Attending the Penn State Conference on Child Sexual Abuse

I am very excited to be attending the Penn State Conference on child sexual abuse. It starts this Sunday and goes through next Tuesday. I had some business cards printed up so I can hand them out. This is a copy of the card KNOW Trespassing is the name of the non-profit I am in the process of starting. The name is a double entendre. NO Trespassing means that a child should never be trespassed. Know Trespassing means that the agency will educate on what child sexual abuse is.

The mission of the agency is:

New (PTSD) treatment stops nightmares

I think that this is an important topic to cover on this blog.http://www.smh.com.au/national/new-treatment-stops-nightmares-20121017-27rgl.html In Australia a physician has developed a new technique to deal with PTSD:

Dr Andrea Phelps, from the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, said a technique called imagery rehearsal treatment was allowing people with post-traumatic stress disorder to literally rewrite the script of distressing nightmares to change their dreams or get rid of them.

This has good implications for those of us who have PTSD related to childhood sexual abuse. Some times PTSD can be debilitating and interfere with one's life tremendously. It can creep up on you when you least expect it. For me certain smells, situations, environments and people can trigger my PTSD. I feel very fortunate that the flashbacks and body memories aren't near as bad as they used to be. I hope the study on this technique continues to have the positive effects that is claimed. It certainly isn't fair that after having survived a horrific trauma like child sexual abuse that survivors have to deal with it effects for most of their lives. Rosie

New treatment stops nightmares

Julia Medew

EVER wanted to erase a horrific nightmare from your mind? Australian doctors believe they've found a way to do it.
Dr Andrea Phelps, from the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, said a technique called imagery rehearsal treatment was allowing people with post-traumatic stress disorder to literally rewrite the script of distressing nightmares to change their dreams or get rid of them.
Regular and repetitive nightmares are a defining feature of PTSD, especially for soldiers who have experienced extreme fear and trauma during combat.
In some cases, sufferers have had the same dream regularly for more than 30 years, causing a fear of sleep and insomnia which affects their ability to function during the day.

Another victim of an online predator (aka pedophile) and sheds light on YouTube and Facebook Predators

This is a terrible story and shows the depths that child sexual predators will go.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/10/15/bc-amanda-todd-tormentor-anonymous.html I have discussed previously on this blog that on YouTube there are plenty of predators. These predators try to get children to do things. They pose as a child themselves, especially the opposite sex and are able to convince children to show them parts of their bodies. Once they do that they then blackmail these children and then we have the situation that occurred with Amanda Todd. The following quote states it well:

The kind of sexual exploitation described by Todd is part of a seedy cyber-underworld that targets young girls and it is not bullying, but a vicious crime that should be pursued even after her death, say child advocates.

This poor girls sexual abuse media will be around forever. Being used by child sexual predators who claim looking at child sexual abuse media (aka child pornography) is a victimless crime. I wonder how these predators will feel once they learn that this child killed herself because of being bullied into showing parts of her body she didn't want to.  The person who bullied her apparently wasn't the person she made the video for. But this predator was able to figure out who she was and went onto Facebook and threatened to expose the video. I am glad that Anonymous has let it be known who this child sexual predator is. I also hope that more light is shined on what is happening to children on social media sites. For one thing more parents need to make sure they know what is going on with their children. I don't think children should be allowed to have computers in their own room. The computer needs to be in a room where it is highly visible. This would reduce the number of children who are being targeted by sexual predators on social networking sites. In my opinion a child doesn't need to have a phone that allows them to video themselves or makes them easily traceable and that allows media to be uploaded from their phone onto a social media site.

I think we forgot sometimes that children (those under age 18) are just that children. They don't have the life experience that adults do. They make choices with their limited life experience that are very risky. And are job as adults is to teach them how to be safe. Safety must always come first with children. This whole story is a terrible tragedy and I pray for the family. Rosie

Amanda Todd's alleged tormentor named by hacker group

'Anonymous' names man it claims bullied B.C. teen who took her own life

CBC News

Posted: Oct 15, 2012 6:01 PM PT

Last Updated: Oct 16, 2012 11:44 AM PT

 The tragic story of B.C. teen suicide victim Amanda Todd has taken another bizarre twist as the internet hacking and activist group Anonymous has named a man the group says was the girl's primary tormentor.
Todd, 15, of Port Coquitlam, died last Wednesday, a month after posting a haunting video on YouTube that cited the sexualized attack that set her down a path of anxiety, depression and drug and alcohol abuse.

PSU starts talks with 20 Sandusky accusers

I found this article this morning on twitter http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-14/news/34449795_1_sandusky-victim-sandusky-accusers-jerry-sandusky
I bet there will be even more victims to come forward. A pedophile (aka child sexual predator) has many victims. There will be those (especially in the movement to abolish the sexual offender registry) who will claim that most will be in it for the money. I am sure that is possible, but I am just as sure that each and every story will be investigated. The article addresses this.
We need to continue to get the word out that by the time a pedophile (aka child sexual predator) gets caught he or she has offended many, many times. I have read up to 100 to 600. This means not only that they molested or sexually abused a child. It means they looked at child sexual abuse media (aka child pornography) each view is considered an offense, groomed children each child groomed is considered an offense, purposely put themselves in a position to be near children, etc. This is why we have to pay attention to those who wish to abolish the SOR. Their biggest claim is that the registry doesn't work because most people who get arrested for child sexual abuse are not on the registry. They claim that those on the registry have a low rate of re-offending (I am sure without considering that looking at child sexual abuse media and grooming children are re-offending). They don't ever say that the registry is working because once someone is on it for sexually abusing a child they don't re-offend. This would mean that the SOR is a deterrent from future offenses and therefore is working.

I have said before on this blog that there are problems with the registry. Especially consensual teenage sex (known as Romeo and Juliette offense) and public urination. I do not think there are problems when it comes to an adult sexually abusing a child needing to be on the registry. Their needs to be a way to protect children and the SOR is one way. I also think that more adults on the registry who blame the fact they are on it because the "girl" said she was older. I agree that lying isn't good and that this shouldn't happen but if the person had gotten to know the "girl" prior to the sexual relationship he may have been able to determine she was underage. I think if the movement to abolish the SOR would just focus on the areas that need to be reformed they would have a better shot of fixing the SOR. The problem is that the very people most actively involved in this movement have sexually abused a child and they think that once they serve their time they shouldn't have to be on the registry. To me this is mixing apples and oranges. Rosie

October 14, 2012|By Jeremy Roebuck, Inquirer Staff Writer

Pennsylvania State University has entered into preliminary settlement talks with at least 20 men accusing Jerry Sandusky of sexual abuse, the college's appointed mediators said.
That figure - more than double the number of victims who testified against the former assistant football coach at trial - offers the first glimpse of Penn State's potential liability in the largest scandal in its history.
Their ranks include the eight accusers named in state prosecutors' case against Sandusky, four more who have either filed lawsuits or come forward to claim molestation in the news media,
and at least eight more who have not publicly aired their allegations of abuse.

Parents on alert: Child abductions rarely committed by strangers

This article is a reminder that in most cases children are not abducted by strangers. Yes unfortunately their are children who are abducted by strangers and stranger danger is important to protect children. Especially against the eighteen percent of people who abduct children they don't know. http://kdvr.com/2012/10/11/parents-on-alert-child-abductions-rarely-committed-by-strangers/ This is very similar to the reality that most children who are sexually abused are abused by someone who they know. Most of the research I have done on this states that children who are sexually abused by strangers only account for seven percent of all cases of child sexual abuse. I have had people leave me comments on this blog challenging this percentage and I have steered them to the articles where I have gotten my information.

It honestly sucks we live in a world where children can't walk down the street without being at risk. It also sucks that children live in an environments where adults take advantage of them in the worst way. Almost every person that I speak to, in relation to my experience and my advocacy against child sexual abuse, knows someone who has been sexually abused. I spoke to a women today and she shared three story's that she experienced with pedophiles when she was raising her daughter. She shared how she works with children who have survived this trauma and explained to me how mad it makes her mad at how much damage is done to children. She explained that it is not only physical, but emotional and spiritual as well. She stated to me what I have said, "It effects their very soul and lasts a lifetime." I would love to be on some sort of panel as a survivor who talks to those who are convicted of sexually abusing a child. I would be very glad to share the impact this has had on my whole life. For that matter I would love to be able to be on a panel arguing against those who want to abolish the sexual offender registry.

I pray for this young girls family this story is tragic. Rosie

Posted on: 8:16 pm, October 11, 2012, by Dan Daru, updated on: 08:18pm, October 11, 2012

According to the Department of Justice, 800,000 children are reported missing every year in the united states.  Out of that number, 69,000 were kidnapped. “I think anytime a child is missing it’s a big number.  Whether it’s one or 69,000, but yes, 69,000 sounds like a large number,” says criminal justice professor Stacey Hervey from Metro State College in Denver.
Our children are taught to beware of stranger-danger. “If someone you don’t know approaches you, that you yell and scream that this is not my mom or dad,” says Hervey.

Sandusky's sentences and hoping it sends a message to other pedophiles (aka child sexal predaors)

It is all over twitter that Sandusky got 30 to 60 years for his terrible sexual abuse of numerous children. I also read that Sandusky claims he is innocent. If that isn't telling I don't know what it. He apparently released a tape yesterday (I am guessing as a way to try to persuade the public) stating, that he is innocent. The reality is that he got away with his charade for many many years. It must seem weird to him that his lies aren't working any more.  His denial seems to be running so deep that he has become delusional. It must be very weird for him to have to be held accountable for his actions. Actions that for many years were pushed aside by many people. If you spent the better part of thirty plus years getting away with harming children because of the status you held. I think you would be very confused as to why your claiming innocence isn't working anymore. Those at Penn State who were part of this coverup need to realize that they are part of the reason Sandusky is out there claiming he is innocent. If they didn't believe his lies and held him accountable for his actions years ago; not only would less children have been victimized but, he would have had several years sitting in jail thinking about what put him there.

Fighting Paedophilia How a Country with 751,223 population can protect children. What's our excuse?

I found this article on the internet yesterday. http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2012/10/01/fighting-paedophilia/ It is a story from Guyana  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyana
This article is very well written and understandable. While the legislation update proposed is to chemically castrate all convicted child sexual offenders (Guyana uses the word paedophile). I don't know if chemically castrating all convicted child sexual offenders is the correct thing to do. What I am most impressed by though is that this Country only has 751,223 people and seem to understand the toll that child sexual offenders cause their victims.

No	Region	Area km²	Population	Population per km²
1	Barima-Waini	20,339	24,275	1.2
2	Pomeroon-Supenaam	6,195	49,253	8.0
3	Essequibo Islands-West Demerara	2,232	103,061	46.2
4	Demerara-Mahaica	1,843	310,320	168.4
5	Mahaica-Berbice	3,755	52,428	14.0
6	East Berbice-Corentyne	36,234	123,695	3.4
7	Cuyuni-Mazaruni	47,213	17,597	0.3
8	Potaro-Siparuni	20,051	10,095	0.5
9	Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo	57,750	19,387	1.3
10	Upper Demerara-Berbice	19,387	41,112	2.1
	Guyana	214,999	751,223	3.49

The regions are divided into 27 neighbourhood councils.^[10]
perWikipedia

They also seem to understand that most child sexual offenders, offend many times before getting caught. And that offenders come from all walks of life and are very manipulative. I do agree with this quote from the article:

“In those two pieces of legislation, convicted paedophiles would be subjected to monitoring for life.”

I take this to mean that if a child sexual offender harms a child, gets caught, goes through their court system and is convicted they will have to be monitored for life. It is interesting to me that they use the word pedophile instead of child sexual offender. I take that to mean that they choose to use the correct label for an adult who is attracted to children, is at least 5 years older then the child, and acts on their attraction. As far as I can tell here in the USA our legal system chooses to call them child sexual offenders rather than call them pedophiles. I am not talking about the Romeo and Juliet offenders, or those who are on the SOR for peeing in public. I am talking about adults who sexually abuse children. I think we can learn by Guyana's actions. If we labeled those who sexually abuse children pedophiles it would reduce the rhetoric of those involved in the abolishment of the SOR. I have been told several times by those involved in the abolishment of the SOR movement, that they are opposed to be called pedophiles when that is a medical definition and no medical person has given them that label. I think we need to look into Guyana's reason and logic to use this label. I say GO GUYANA! Rosie

Fighting Paedophilia

October 1, 2012 | By KNews | Filed Under Editorial 

Last week, “Child Protection Week” was observed with a flurry of activities by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry under the theme “Adults – take action against child abuse – the time is now”. Cabinet spokesperson Dr Roger Luncheon (still on the job after his copyright faux pas) averred that in Guyana, the adults in politics are taking action by strengthening the existing Sexual Offenders Act with the Prevention of Crimes Amendment Bill (http://sgdatabase.unwomen.org/uploads/Prevention%20of%20Crimes%20%28Amendment%29%20Act%202008.pdf) which will be debated in the upcoming parliamentary session.
The good doctor of the Office of the President took pains to assure that, “In those two pieces of legislation, convicted paedophiles would be subjected to monitoring for life.” We believe that the government, and especially the OP, could have sent the strongest possible signal that it was serious about fighting paedophilia by being more forthcoming in a case that hit the headlines two years ago. To the public at large it appeared that a cover-up had been effected.
Paedophiles can be found in every demographic category: old, young, educated, uneducated, professional, non-professionals – and of all races, colours and creeds. Typically, however, the paedophile is male, single, seemingly fascinated with children – especially around puberty and targets shy, handicapped, and withdrawn children, or those who come from troubled homes. They work to master their manipulative skills and often unleash them on troubled children by first becoming their friend, building the child’s self-esteem.