common among young male children and youth, representing 10% of victims (compared to 39% for their female counterparts). Instead, assault was the most common (61%) offence for male child and youth victims.

"We can't eliminate it (sexual assault)," Calvert-Ringelmann continued.  "I wish I could just eliminate childhood sexual assault.  If I had a little wand I would do it in a minute.  It's definitely not going to get fixed and it's definitely not going to get fixed overnight. But what can we do is make things better for victims in the future and prevent it from happening as much as possible."

Currently the G May project offers trauma packages administered through Victim Services.  They contain resources for family supports and comfort items such as journals and coloring pencils.  Ringelmann is in the process of building a 1-week treatment program for families.  Right now the project offers non-clinical Peer support groups in place that meet once a month.  There is one support group for parents and the other is for adult survivors.

She said it is good to be around people that have shared lived experiences.  "Even though it's different from case to case," she continued.  "The feelings are the same.   It does tend to build some friendships and kinship.  It gives all of people participating a little bit wider net of support."

Looking back, she can't remember a whole lot about the day to day operations of managing a family during that time. "It was difficult."

A survivor once described the overwhelming feelings as a desire to just get through breakfast and it really spoke to her articulating how she felt.

"For the first six months you're just trying to get through breakfast," she stated.  "As time goes on you think you're making progress and things are getting a little easier.  Then an event or a trigger happens that sends you back a few steps.  It's a long road.  There are set backs and there are times where you can't do it by yourself.  You need somebody else to turn to."

If you or someone you know is in need of support services contact the Quinte and District Sexual Assault Centre at (613) 967-6300 or toll free at 1-855-544-6424.

For more on the Go Purple Campaign and to learn how to identify child abuse or neglect click here.

To learn more about the G May project email info@gmayproject.com or click here.

New law allows Californians more time

to file lawsuits over child sexual abuse

by Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law giving child sexual assault victims more time to file lawsuits.

Right now, people in California who are sexually abused as children have until age 26 to file lawsuits. The law Newsom signed Sunday increases that to age 40. Plus, it gives people already outside that statute of limitations a three-year window to bring a lawsuit anyway.

Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez said the law makes it easier for victims to have justice.

But the California Association of School Boards said the law could bankrupt some public school districts by exposing them to a new generation of liability.

UNH gets research grant to help police

who investigate child sex abuse images

DURHAM -- The Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire was awarded a three-year grant from the National Institute of Justice to support the police and forensic examiners whose job it is to review child sexual abuse images as part of criminal investigations.

Because of an online surge in these images and new high-tech police techniques to intercept them, a growing number of investigators are being hired and assigned to review this criminal material in preparation for arrests and prosecutions. The continuous viewing of these images can have toxic effects on a person’s mental health and family relationships. The new research will help better understand who is impacted and what types of practices are most effective to mitigate harm and promote resilience among this workforce.

The study involves conducting interviews with police investigators and forensic examiners across the United States. It will identify best practices for workload, task shifting, education, counseling and debriefing. It will also use study findings to develop a screening instrument to help agencies assess the suitability of candidates for this kind of work.

Excellent!

The National Institute of Justice is the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. Kimberly Mitchell, research associate professor of psychology, will head up the research team in partnership with the National Criminal Justice Training Center, the main training and technical assistance provider for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces.

The Crimes Against Children Research Center conducts research to help policy makers, practitioners and the public improve the response to crimes against children from sexual abuse to kidnapping to bullying.