Child Sexual Abuse Archives

March 6, 2019

Safe and Responsible: How Digital Activity Can Affect Youth Employment

A few months ago, we wrote a blog about cyber safety and cyber bullying prevention. This month, we want to discuss a different aspect of cyber safety, specifically as it relates to employment and educational prospects.

EmployIndy has an initiative called Job Ready Indy, which focuses on cyber safety as it relates to employability. Participants, who range in age from 16-24, learn about professional communication through various platforms while also discovering how to network and job search online.

“No matter your age, being safe online is a high priority,” said Ashley Downey, manager of the Job Ready initiative. “Understanding what type of information, whether it is in written posts or images, to share is critical. Without realizing it, we reveal quite a bit about ourselves through our posts. Take a picture in your favorite sweatshirt and you have just shown everyone where you go to school. Post a picture of your kids on the first day of school in front of your house, and now your followers know your house number. We use social media to connect and share our lives, but it is important to realize that once posted, your information is out of your control. You are able to set your privacy settings to minimize who can look at your profile and posts, as well as who can post on your profile, but this safeguard can only go so far due to the nature of social media. It is better to ensure that you screen each post in order to identify any unintentional sharing of information. As youth utilize social media, they need to be aware of these pitfalls.”

Downey continued by acknowledging that, in addition to our own safety, we also need “to talk about protecting the privacy of others. Posts about co-workers, clients, company policies, attitudes towards work, etc. need to be considered as well. What teens post, organizations they become involved in, and conversations they have now are forming their online reputation. Their online reputation is their brand. It is how many organizations first know a teen, especially when they are starting out in the workforce.”

According to Downey, a 2018 CareerBuilder survey showed that 70 percent of employers used social media accounts to screen potential job candidates, and 34 percent of employers said they have “reprimanded or fired an employee based on content found online.”

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office provides a free program called “Project Cybersafe,” which focuses on highlighting the impact of cyberbullying and the potential dangers of social media.

“In our presentations, teens generally can articulate to us what is not acceptable or appropriate to post,” said Kristen Martin, juvenile community prosecutor for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. “However, when it comes to social media, it is hard to comprehend how far and fast your communication can go. Bad decisions can be made with a click of a button that could have lasting consequences. Many times, teens see their ‘friends’ or ‘followers’ or various celebrities making poor choices and never see a consequence for those posts. This can leave teens with an impression that there is no accountability for posting inappropriate content online.”

In an effort to develop safer digital habits, youth should follow a few helpful guidelines. Downey shared her “golden tips” for youth, especially those who are looking for jobs:

Stay positive. Employers will want to know how you will fit into their company culture. If it appears that you are always at the center of drama or conflict, they might have second thoughts.

Keep it PG. This goes for images, memes, videos, and written posts. Use the “Grandma Rule” if you are unsure. (Essentially, if teens are not comfortable with their grandma seeing their posts or images, they should probably not post it.) Chances are, if you question it, it is probably not a good idea to post.

If you “retweet,” “like,” and/or share someone else’s post, you are essentially endorsing the thoughts contained within it. It does not matter if it is technically yours or not.

Read more on Indy With Kids.

February 8, 2019

Say Something: Prevention and Intervention Tips Regarding Teen Dating Violence

We all think we know what the word “violence” means – but do we? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define teen dating violence as the “physical, sexual, psychological, or emotional aggression within a dating relationship, including stalking. It can occur in person or electronically and might occur between a current or former dating partner.”

“Youth dating violence is a pattern of abusive behavior between two people who are romantically or sexually involved (no matter how briefly),” said Jennifer Reister, senior director of mission impact for The Julian Center. “Dating violence is not always physical; in fact, physical violence is often the last form of violence to occur. More common in youth relationships are controlling behaviors, emotional abuse, technological abuse, sexual violence, and social isolation. Focusing on the threshold of physical violence to define a relationship as dangerous ignores the significant damage and risks of other types of violence. In the end, all violent relationships are about control – the types of abuse are tools employed to maintain that control.”

According to Reister, one out of every three high school students in America faces teen dating violence. When ranking the percentage of high school students who have reported sexual dating violence in the past 12 months, Indiana ranks third out of 30 states.

In an effort to prevent violence and intervene when necessary, The Julian Center’s Project Avery brings together a variety of community partners to educate teens and young adults about dating violence. According to Reister, Project Avery advocates for youth survivors, brings healthy relationship curricula to schools, and promotes awareness to the public by providing resources to parents and teachers.

“The best thing to do is to talk with kids early and often about how people should treat each other and what is acceptable from the people in their lives,” said Reister. “There are opportunities all the time with media, friends, and family to talk about abusive behavior and how to address it. If you see your child behaving in an abusive manner (physical or otherwise), don’t ignore or deny it – address it immediately. If you see your child accepting abusive behaviors from others, address is directly, too.”

Like The Julian Center, the Domestic Violence Network visits classrooms to offer healthy relationship and teen dating violence prevention programming to middle and high school students. DVN’s Youth Network establishes anti-violence clubs in schools to help students learn more about teen dating violence while also teaching them to be advocates in their communities. Additionally, participants learn how to assist friends who are in unsafe relationships.

Lindsay Stawick, director of programs for the DVN, has a violence prevention suggestion for teachers: push for detailed teen dating violence policies in schools.

“The most effective way we can prevent violence is to create a culture where violence is not tolerated,” she said. “Policies help to create that framework, and when enforced properly, [they] can make a significant difference in the lives of young people. Indianapolis Public Schools amended their Title IX policy in September to include teen dating violence and added more robust guidelines on prevention and intervention efforts as it relates to sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking.”

Read more on Indy With Kids.

December 10, 2018December 10, 2018

Meeting Students’ Needs: Supporting Mental Health Professionals in Schools

As our society works to erase the stigma around mental health disorders, many students could benefit by having more access to counselors, social workers, and mental health professionals.

Christy Gauss, a school mental health facilitator for the Indiana School Mental Health Initiative at Indiana University, said that there is currently no accurate data about the number of schools that have mental health professionals available for students.

“This information and data is something our state has needed and there have been advocacy efforts to collect this for some time now,” said Gauss. “It is part of why the Student Services Coalition was created and would add school psychologists and nurses to this. During the last legislative session, a bill was passed in the special session that called for DOE to conduct an assessment.”

Indiana Code outlines many of the rules regarding school counselors and other supportive faculty in school settings. It should be noted that there are significant differences between guidance counselors and mental health professionals. Gauss believes there is a need to “differentiate roles and explain expertise and the need for all [of these professionals]…. The term “counselor” in Indiana is used as a catch-all [for social workers, mental health counselors inside and outside of schools, and guidance counselors]. This has caused much confusion.”

According to the Indiana School Counselor Association, the ideal caseload is 250 students per school counselor. Unfortunately, Gauss says that many of these professionals are often bogged down by administrative work.

According to Allen Hill, Jr., a school counselor and the executive director of the Indiana School Counselor Association, counselors come highly trained to work with students on a variety of issues, including applying academic success strategies, managing emotions and interpersonal skills, and looking at postsecondary options. School counselors earn master’s degrees and licenses that allow them to with with students from kindergarten through 12^th grade, and they also meet “state-specific non-academic training requirements [such as suicide prevention], certification in CPR, the automated external defibrillator, and the Heimlich Maneuver,” said Hill.

Lori Desautels, an assistant professor at Butler University who prepares students to work with kids on a neuroscientific level, acknowledges that many traditional counselors and social workers in schools focus on career readiness and talk therapy. She would like to see a few changes in how adults counsel youth in general.

“We hope it will evolve into a more sensory approach, because we know that mental health or mental illness is not just about the brain; it’s held in the body,” said Desautels. “Any time you use breathing, movement, or sensory stimulation, all of those strategies that calm the nervous system, are beneficial.”

Forever Families: Supporting Adoption Services in Indiana

According to the Indiana Department of Child Services, there are approximately 1,500 Hoosier youths available for adoption. In honor of National Adoption Month this November, MCCOY, Inc. has reached out to experts who can discuss adoption resources for families in Indiana.

“Adoption is important for birth parents, children and prospective adoptive parents,” said Steven Kirsh, adoption attorney for Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., an adoption-only law firm that handles all kinds of adoptions throughout Indiana, including adoptions between Indiana and other states. “Some expectant mothers conclude that they are not equipped to provide their children with stable homes and bright futures. In my experience, all birth mothers love their children. Those birth mothers who do not believe they have the resources to provide their children with the life they feel their children deserve and who are able to put their children’s needs above their own make adoption plans for their babies. Adoption professionals refer to making ‘adoption plans’ and not ‘giving away’ a child. Birth parents who proceed with adoption are making a plan for their children’s futures. It takes incredible courage, determination and foresight to make an adoption plan. Children who are adopted receive loving families that are better able provide the day-to-day and future needs of those children. Birth parents who make adoption plans for their children have the peace of mind in knowing that they have provided loving, secure homes for their babies.”

When pursuing adoption, it is important that families consider all aspects of their needs and the needs of the child or children they may adopt.

Deborah Jasper is the director of foster care and adoption services at the Villages of Indiana, an organization that helps birth parents and adoptive parents with a variety of services that include matching birth and adoptive parents and providing follow-up services to both families post adoption. Jasper outlined three types of adoption: open, where prospective adoptive parents exchange identifying information; semi-open, where some information is shared between the prospective adoptive parents, but no identifying information; or closed, where no identifying information or on-going contact is shared between the two sets of parents.

According to Noelle Russell, deputy director of communications at the Indiana Department of Child Services, there is a lot of prep work for parents who would like to adopt. Requirements generally include training, background checks, a home study and more. Timelines also vary greatly.

Russell said that there is a great need for families who are willing to adopt older youth and sibling groups. She noted that the majority of children who are available are males between the ages of 11 and 16, and many of the available children have emotional needs and may have medical needs as well.

Jasper asks that families look into their financial situations and do their research. She said that “infant private adoptions are generally more expensive, as they may include costs related to birth parent counselling, living expenses, attorney fees and home study and post placement fees. There are private attorneys and local licensed adoption agencies that work with both birth families and adoptive families. Families may want to consider adoption through the Indiana Adoption Program. There are few fees associated with this type of adoption. Children who are placed through this program are generally older, have been placed in foster care and the case plan is now adoption. Many of these children are members of a sibling group.”

The Indiana Adoption Program is a program of the Indiana Department of Child Services in collaboration with Children’s Bureau, Inc.

“Families are the launch pad of life,” said Rosie Butler, an adoption champion for the Indiana Adoption Program. “Adoption is one way to grow a family. It is not at the fault of the children that they are orphaned and need new parents. Good parenting involves intentional engagement with children to prepare them for the future, and children in the Indiana Adoption Program come from life situations that have been traumatic in varied ways and need individuals or couples dedicated to assisting them to meet their special needs to prepare for adulthood.”

Read more on Indy With Kids.

October 9, 2018

Knowing the Consequences: Teaching Youth about Cyber Safety

As technology becomes more engrained in our daily lives, parents have greater responsibility to teach their kids about cyber safety.

“The thing that makes youth more vulnerable to cyberbullying and/or dangerous digital materials is simply access,” said Andrea Kamwendo, an adolescent health educator for LifeSmart Youth. “Youth are far more connected to social media and the internet now more than ever. A recent study done by Common Sense Media…shows that 89 percent of teens ages 13-17 have their own smartphones. The study found that 81 percent of teens use social media, and 38 percent of those teens say they use it multiple times an hour. This constant access to each other and the world beyond allows for access to dangerous and/or inaccurate material and people they do not know personally, and it makes it more difficult to get reprieve from any bullying they might experience at school.”

LifeSmart Youth has been serving youth for 75 years, administering programs like “Step Up for Kindness” to prevent bullying and “Cyber Safe in Cyberspace” to teach adults best practices for guiding their young ones through safe social media and internet usage.

“Young people need to understand that for all the benefits of online access, there may be just as many drawbacks,” said Kamwendo. “Often, youth do not consider the risk they are taking when ‘friending’ someone or allowing someone to ‘follow’ them that they do not personally know. Child predators are becoming increasingly savvier at using these online platforms while young people think they are invincible.”

Kristen Martin, a juvenile community prosecutor in the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, said that “it is not uncommon that children will tell us that they are friends with, follow or chat with individuals that are strangers to them. It is important to engage children in a conversation about digital strangers and what is appropriate information to share and what is not. It’s important to remember [that] when you post to the internet, you no longer control that information or how far it goes or reaches.”

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office provides a free program called “Project Cybersafe,” which focuses on identifying cyberbullying behavior and its consequences, while also highlighting the potential dangers of social media. This program has impacted 50,000 students in Marion County since its start in 2011.

Read more on Indy With Kids.

June 18, 2018July 23, 2018

Building Positive Relationships: Encouraging School Safety for Youth, Families and Staff

With the recent shooting at a Noblesville middle school fresh in our minds, central Indiana citizens are growing more and more concerned about the realities of violence and how it affects youth. When kids go to school, they should be safe. Young Hoosiers need to know that they are protected from natural and manmade disasters so that they can focus on learning.

David Woodward, director of School Building Physical Security and Safety for the Indiana Department of Education, provided a bit of background information on the topic of school safety.

According to Woodward, Indiana code mandates that each school corporation have a certified school safety specialist who must attend the state’s School Safety Specialist Academy to create safety procedures for each school in their corporation. IDOE provides five days of basic training to each of these specialists, who are also required to attend additional training for two days each year to receive updated information and learn about best practices across the state and nation.

Woodward stated that, “State Board Rules require that schools have provisions to protect the safety and well-being of staff, students and the public in case of fire, natural disaster (such as a tornado or earthquake), adverse weather conditions, nuclear contamination, exposure to chemicals and manmade occurrences (such as an active shooter, kidnapping or bomb threat). The details of each plan are not mandated by the state, as local resources and coordination are vital. Our Safety Academy provides training on best practices to address each hazard, but we urge planning with local first responders as well.”

In addition to these protocols, Woodward mentioned that IDOE has encouraged further training by partnering with the Indiana State Police to provide an “Unarmed Response to Active Shooter” course and with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to provide grant money for schools to support school resource officers and additional safety initiatives.

Along with traditional law enforcement training, school resource officers receive special training about the specifics of working with kids in a school setting. This is especially true for those supported by grant money, according to Woodward.

“The training for any officer in the state of Indiana is the same,” said Greg Dewald, a local school resource officer. “When you’re an officer in the schools there is a lot more training. That is where INSROA and NASRO come into play. When officers all use the same training source it creates a consistency across all schools. In Indiana, officers that are in the school every day are able to work as a police officer but also as a school administrator. It allows the officers more freedom to search a locker or a student for the safety of the other students.”

Dewald said that training from the Indiana School Resource Officers Association helps new school resources officers gain the same tools as current officers, while also helping the officers learn about effective procedures from a variety of communities.

“We are a resource to our members for all matters regarding school safety,” said Mike Johnson, lieutenant of the Fishers Police Department and president of the Indiana School Resource Officers Association. “We allow members to network and share information as well as put on trainings in as many fields as possible in best practices for school safety. [There is a] wide variety of topics ranging from safe afterschool activities to response to an active shooter. We also provide training through our partnership with the National Association of School Resource Officers. We adopt the NASRO Triad in our training approach that provides for [a school resource officer] to serve as an educator, informal counselor/role model and a law enforcement officer. Finally, we share policy ideas and practices as well as model memorandums of understanding that are essential to a strong relationship between schools and police.”

Read more on Indy With Kids.

May 2, 2018

Survival of Families: Discussing Resources for Teen Pregnancies

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Indiana was ranked 17 out of 51 states (including the District of Columbia) on final 2015 teen birth rates among females aged 15- to 19-years-old. According to Power to Decide, there were 5,813 teen births in our state that year.

Sexual health education, teen pregnancies and contraception are often considered hot topics in today’s society. Personal beliefs aside, it is important that caring, informed adults teach youth about healthy decision-making processes and that young mothers and fathers are able to access resources to help them and their children.

Yasmin Cline is the director of Parent Life at Central Indiana Youth for Christ. Her program works with pregnant and parenting teens, both mothers and fathers, between the ages of 12 and 19 to provide support and mentorship. The groups she works with proactively discuss healthy relationships, healthy parenting, honesty, integrity and sex.

“All of those topics play a role in sexual health,” said Cline. “We approach each topic holistically, considering the emotional, physical, societal, generational and spiritual components of health.”

Open dialogue is often a good first step for adults to take with young people, as data suggests that many youth are already sexually active in high school. According to Power to Decide, 41.7 percent of Indiana high school students in 2015 had already had sex.

Read more on Indy With Kids.

January 11, 2018April 11, 2018

Red Flags: Identifying and Preventing Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is an epidemic that is catching the eyes of leaders and concerned citizens globally. Though many people consider this to be a third-world problem, it is affecting families in every community, including Indianapolis.

Indiana statute defines human trafficking and sexual trafficking of adults and minors, but it is important to remember that victims and traffickers are difficult to classify.

“Traffickers can be anyone – any age, any race, any gender [and] any socioeconomic background. They typically have some connection to the victim,” said Kate Kimmer, Statewide Anti-Trafficking Coordinator with the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault, an organization that develops and coordinates victim services for adult survivors of trafficking. “Victims are equally as dynamic, but we are seeing trends that suggest particular communities and populations are disproportionately impacted by this crime.”

“Victims can be adults or minors,” said Karen Maher, Region 5 Coalition Coordinator for Indiana Trafficking Victim Assistance Program, which trains individuals around the state to identify and address trafficking situations while also finding ways to meet the needs of victims. “However, youth are particularly vulnerable due to lack of life experience, impressionability and their judgment and reasoning not yet being fully developed. Runaway [and] homeless youth, youth with a history of abuse and LGBTQI youth with a lack of support are especially at risk.”

Read more on Indy With Kids.

June 7, 2017April 11, 2018

Expressions and Experiences: Using Art Therapy to Help Youth

When Eileen Misluk first met one of her new clients, a 13-year-old girl suffering from severe anxiety, she started the therapy session by asking the girl to help her tear tissue paper into different shapes. By the end of the session, the girl was laughing and making eye contact. She was excited to come back for a second session to make art with the paper pieces.

“This teen became empowered and was able to address her anxiety and fears by enhancing her strengths, and this was all done by engaging in art therapy,” said Misluk, adding that this type of therapy taught her client to “manage her anxiety, use coping skills and build self-esteem.”

Misluk is an assistant clinical professor of art therapy at Indiana University-Purdue University’s Herron School of Art and Design, which offers a master’s degree program that allows students to meet the requirements necessary to become registered art therapists and licensed mental health counselors.

For Misluk, art and dance helped her work through challenging times in her life. Through her personal experiences and those of her clients, Misluk has learned that art therapy can be “empowering.”

Read more on Indy With Kids.

May 4, 2017April 11, 2018

Not Alone: Offering Support for Mothers Experiencing Postpartum Depression

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of nine women experiences postpartum depression. Unlike the “baby blues,” which lasts only a few days or weeks, postpartum depression can last for several months or years after a mother gives birth.

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder, and like other mood disorders, it can be characterized by sadness, crying, extreme fatigue, guilt, disconnectedness, loss of interest in enjoyable activities and hopelessness. However, postpartum depression also has its own uniquely identifiable traits.

Continue reading on Indy With Kids.