ListenSeptember 2010
CALIFORNIA
Town hall elevates national conversation on health of boys of color
Community leaders and experts from around California and the nation have convened in Los Angeles at a two-day national town hall to address the health and social issues facing African-American, Latino, Asian and Native American boys and young men of color. The gathering is exceptional in its size and focus on these issues. The Building Healthy Communities town hall has brought together community leaders, policymakers, researchers, advocates, journalists and philanthropic stakeholders to address and put forth solutions to the most pressing challenges of boys and young men of color in California and the nation.
"We need a national conversation to elevate how the health and well-being of boys and young men of color impact the health of our communities, our state and our nation," said Robert Phillips, director of health and human services for The California Endowment, a sponsor of the town hall. "There is a growing body of research that shows that the health of African-American and Latino boys stems from their neighborhoods, their schools, their environments being unhealthy. The Building Healthy Communities town hall must serve as a call to action to forge a path toward better health for all communities in the United States."
New research released in June of this year, shows that boys and young men of color are more likely to suffer from poor health outcomes as a result of growing up in poor families, living in poor neighborhoods and going to poorly resourced schools. The research included the combined efforts of RAND Corporation, PolicyLink, The Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice at Drexel University and The Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School.
Many children growing up in low-income communities and communities of color witness some kind of violence in their youth. This exposure has damaging, long-term effects.
"Unfortunately, the systems assigned to help these boys and young men often take a punitive rather than healing approach," said John A. Rich, Director, Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice, Drexel University School of Public Health. "But successful programs to address the reality of trauma are making headway nationally. These programs have helped youth of color find ways to stay safe while moving them out of the cycle of violence and toward a future of hope."
Advocate Angela Glover Blackwell and researcher Manuel Pastor argue that the future generation of workers and taxpayers will be significantly impacted unless trend lines are reversed. According to their research, young men of color under twenty-four currently make up only 7.4 percent of the entire U.S. population, but represent 46 percent of male children under age five and 42 percent of children six to seventeen years old.
"America is hemorrhaging talent," said Blackwell, Founder and CEO of PolicyLink. "We can no longer waste the skills and dreams of countless young men and boys of color. If we can harness their talents and help them fulfill their full potential, we will build a stronger and more sustainable America."
There are examples of successful programs. In Los Angeles, a program at Locke High School prepares a largely African-American and Latino student body for high-paying careers in the skilled and building trades. The academy was developed by the Youth and Workforce Development Alliance (YWDA), a broad-based partnership of community, business and labor organizations.
Flipping the disparities will, indeed, have positive implications for the state. According to the California Dropout Research Project, doubling high school graduation rates would reduce the number of juvenile crimes in California and save the state $550 million per year.
"We must invest in neighborhoods to improve the places where boys and young men of color live, play and go to school," said Manuel Pastor, Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. "With the coming demographic changes, this is not a special interest issue: improving communities and tangibly improving the health and well-being outcomes for boys and young men of color is critical to the economic future of our country and its metropolitan regions."
Speakers at the town hall are previewing research and findings from the forthcoming book, Changing Places: How Communities Will Improve the Health of Boys of Color. The book is an edited volume of research from the top public health, policy and social science researchers in the country. The UC Berkeley School of Law's Warren Institute is publishing the book in conjunction with The Endowment, and will be made available at no-cost from UC Press. Advance book galley copies available upon request.
The Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Race, Ethnicity and Diversity (Warren Institute) is a multidisciplinary, collaborative venture to produce research, research-based policy prescriptions, and curricular innovation on issues of racial and ethnic justice in California and the nation. For more information, visit www.law.berkeley.edu/ewi.htm
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. The Endowment makes grants to organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and well-being of the people of California. For more information, visit www.calendow.org.
Press Release: PR Newire
28 September 2010
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Announced today, the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths is fully endorsing the release of the second edition of the We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America report, produced by the Every Child Matters Education Fund (www.endchildabusedeaths.org). The Coalition is comprised of five national organizations – the Every Child Matters Education Fund, the National Center for Child Death Review, National Children's Alliance, the National District Attorneys Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.
The new We Can Do Better report looks at child abuse and neglect deaths in the United States from 2001 through 2008. It estimates that over 12,000 children died from abuse or neglect during the eight-year period. Inconsistent reporting of data collection by states makes it impossible to provide an accurate assessment.
Michael Petit, President of the Every Child Matters Education Fund, stated, "Child abuse and neglect related deaths are tragic and avoidable. They deserve more attention from state and federal lawmakers."
Teresa Huizar, Executive Director of National Children's Alliance, agreed with Petit and remarked, "As the national association of Children's Advocacy Centers around the country, we felt it a natural fit to be part of this Coalition – and believe strongly that together we truly can do better for our country's children."
The National Coalition is calling upon the American public to sign an online petition requesting that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid sponsor Congressional hearings on child abuse fatalities. The online petition can also be found at www.everychildmatters.org/petition.
Information in the report is drawn from the most recent state data made available to the federal government. Key findings from the report include:
Child abuse and neglect fatalities flow from extensive child maltreatment in the U.S. There are nearly 3 million child abuse and neglect reports per year.
Many more American children die from abuse and neglect than do children in other advanced countries.
It is largely an accident of geography whether abused or neglected children receive the full protection they need. Children in the states with the highest fatalities are 10 times more likely to die from abuse than the lowest state.
Many child protection workers frequently lack the resources and training they need. Many carry caseloads much higher than national standards.
Restrictive confidentiality laws shield the press, elected officials and the public from shortcomings in the child protection system.
A national strategy is needed to stop maltreatment deaths.
Current federal spending is far below the level needed to protect all children from imminent risk of harm.
For more information about the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths and the second edition of We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America, visit www.endchildabusedeaths.org.
About the Members of the Coalition to
End Child Abuse Deaths:
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the
largest membership organization of professional social workers in the
world, with 145,000 members and 56 chapters. NASW works to enhance the
professional growth and development of its members, to create and
maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies.
Contact Joan Zlotnik,
jzlotnik@naswdc.org
The National Center for Child Death Review (NCCDR) is a resource center for state and local child death review programs. The center provides technical assistance to help teams develop, implement and sustain a prevention-focused CDR process, training, strategic planning and program development for state and local teams, consultation to coordinate with other reviews, including fetal and infant mortality, domestic violence, serious injury, and maternal mortality, support for the network of CDR program leaders. Contact: Teri Covington, tcovingt@mphi.org
National Children's Alliance (NCA) is a professional membership organization dedicated to helping local communities respond to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient – and put the needs of child victims first. National Children's Alliance provides training, support, technical assistance and leadership on a national level to local children's and child advocacy centers and communities responding to reports of child abuse and neglect. www.nationalchildrensalliance.org
The Every Child Matters Education Fund (ECM) was founded in 2002 with the mission to make children's issues a political priority. To that end ECM has promoted the adoption of smart policies for children and youth. These include ensuring that children have access to affordable, comprehensive health care services, expanding early-care and learning opportunities and after-school programs, preventing violence, abuse, maltreatment and fatalities against children in their homes and alleviating child poverty. Contact, Michael Petit, mpetit@everychildmatters.org
The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), founded in 1950, is the oldest and largest professional organization representing criminal prosecutors in the world. The National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse (NCPCA), a program of the NDAA was established in 1985. The NCPCA is staffed with professionals involved in the investigation and prosecution of child abuse, exploitation and computer facilitated crimes against children.
Press release: PR-USA.NET
26 September 2010
http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=495053&Itemid=29
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World leaders and experts meet to raise the profile of education on the development agenda
A brainstorming session to examine ways to make the case for education by showing its powerful impact on all Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be held on 22 September, as world leaders gather in New York to review progress on the MDGs.
A special focus on education is critical, according to the organizers of the session, Save the Children, Qatar, UNESCO and UNICEF. Education is the key to sustained global progress towards all the millennium targets, but about 69 million children – among them the most marginalized – are currently unable to go to school every year.
"Education plays a central role in the achievement of all MDGs and needs to be given top priority across all regions, including those affected by natural disasters and conflicts. There can be no peace and prosperity without education,” said Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. “Conflicts are a major threat to human security and to hard-won Millennium Development Goals."
The meeting, attended by Heads of State and world leaders, takes place amid fears that the momentum built up in education since the beginning of the decade is starting to wane. There has been less progress for the poorest children and those living in countries affected by conflict, in remote regions or those from minority groups, when compared to those whose families have greater resources. “Ending the cycle of poverty for children, their families and their communities – begins with education,” says Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director.
The session will take into account new data that firmly establishes that investing in education is crucial to reaching all the MDGs. “From better health to increased wealth, education is the catalyst of a better future for millions of children, youth and adults,” says UNESCO’s Director-General, Irina Bokova. “No country has ever climbed the socioeconomic development ladder without steady investments in education.”
The data from the Education for All Global Monitoring Report shows that:
171 million people could be lifted out of poverty if all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills – that is equivalent to a 12 per cent drop in the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day. (MDG 1-Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger)
In Kenya, if women farmers are given the same education opportunities as their male peers, their yields for maize, beans and cowpeas increase by up to 22 per cent. (MDG 3-Promote gender equality and empower women)
A child born to a mother who can read is 50 per cent more likely to survive past the age of 5, and in sub-Saharan Africa an estimated 1.8 million children’s lives could have been saved in 2008 if their mothers had at least secondary education. (MDG 4-Reduce child mortality)
In Burkina Faso, mothers with secondary education are twice as likely to give birth more safely in health facilities as those with no education. (MDG 5-Improve maternal health)
In Malawi, the share of women who know that HIV transmission risks can be reduced by taking drugs during pregnancy is only 27 per cent for women without any education, but rises to 59 per cent for women with secondary education. (MDG 6-Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases)
Commendable progress has been made in achieving quality basic education for all since the MDGs were set in 2000.
In Tanzania, less than half of all primary school-aged children were in school at the beginning of the decade. Today nearly all children attend primary school. India, with about 5.6 million children out of school in 2008, is expected to bring down this number to about 750,000 by 2015.
Despite these notable achievements, the international community is still not on track to deliver on the promise of quality basic education for all by 2015. In many cases, progress in enrolment has been made at the expense of education quality, while other education targets have been neglected, such as early childhood care and education, literacy, youth and adult education and life-skills.
“Overall, progress has been made in achieving universal primary education. However, donors and States must now focus on the education of children living in conflict-affected and fragile states. This is a huge proportion of the 69 million and it’s not improving,” said Jasmine Whitbread, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children. “That’s a huge waste of potential that can’t be allowed to continue.”
Large gaps still remain in access to education and the share of children who actually complete primary school. Significant inequalities based on gender, ethnicity, income, language or disabilities are still a major barrier to achieving universal primary education. If current trends continue, as many as 56 million children will be out of school in 2015. In 2008, 72 of 184 countries with data had not reached gender parity in primary education.
Nigeria, home to the largest number of children out of school (8.6 million in 2007) is expected to still have 8.3 million children not in school in 2015. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, about 38 million children drop out of school each year.
At the meeting, world leaders will be urged to consider greater investments in education by bridging the annual funding shortfall of about US $16 billion needed to achieve universal primary education. With only five years to go until the target date for the MDGs, there is an urgent need to translate words into action.
The striking evidence that education is vital to achieving all the millennium goals is presented in “Education Counts,” an exhibition by UNESCO on display at United Nations Headquarters until 20 November.
Press Release: UNICEF
21 September 2010
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_56121.html
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US
National Service Agency highlights impact of age-55+ volunteers
For more than four decades, Americans age 55 and up have used their lifetime of skills and experience to solve problems and strengthen their communities. The Corporation for National and Community Service is joining with organizations across the country to celebrate the extraordinary impact of 55+ volunteers through the first-ever Senior Corps Week, taking place September 20-24.
"Today, more than ever, communities need the talents and skills of all Americans to help move this nation forward," said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation, the federal agency that administers Senior Corps. "This week we celebrate the work of Americans age 55+ who are helping move the needle on problems ranging from poverty and illiteracy to high school drop-outs and independent living. They are one of our nation's greatest untapped resources and are critical to our prosperity and growth."
At time of serious economic and social challenges, nearly 500,000 volunteers age 55+ are serving through Senior Corps' three programs – Foster Grandparents, RSVP, and Senior Companions. These individuals contributed more than 98 million hours of volunteer service worth an estimated $2 billion in 2009, and their impacts and proven and measurable:
Last year 28,400 Foster Grandparents served more than 247,000 children and youth with special needs – providing one-on-one tutoring and mentoring and serving as role models.
Each year, RSVP programs expand the capacity of more than 61,000 local organizations to deliver essential services including assisting victims of natural disasters, improving the environment, conducting safety patrols, and more. Last year, 414,000 RSVP volunteers provided 62 million hours of service valued at $1.2 billion, representing a 20-1 return on federal investment.
Last year 15,200 Senior Companions enabled more than 68,000 frail and elderly adults to live independently in their own homes by transporting them to medical appointments, shopping for groceries, helping with bills and paperwork, and offering respite care.
With the theme "Making a Difference for Generations," Senior Corps Week highlights the powerful impact of 55+ volunteers and inspires others to get involved. The initiative recognizes that service by older Americans benefits everyone – it helps volunteers by keeping them active, healthy, and engaged; it helps our communities to have millions more skilled volunteers; and it helps our nation by saving taxpayer dollars, reducing healthcare costs, and strengthening civic participation.
"Older Americans bring a lifetime of skills and experience as parents, workers, and citizens that can be tapped to meet challenges in our communities," said Dr. Erwin Tan, a board certified geriatrician and recently appointed Director of Senior Corps. "Given the many social needs facing our communities – and the growing interest in service by 55+ Americans – this is a moment of unprecedented need and opportunity for our programs."
As part of the initiative, Dr. Tan will join RSVP volunteer R.C. Turner from Washington, DC, in a nationwide radio media tour on Wednesday morning. The Corporation has also launched a billboard and transit advertising campaign that highlights the work of real 55+ volunteers and drives viewers to GetInvolved.gov, where Americans 55+ can search for volunteer opportunities in their area. The advertising is currently being featured in nine cities – Portland, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Biloxi, Dallas, Raleigh, Providence and Denver.
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.
SOURCE Corporation for National and Community
Service
21 September 2010
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New research center to help parents with kids' substance use
Philadelphia's Treatment Research Institute (TRI) is launching a new center designed to help parents address alcohol and drug use by their children, TRI announced in a Sept. 14 press release.
The Parents Translational Research Center, funded with a five-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), will conduct research to aid parents and caregivers, and disseminate its findings by collaborating with the Partnership at DrugFree.org (formerly the Partnership for a Drug-Free America).
"Two million youth ages 12 to 17 meet diagnostic criteria for substance dependence or abuse and yet only 10% of them receive treatment," said TRI, citing recent research. "The new Center reflects belief that a stronger continuum of care for adolescents is needed and that parents or other caretakers often can provide what's missing if properly equipped with science-based tools and services."
The Center will focus on helping parents in three areas: preventing children from using drugs and alcohol; finding appropriate treatment when it's needed; and working with children who refuse to go to treatment.
Kimberly C. Kirby, Ph.D., the director of the new Center, said that it will also "direct parents needing immediate help to already available tools and resources informed by the existing state of science."
Release: Join Together
16 Septeber 2010
http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2010/new-research-center-for.html
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NEW YORK
Researchers identify ways to improve treatment of aggression in ADHD
Joseph C. Blader, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and colleagues, found that almost half of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) whose aggressive behaviors had not been effectively controlled during routine outpatient care could achieve near absence of aggressive, explosive behavior when implementing “first-line” stimulant treatments for ADHD tailored to individual needs, along with behavioral therapy. The study findings are to be published in the October issue of Pediatrics, and an early online edition the week of September 13.
“The results of our research strongly suggest that more intensive and methodical approaches to prescribing stimulants may reduce the need to resort to antipsychotic medications to control severe aggression among children with ADHD,” says Dr. Blader. “And our findings are especially significant in light of recent concerns about the proliferation in the use of other medications with greater side effects, such as antipsychotic medication, than standard stimulant medication when treating children with ADHD who display aggressive behavior.”
Dr. Blader and colleagues studied 65 children between the ages of 6 and 13 who were diagnosed with ADHD and either oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder. All of the children exhibited significant aggressive behavior and all had been treated unsuccessfully with standard doses of methylphenidate or dextroamphetamine, the active ingredients in stimulant medications that are standard treatments for ADHD.
The research team sufficiently reduced aggression in 32 of the 65 children (49 percent) after individually optimizing stimulant doses along with behavioral therapy. This dosage change also avoided any significant side effects in the patient grouping.
Dr. Blader explained that although established guidelines for the treatment of ADHD recommend careful and frequent dosage monitoring, as well as dose adjustments like those provided by the research team, previously published analyses came to a different conclusion than what he and his colleagues discovered. Previous analyses of medical claims suggested that such a treatment approach is uncommon in primary care settings, and only moderately better when implemented in specialty settings.
Co-authors of the SBU-led study include Steven R. Pliszka, M.D., University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; Peter S. Jensen, M.D., Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.; Nina R. Schooler, Ph.D., and Vivian Kafantaris, M.D., of Zucher Hillside Hospital, North Shore-LIJ Health System, Glen Oaks, N.Y.
The study was funded by a Research Career Development Award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to Dr. Blader. Additional support came from the General Clinical Research Center at SBUMC.
The research team is currently collaborating on a SBU-led study evaluating treatment operations for children whose aggressive behavior remains problematic even after optimized ADHD medication. This research is also supported by NIMH.
The Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry within the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University School of Medicine includes clinicians and researchers. The Division is nationally known for its research and treatment programs in ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric problems among youth.
Press release: newswise
15 September 2010
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UK
New institute will focus on the well being of children and young people
Anglia Ruskin University is to launch a new research institute for the East of England which will listen to the ‘voices’ of children and young people.
The Childhood and Youth Research Institute is a unique multi-disciplinary initiative that puts the well being of children and young people at the heart of research. Bringing together the diverse experience and expertise of academics from different disciplines who share an interest in childhood and youth, it cuts across three faculties of the University: the Faculties of Arts, Law and Social Sciences (ALSS), Education (FoE) and Health and Social Care (FHSC).
The new Institute aims to support, encourage and produce innovative research and publications of an internationally recognised standard. By building upon the research strengths and skills of current staff and by recruiting outside expertise the institute will create a community of research fellows, research associates, research degree students and external partners with the ‘critical mass’ to achieve a number of key objectives including a strong focus on the quality and quantity of research outputs delivered to an internationally recognised standard; increasing the volume of bids for external research funding; raising the number of external partnerships and developing our knowledge transfer and research consultancy activity in these fields.
The Childhood and Youth Research Institute is led by sociologist and disability researcher Dr Chrissie Rogers (pictured), supported by a new team of three post-doctoral research fellows and a cross discipline steering group. The ambition is to engage with themes that broadly straddle ‘social justice’, including disability, inclusion and special educational needs, intimacy, sexuality/asexuality, marginalised and vulnerable children and young people, children’s literature and performance, early childhood, crime/deviance, families, formal and informal education, mental and physical health, law, pregnancy and care.
Acutely aware of the need for such a facility, Dr Rogers, who has a 23 year old learning disabled daughter herself , said: ‘The Childhood and Youth Research Institute will be of huge significance to vulnerable, marginalised and excluded children and young people and their families, both regionally and nationally, who will ultimately benefit from the discoveries made through targeted research. Research will be based on the participation of children and young people who have voices that want to be heard. It is these individuals who can improve the way things are done in the future by changing society’s, largely outdated, preconceptions about critical issues surrounding them.
‘Although The Childhood and Youth Research Institute will have its own distinct direction and objectives, the Institute will be able to provide tangible support for the work of the education , health and social care community, and we will be looking to establish new links with various organisations representing children and young people who would like to be involved.’
The Institute is planning a formal launch event in February 2011. In the meantime, further information can be found by contacting the Director of the Research Institute, Dr Chrissie Rogers on chrissie.rogers@anglia.ac.uk or for administrative purposes, Natasha Chandler on Natasha.chandler@anglia.ac.uk
Anglia Ruskin University now has five dedicated research institutes. They are the Childhood and Youth Research Institute, Cultures of the Digital Economy, Global Sustainability Institute, Institute of International Management Practice and Postgraduate Medical Institute.
Press release: Anglia Ruskin University
14 September 2010
http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/article/default.aspx?objid=74249
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EUROPE
‘Europe de l’Enfance’ considers children’s and young people’s rights
More attention for appropriate participation by young people, more collaboration and scientific research and more resources for early childhood facilities. These topped the wish list of the experts at the youth conference ‘Europe de l’Enfance’. For three days, they focused on the new EU-strategy to promote and safeguard Children’s Rights and the various policy agendas in the area of child and youth policy and children’s rights.
At the conference in Antwerp, experts in the field of children’s and youth policy and children’s rights from various governments joined representatives of national, European and international NGOs. They debated three important topics for the Belgian EU-presidency:
The European and international policy agenda in the field of children’s and youth policy and children’s rights.
The EU-strategy on the Rights of the Child which is slated for November 2010.
‘Early childhood facilities’ (ECEC, Early Childhood Education and Care).
Policy agendas on children’s and youth
policy and Children’s Rights
The participants at the conference jointly arrived at five conclusions:
Children’s rights often overemphasise protection, youth policy often overemphasises participation. This distinction should be nuanced.
There is a need for more scientific research in order to support the policy.
There is a need for more collaboration between the European Union, the Council of Europe, the United Nations and also within the individual intergovernmental organisations.
Childhood poverty cannot be solved through better support for the parents, but only through tackling the structural problems that cause poverty.
Participation is more than consultation: children need to be involved in the policy with information that is appropriate for their age.
EU-strategy on the Rights of the Child
In anticipation of a new communication by the European Commission
concerning the EU strategy on the Rights of the Child, the experts heard
a report on the current state of preparations.
The experts in attendance felt it was most unfortunate that the consultation on the new strategy was not adapted for children. In addition, they also felt that the strategy should take a less protective approach and should devote more attention to participation. The strategy should also make a clear distinction between different policy levels.
Early childhood facilities
The participants emphasised early childhood facilities, such as child
care. They propose investing at least 1% of the GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) in early childhood facilities. It is important that early
childhood facilities are made accessible and are promoted for all
children. However, parents must always be free to choose whether to use
them or not.
Press release-EU-TRIO.BE
10 September 2010
http://www.eutrio.be/pressrelease/europe-de-l-enfance-considers-children-s-and-young-people-s-rights
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US
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a project of PACER Center. It's a time when communities nationwide can unite to raise awareness of bullying prevention by using resources at PACER.org/bullying.
"To make a significant impact on bullying, we need people across the country to take action and join the movement," said Julie Hertzog, director PACER's National Center for Bullying Prevention, which sponsors the event. "There are 160,000 children staying home from school each day for fear of bullying, but working together, we can make a difference."
Everyone can find a way to join the cause at PACER.org/bullying. Students, educators, families, and organizations can use the free, creative resources at the site to address bullying and help create a culture that no longer accepts bullying. Nonprofits, schools, and community groups can show their support and share their efforts to prevent bullying by becoming a Partner or Champion of this cause. Organizations and a link to their website will be listed on PACER's site, along with a list of any activities or events they are planning in connection with the month. To become a Partner or Champion, contact julie.hertzog@PACER.org.
Teens can sign an online petition, tell their story at bullying411@PACER.org, start a bullying prevention committee at their school, or join the TeensAgainstBullying Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube sites.
They'll find videos, blogs, and a toolkit of things they can do to address bullying at PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org. Elementary school students can take the "Kids Against Bullying" pledge and learn how to respond to bullying at PACERKidsAgainstBullying.org. The site features animated characters, celebrity videos, games and more.
Educators and parents can find free, creative classroom activities and resources for K-12 students at PACER.org/bullying.
PACER's National Center for Bullying Prevention educates communities nationwide to prevent bullying through creative and interactive resources. Based in Minnesota, PACER Center is a national parent center serving all youth, with a special emphasis on children with disabilities. Learn more at PACER.org.
Press Release: PR Newswire
16 August 2010
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/october-is-national-bullying-prevention-month-100783204.html
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Phenomenal program manager earns membership with Stanford Who's Who
Stanford Who's Who welcomes Carol S. Sherer to their prestigious ranks as a result of her extraordinary effort in assisting those with developmental disabilities. As Specialty Services Program Manager for the Arizona Department of Economic Security's Division of Developmental Disabilities for the past 5 years, Carol has consistently demonstrated the passion, vision and dedication necessary to be considered among the best.
The Arizona Department of Economic Security's Division of Developmental Disabilities is a group whose services and supports help eligible individuals with developmental disabilities achieve self-sufficiency and independence. They also offer supports for family members and other caregivers. The Division of Developmental Disabilities has a great staff which provides people with foster care, early intervention and supports coordination of development.
Carol is thoroughly educated in the field. She possesses exceptional leadership and management skills and displays a great deal of passion for patients. During her educational career, she earned her undergraduate degree from Springfield College and a Master's degree in Therapeutic Recreation and Community Development. In the time away from her busy schedule, Carol enjoys gardening, reading and camping.
Press release: Stanford
7 September 2010
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Sex in the media: A new study finds troubling links to teens
I allow my eight-year-old son to play a virtual world online game because it satisfies his sense of adventure (medieval style!) and it requires him to problem solve – to figure out how to turn wheat into bread, say, or to determine what sorts of metals are required to make a hatchet. And yet the game bothers me. The iconography is very sexualized: the women who lure players into the games often sport lusty cleavage; many avatars are dressed like wenches.
This is not unusual, says the American Association of Pediatrics in a policy statement issued this week, and it should, indeed, worry parents. "New evidence points to the media adolescents use frequently (television, music, movies, magazines, and the Internet) as important factors in the initiation of sexual intercourse," notes the statement. "There is a major disconnect between what mainstream media portray – casual sex and sexuality with no consequences – and what children and teenagers need."
What they need, says the report, is not abstinence-only education – the kids are ignoring that with the help of a surfeit of sexualized images and scenarios easily available online and off. A 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 46% of high school seniors have had sex, and about one in six have had sex with four or more partners. Worse, of the sexually active students, 39% said they did not use a condom during their last sexual encounter. It follows, then, that those sexually active seniors need education about the consequences of teen sex. And they need protection.
There are other eye-opening numbers. The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western world. More concerning is the risky, and often coerced, behavior of young teens. A quarter of teenagers have had a sexually transmitted infection; one in ten girls who have had teen sex say that the first time was against their will. And despite representing just 25% of the sexually active population in the United States, 15- to 24-year-olds contract nearly half of all new STIs every year.
Don't expect television and gaming producers to change their products any time soon. Some estimates have the video game industry topping $20 billion in 2010. It would take some serious regulatory muscle to slow that economic engine down.
Reality TV is not helping
But the truth is that sexualized online gaming is only a small
part of the problem. Most troubling for pediatricians (if the order of
problems in the report is any indication) is reality TV, with shows like
The Bachelor and Temptation Island setting up unrealistic scenarios in
which partnering has no health consequences, or any consequences at all,
really. A study of college students cited by the AAP indicated that
viewing reality television shows "correlated with beliefs in a double
standard – that men are sex driven and men and women are sexual
adversaries."
If reality TV were watched mostly by those who already were sexually active, this might have less of an effect on teenagers, who could put the scenarios in a context based on their own experiences. That's not the case, however; less sexually experienced college students watch more reality television than their more experienced counterparts, "which suggests the importance of such programs for sexual socialization."
To a parent in her 30s or 40s, these shows seem transparent and silly. A bunch of girls live in a nice house with one man, and the ones that are most willing to have sex (or, at the very least, make out in salacious hot tub scenes) are the most likely to get the guy. But watching this sexual content (and even the discussion of sex on the shows, which can have an impact equal to the depiction of sex) "hastens the initiation of teen sex," according to the recent study.
A connection to teen pregnancy is made
No matter how one feels about teenage sexual activity, the
consequences appear to be real and unfortunate. According to another
study, even after controlling for other risk factors like family
stability and income levels, rates of teen pregnancy increase if there
is greater exposure to sex on TV. Movies such as Juno (depicting a teen
who becomes pregnant and has to deal with the consequences) and
old-fashioned after-school specials are the exception to the rule; most
television aimed at teens and young adults doesn't connect STIs and
pregnancy to sexual activity.
The media's messages are impossible to avoid – it is embedded in everything from reality TV to movies (virtually every R-rated movie aimed at teens has included at least one nude scene and, often, several sex scenes), to advertisements (over $300 million is spent each year on ads for erectile dysfunction drugs), to online and offline games and Facebook. While I was a little shocked to recently find the 15-year-old little sister of a friend engaging in sexual banter with a male friend on her Facebook stream, the AAP says this isn't shocking. "The media may act as a 'superpeer' in convincing adolescents that sexual activity is normative behavior for young teenagers," their policy statement asserts.
Taking TV out of bedrooms
The AAP makes a number of recommendations for parents and
pediatricians, beginning with limiting childrens' exposure to
inappropriate media (especially PG-13 and R-rated movies), and removing
TV and internet access from childrens' bedrooms (a recommendation,
incidentally, that's also made in the interest of reducing obesity,
which has a link to unfettered access to TV). Sexual education that
includes information about contraceptives and avoiding disease is key;
the AAP advises against abstinence-only education, calling it
"ineffective."
The advertising industry was noted by the recent study as being especially problematic on this front; the AAP calls for more contraceptive advertisement and less erectile dysfunction marketing, with the suggestion that ED drug ads be limited to airing after 10 PM. The AAP also says that pediatricians and parents "should encourage the entertainment industry to produce more programming that contains responsible sexual content and that focuses on the interpersonal relationship in which sexual activity takes place."
No end to reality TV?
Despite the obvious problems with shows like Bachelor and Joe
Millionaire and Momma's Boys, the conveyor belt of reality dating shows
rattles on. In a recent interview, Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss admitted
that contestants typically do have sex during the show, and a lot of it
(participants are tested for STIs before being sequestered together).
Fourth-season star Bob Guiney, said Fleiss, had the "highest batting
average" with "five-and-a-half" couplings (whatever that means).
It's this enthusiasm that suggests that the Bachelor and shows of its ilk, despite their damaging impact on teenagers, aren't going anywhere. As creator Fleiss told Reality TV World, "We weren't sure going into the series whether or not women would really care and whether or not they would really compete for the love of one guy... [but] once we saw girls hyperventilating and what not, we knew it was working." Fleiss added that it was best if viewers "hated" the contestants.
Whether or not the AAP will be successful in its campaign to reduce the sexualization of media available to children remains uncertain. Given the financial interests involved, the answer to that question could very likely be "no." Sex sells, it always has, and it sells particularly well to those who don't know any better: your kids
Sarah Gilbert
4 September 2010
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MELBOURNE CONFERENCE
‘Time to roll up our sleeves’ and do what must be done to achieve Millennium Development Goals
“This is not the time to question the validity of the MDGs [Millennium Development Goals] themselves, but rather a time to roll up our sleeves and do what is necessary to attain them, and beyond that, to look at the question of ensuring that they are sustainable after 2015,” said Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, today at the conclusion of the sixty-third annual DPI/NGO Conference in Melbourne, Australia.
He said he also hoped “each and every one of you, as the torch bearers of this Conference, will take what you have learned here back to your organizations and communities, and help us to raise awareness about what’s at stake”. While frustration had been expressed over the lack of enough improvement in some regions towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals, he strongly believed that the most urgent task was to help quicken the pace of progress.
The Call to Action and Declaration adopted by the Conference earlier today –- the last of three days of meetings –- was a clear statement of the organizations’ messages and concerns and of the urgent collective action that was needed to improve the health of millions of women, men and children worldwide, Mr. Akasaka said. The Declaration should be channelled to Governments and into the inter-governmental process to impact the “MDG” Summit, to be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York later this month.
He stressed that non-governmental organization advocacy played a major role in holding Governments accountable for honouring their pledges and commitments and upholding their responsibilities to protect and save their children and people. He thanked the non-governmental organization representatives –- from Australia, the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East –- for their commitment to this Conference –- the first United Nations event of this size ever to be hosted by Australia. “You are all good friends to the United Nations. You are our greatest allies and partners.”
He also thanked the Government of Australia, the principal sponsor of the Conference, the Victorian state government and the Melbourne City Council, as well as the diverse peoples of the city of Melbourne. He also acknowledged the more than 50 workshops, organized by the non-governmental organizations, which had been taking place during the three-day conference. Those interactive initiatives, said Mr. Akasaka, were a way of ensuring that all issues under the theme of the Conference -– “Advance Global Health, Achieve the MDGs” –- were covered. The workshops featured panellists from regions around the globe and covered a wide range of health issues.
Conference Chair, Mary Norton, said she had challenged delegates at the outset to develop an outcome document and action plans to sustain gains of the Millennium Goals and stimulate those most lagging behind. She exhorted all delegates to urgently transmit those collective recommendations to their Governments for inclusion in the upcoming “MDG” Summit. In addition, she noted that the Conference had overwhelmingly agreed to support a two-year moratorium on debt repayment for Pakistan, which was suffering from a natural disaster of epic proportions.
Now, she said, as the end of the Conference approached, keeping in mind the work was just beginning, it was time to say “thank you”. She asked Mr. Akasaka to present the Declaration to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and requested Phil Batterham, Convenor, NGO Focal Group, Australia, to present it to the Australian Government.
Additional statements
Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, said his institution was the major human rights institution in Australia. It was completely independent from the Government. Its role was to monitor the human rights of Australian indigenous people and report to the Federal Parliament on those matters at least once a year. He continued to be reminded of the need for action on critical issues, and of the importance of a global framework, such as the Millennium Declaration and Millennium Development Goals, and the underlying human rights principles on which those were based.
He said that the campaign for health equality for indigenous Australians was based on a fundamental recognition of the poor state of indigenous health in Australia. This was a human rights issue. There was a life expectancy gap here of between seven to eight years between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, as well as other statistical divides. There were significantly higher rates of communicable diseases and poorer infant and maternal health. That kind of inequity was also suffered by his indigenous brothers and sisters throughout the world. Indigenous Australia, with some indicators at the level of a developing nation, was nested inside a developed country. The indigenous people comprised 2.5 per cent of a population that enjoyed some of the best health and longest life expectancy in the world.
The idea behind the “Closing The Gap” campaign, he said, was to bring that inequality to an end. The goal was to close the life expectancy gap by 2030. The campaign would do that through adoption by the Australian Government of a comprehensive plan of action, proper resources and the goal of achieving a health target by 2030. The campaign’s approach was based on empowerment and respect for indigenous culture, with a particular focus on the right to health. A plan must be developed and implemented by the Australian Government in partnership with the indigenous peoples.
Princess Muna Al-Hussein of Jordan, via video link, said that the Conference’s approach had set the tone for more inclusive dialogue. The world was changing in unprecedented degrees, and mobility, migration and global markets brought opportunity, but also vulnerabilities. Today, more than ever, the knowledge and the most sophisticated technologies for treating disease and prolonging life were available, yet the gaps in health outcomes grew wider. People living in poverty faced problems beyond those targeted by the Millennium Development Goals. The World Bank estimated that one-third of those living in poverty died prematurely from non-communicable diseases, because they were more exposed to different risk factors coupled with less responsive health services.
Noting that life expectancy could vary by as much as 40 years between developed and developing countries, she recalled the statement of the Secretary-General in his report in June, this year, that improvements in the lives of the poor had been “unacceptably slow”. Indeed, only half the population of the developed world had access to improved sanitation and the safety of the water supply remained a challenge. Greater efforts must be made to meet Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality. Inequities in maternal care persisted. Maternal mortality was highest in regions where care by skilled providers and adequate supplies and equipment were lowest. More than one-third of maternal deaths were due to haemorrhage and could be prevented.
For the first time in human history, the majority of the world’s population lived in cities, with about 1 billion living in urban slums, she said. Natural and manmade crises had increased and might affect any one at any time. Governments would be more successful at achieving the Millennium Development Goals if human rights principles were incorporated into national development strategies. Non-governmental organizations should be involved in monitoring and evaluating national strategies to achieve the Goals. They represented the communities that would best benefit from achievement of the Goals.
George A. O. Alleyne, Chancellor, University of the West Indies and United Nations Special Envoy for AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean, said that practitioners of, or advocates for, global health had to be committed to the idea that it meant health for all people and reducing health inequities globally. That was “the nub and the pith” of the actions needed to achieve global health. Existing inequalities within and between countries “shame human conscience” and he was comforted that the Conference was wedded to the idea that there was a moral imperative to reduce those inequalities that were iniquitous and unjust. He hoped that especially the young people would take that as an inescapable charge and challenge.
He said that the inequities that impeded progress in global health were seen in the Millennium Development Goals –- all of them –- because he subscribed to the thesis that the Goals were indissolubly interconnected, and therein lay a major challenge. He raised the question as to how to deal with the specificity needed in terms of procedures, systems and technologies to be applied to the individual Goals and still retain the vision of a collective approach to human progress and development. He was pleased to note that there could be close cooperation among non-governmental organizations that were theme-specific. Although the Goals were interconnected and collectively pointed to improvement in human well-being, there was no fixed hierarchy or sequence to them. “It is essential that we keep our eyes fixed on the need to reduce or eliminate poverty, but let us be equally firm in the conviction that we do not all have to be rich before we become healthy,” he insisted. There could be significant improvement in global health that was not inextricably linked to an increase in national wealth.
A theme throughout the debates was that there could be no progress in reducing the inequities in the Millennium Development Goals without international action in health, he noted. The international action now must be grounded in a pluralism that gave power to the work of the non-governmental organizations and civil society. The demonstrated commitment of this gathering would convince any doubter that “international” must no longer be coterminous with “inter-governmental” and that there were other actors besides Governments in the nations of the world, which must cooperate among themselves to achieve the Goals. Progress in the area of HIV had been a classic example of the power of international cooperation and collaboration among civil society groups. The growth and strength of pluralism at the national and global levels was one aspect of the changing world that must be taken into account as steps were taken to achieve the Goals.
He concluded by emphasizing the following four points: achieving global health with the emphasis on reducing inequity was a major task, but measurable progress was only possible through addressing all the Millennium Development Goals; and the necessary genuine international cooperation had to be rooted in a pluralist approach. Also, global health and the essential health goals of the Millennium Development Goals would not be achieved without addressing the issue of non-communicable diseases; and a major underlying concern must be a realignment of the health systems –- a reconceptualising of primary health care with emphasis on chronic care and universal coverage, with access to the sanitary and social measures to which all citizens had a right.
Christopher Varney, former Australian Youth Ambassador, said the Conference had clarified many questions. The question now was “how bright is your hope”? During the Conference, 75,000 children had died preventable deaths. It must be ensured that the actions of Governments, civil society and all sectors ended that tragic waste of lives. He had come to this Conference filled with hope and, indeed, young people here had shown more than ever that they were equal partners in fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals. He charged that young people should be celebrated and not tolerated; mentored and not ridiculed; included and not exploited; inspired not disappointed. The Millennium Development Goals had not just equipped young people with a time-bound plan for halving poverty, but had ignited an incredible sense of global understanding and consciousness.
He said that the NGO campaign “Making Health Global” sent a clear message that children and mothers had “a special vulnerability requiring special attention”. Such campaigns were vital to helping the United Nations bring its principles and instruments to everyday people. The United Nations and non-governmental organizations had always worked together in a fellowship, within which, young people played a vital role.
In terms of global health, the world now stood at a crossroads, he said, with so much to gain and so much to lose. Success would provide his generation with a signal of hope that would inspire them for the rest of their lives. In 2015, he saw a room filled with people determined to act for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. On the road ahead, there would be naysayers. Tothose who say there were too many problems facing global health, he suggested “tell them we are talking of promises and not problems.” To those who say the task is unrealistic, tell them a story about a child transformed. To those who say the United Nations is a waste of time, tell them that its true worth is in the things we cannot see. To those who say your hopes are too high, tell them you would rather be filled with hope than riddled with fear, guided by light than accepting the darkness, he concluded.
“Thank you for coming to Melbourne!” said Jamie Clout, Deputy Director-General of the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID). He said the Australian Government had been honoured to have hosted the Conference. New friends had been made; there had been learning and sharing and inspiration -– to advance global health and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The Government wished to thank its counterparts at the United Nations and the countless non-governmental organizations in Australia and abroad for making the event such a success. His Government also thanked every one of the 97 volunteers –- the youth of Melbourne, as well as Phil Batterham, the Convenor of the Australian NGO Focal Group on behalf of the Australian NGO community.
Jeffrey Huffines, Chair of the NGO/DPI Executive Committee, speaking on its behalf, expressed profound gratitude to the 1,717 participants representing some 350 non-governmental organizations in more than 70 countries, who took part in the three-day Conference. He also paid tribute to the Government of Australia and AUSAID, the city of Melbourne, the state of Victoria, as well as Australian civil society and thanked them for their warm welcome. Among other things, the Conference had demonstrated that youth should always be at the centre of public life; they offer the greatest scope for innovation, have fresh courage to inspire, and are capable of an amazing amount of voluntary energy and effort. He was also deeply inspired by the passionate debate among non-governmental organization representatives. He informed the Conference that next year’s would be in Bonn, Germany in early September and that the theme of “Sustainable Societies: Responsive Citizens” had been agreed.
Press release: United Nations
1 September 200
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2010/ngo709.doc.htm
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Vietnam on track for MDGs, but child poverty still a challenge
Vietnam has improved its indicators on child health and poverty greatly, though significant challenges remain. The latest study by the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has found that Vietnamese children are extremely vulnerable to rising inequality.
The report, entitled, An Analysis of the Situation of Children in Vietnam 2010, was the product of a collaborative effort between the Vietnamese government and UNICEF. The methodology is in line with child and human rights-based approaches.
In 1986, Vietnam embarked on a policy called Doi Moi, or “renovation,” in which the economy was restructured, liberalized and per capita income increased dramatically, according to research by the International Development Research Centre based here in Canada. The country has had one of the best-performing economies on the globe. Today, it stands on-track to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Still, there are hurdles to overcome. The researchers found that while the country has made enormous strides in overall reductions to poverty and child mortality rates, a number of issues continue to be of consequence to child welfare. In specific, they are hygiene, sanitation, nutrition, protection, and education. With education, access is less an issue than quality and management. Substantial parts of the child and youth population continue to live in a state of severe deprivation. Generally, one third of Vietnamese children under the age of 16 are living below the poverty line.
Vietnam’s ethnic minorities have been least likely to benefit from the country’s impressive economic growth in the last few decades. According to UNICEF, children belonging to these minority groups are the most vulnerable. 62% of them are living in poverty, compared to 22% of children belonging to the dominant Kinh and ethnic Chinese groups.
The report also addresses geographical disparities, citing unequal access to health, education, food and sanitation between the northern Ha Giang province and the more coastal Ho Chi Minh City, for example.
UNICEF Vietnam has noted that further improvements will require a better legal framework to protect child rights as well as more child-sensitive policies. “The single most important message of the Situation Analysis relates to the need to reduce disparities in outcomes for children,” said UNICEF Vietnam representative Lotta Sylwander in a presentation of the report’s key findings. “In particular, ethnic minority children, children with disabilities, children affected by HIV and AIDS all continue to suffer from unequal access to social services.”
The conference was attended by government officials and diplomats, UN officials, child protection workers and the media.
Press release: SOS Children's Villages, Canada
31 August 2010
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