News & Events

National
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month is observed each year in
the month of June to recognize the impact that PTSD has on the lives of those
who are affected by it. According to the National Center
for PTSD,
about seven or eight of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in
their lives. Women are more than twice as likely as men to
develop PTSD, and survivors of sexual abuse are particularly at risk.

The
National
Institute of Mental Health charac…

News that a boy’s severe stomach pain led to the conviction of a serial child molester in Georgia recently  is a reminder that adults need to be aware of common signs that a child has been abused or traumatized. And when something just doesn’t add up regarding a child’s condition, either visibly or after the child tells you something is wrong, take it seriously – ask questions, investigate and consider seeking medical help for the child. If you suspect a child has been abused, you can also contact law enforcement or a local child protection agency.In December 2016, a 15-year-old boy’s…

A new study shows that the annual economic impact of child sexual abuse in the United States exceeds $9 billion. This staggering number and the tragic conditions leading to it highlight the need for one thing:Prevention.In the study, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the $9.3 billion annual economic cost of child sexual abuse included costs associated with health care, child welfare, special education, violence and crime, suicide and survivor productivity losses. The Johns Hopkins researchers stressed that the estimate of the economic burden of child sexual abuse…

All around the world, from Pennsylvania, to Chile, to Australia, the Catholic Church continues to fight truth and transparency. By now, one would hope that the institution has learned from its past mistakes when it covered up the sexual abuse of children by the Church’s priests, bishops and other clerics. Unfortunately, this is not the case.In Pennsylvania, the Attorney General is wrapping up investigations involving six Catholic dioceses, including Allentown, Scranton, Erie, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Greensburg. Three of the dioceses have publicly stated they will not challenge the release o…

Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction last week showed that no one is above the law. But it was a rare victory for sexual assault survivors, as a report released last week by Ramsey County starkly illustrates. One celebrity conviction does not fix a system that too often mistreats survivors.The Ramsey County report was the result of a two-year review of sexual assault cases in the county. The review found that sexual assault reports all too often do not result in charges.  Among other things, the review found that of 646 cases reviewed, only about 30 percent were referred by investigator…

An Australian magistrate’s decision Tuesday that Cardinal George Pell shall stand trial by jury for historical sex abuse charges is a victory for survivors and the rule of law.One survivor’s advocate, Phil Nagle, called it a “historical day for survivors of Ballarat,” Pell’s hometown, in which several priests were accused of misconduct. “It’s good to see him being treated like any other citizen in court,” he said.Ann Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability.org, an online abuse resource, called the magistrate’s decision that Pell stand trial “a turning point in the global abuse crisis in the Cath…

One of the themes for this year’s ”Child Abuse Prevention Month” is “Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe and loved.”  While many children do grow up in homes, schools, places of worship and communities where they are safe and loved, many do not.  Statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 1 in 4 children have experienced abuse or neglect at some point in their lives and 1 in 7 experienced abuse or neglect in the past year.  Child abuse and neglect are preventable.   We all play a role in creating safe, stable and caring…