• Safety Tips:
• School Safety: Nov. 5 -11 National Runaway Prevention Week
• Personal Safety: The Gun Talk Taboo
• Questions & Answers:
• Statistics: Domestic Stress & Children
• One Opinion: Open to Discussion

School Safety:

NATIONAL RUNAWAY PREVENTION WEEK -- NOVEMBER 5-11 

How Schools Can Help

Runaway prevention is everyone's concern. One in every seven youths will run away from home by the age of 18. Some will run more than once. The National Runaway Switchboard is continuing its efforts to increase awareness of runaway and risk prevention across the country. Therefore, November 5-11 has been named National Runaway Prevention Week.  

Since 1994, the NRS Runaway Prevention Curriculum has been made available to schools, community-based organizations and police departments across the country. Most recently, the state of Michigan used it as part of its own statewide runaway prevention initiative. The Runaway Prevention Program/Curriculum is available free of charge by contacting the National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800-621-4000. 

"Prevention is a delicate balance of awareness, resources, communication, stress management and support. It is also the number one goal of the National Runaway Switchboard," says Gordon Vance, acting executive director of the agency. 

The curriculum and accompanying video consists of three lessons: identifying who runs away and why; the lifestyle of a runaway; and how to reach out for help. The lessons can be used together, separately or with your own materials.  

Many schools plan to conduct a variety of activities highlighting this issue. Some Boy/Girl Scout groups are already preparing to put up posters and pass out cards in their communities with the agency's hotline number on them. Other organizations and parent/teacher groups may want to distribute copies of the Parent Information Guide which helps parents identify some of the warning signs that their child may be thinking about running away.  

The National Runaway Switchboard is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for youth and families in crisis. These services are confidential and provided free of charge. The National Runaway Switchboard has served as the federally-designated National Communication System for runaway and homeless youth since 1974. To request educational, prevention, or organization information, contact the National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800-621-4000.  

For more information: http://www.stwnews.org.  

Personal Safety Tip

When our child is invited over to a new friend's house, we ask questions and expect to be asked questions as we arrange a "playdate." "Do you have cats? He is a bit allergic…" or "Can she eat donuts or do you prefer I offer her fruit?" We just know that being a good host or hostess requires we help make everyone comfortable and safe. That is precisely why we should be asking and answering the basic safety question, "Do you have any guns in the house?" It is almost taboo though, as we hesitate, as we lower our voices, as we try not to offend when we do ask this basic safety question.  

Yet it is a fact that over 40% of homes with children have a gun, and many of those are left unlocked and loaded. If there is a gun it needs to be stored unloaded, and locked. Children have been known to find guns parents thought were "hidden"and combined with natural curiosity there is potential for tremendous danger.  

Perhaps we can make it easier for all parents by opening up this topic ourselves when we invite a playmate over. Tell other parents before they need to ask - "I have gun, but it is kept locked..." or "By the way, we don't have any guns in our house. Just thought you might like to know." Even if they didn't ask, parents will appreciate your candor on this safety topic.  

For more information on how to discuss this topic, visit http://www.AskingSavesKids.com.  

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Questions From Readers and Our Answers
 
Q: My daughter has been babysitting for a family down the street. Last week she came home with a new necklace, and was evasive about where she got it. It is a gold locket, and I am worried that she either stole it from the home or it was a gift from the father, who likes to drive her home. What should I do? 

A: When your child begins to babysit for another family, it is important that you also meet this family and check out their home for any potential dangers that your son or daughter may not think about. As mentioned above, ask if there are any guns in the home. Ask that the family respect the curfew that you have set for their babysitter, and to call you if there is a delay. That will help you learn if there are delays on her trip home, if you fear that your teenager may be in a vulnerable position for sexual advances. 

Establish this relationship so that the family is aware that your teenager is still under your protection even as she is hired to protect their children, then it will be easier for you to call them and chat about the necklace. You can call them and say, "That is a lovely necklace my daughter came home wearing…" and wait for them to say, "Oh, we appreciate her so much…" or "Oh? Umm…" which will give you a better idea of the circumstances in which she acquired the necklace. 

Please be sure that your teen understands that you are always available to come pick her up if the parents return from their date intoxicated. And talk to your teen about safety in all adult situations, since it won't be long before she is dating. 

If You Have A Question or Answer, Let Us Know.   E-Mail

Statistics:

Only about one-seventh of all domestic assaults come to the attention of the police. -Florida Governor's Task Force on Domestic and Sexual Violence, Florida Mortality Review Project, 1997, p. 3. 

40-60% of men who abuse women also abuse children. -American Psychological Association, Violence and the Family: Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family (1996), p. 80. 

Requests for emergency shelter by homeless families with children increased in 68% of US cities surveyed in 1999. -The United States Conference of Mayors, A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities:1999, December 1999, p39.

Open to Discussion – One Opinion:

If a child is quick-tempered, easily frustrated, and "not applying himself" at school, teachers may presume that there is a problem at home. This may be true, and this idea warrants looking into. However, if the teacher finds that a student is also challenging at home, it may be time to consider an evaluation by an Occupational Therapist. In recent years, much work has been done in neuroscience that can be applied to children with previously undiagnosed, subtle learning disabilities.

Known as Sensory Integration Disorder, if undiagnosed it can cause a child emotional distress as he struggles with coping with regular life tasks. Some children may appear to have "Attention Deficit Disorder" because they are busy moving and craving physical stimulation in order to "wake up" their system. Some children are so sensitive to noise, or visual stimulation, that functioning in a classroom is more stressful for them than we imagine - even bright, "good" students can be suffering. The "acting out" these children do can lead them to be labeled as "problem students" when in fact they are in need of support.

If there is a child whom you fear is not "reaching her potential" then please help steer her into an evaluation that includes consideration of underlying subtle physical problems. Untreated, these children often grow into adults who are too easily frustrated and quick tempered, and prone to becoming abusive, or self-destructive. You could be breaking a generational cycle of failure by discovering an underlying disorder that is now treatable!

"The Out-Of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping With Sensory Integration Dysfunction" by Carol Stock Kranowitz is a helpful book for parents and educators. If you wish to learn more about the impact of sensory integration disorders children may be struggling with, effecting their handwriting, ability to read, and even how "hyper" or tantrum prone they appear, read this book and visit http://www.sensoryint.com/faq.html

**NOTE FROM THE EDITOR**

The following ACTION ALERT UPDATE was submitted by a Kidsafenewz reader. While we at Fingerprint America condemn all forms of domestic violence or crimes against women and children, our role is to provide tools for parents to keep their families safe. Inclusion of reader submissions regarding political efforts does not imply endorsement.
-ed.

ACTION ALERT UPDATE:
FOLLOW-UP ON OCTOBER 2000 ALERT -

FYI - The Violence Against Women Act passed both the House and the Senate on October 11, 2000.

...At 6 pm, after several hours of debate, on the last day the Senate planned to meet in full session this term, the Senate passed the Sex Trafficking/Violence Against Women Act package by a vote of 95 to 0!

Most of the debate focused on procedural issues, including a motion from Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) to strip Aimee's Law from the Sex Trafficking/VAWA package. Aimee's Law penalizes states that grant early release to murderers or sex offenders if the offender then commits a similar crime in another state. Senator Thompson's motion was defeated (90-5), however, and the Senate was able to vote on the identical Trafficking/VAWA package that passed in the House last Friday by a vote of 371-1. The Trafficking/VAWA/Aimee's Law package will now go to President Clinton to be signed into law. He is expected to sign the bill without delay...

(See the New York Times article on the Senate's action at (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Congress-Crime.html).

...The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (http://www.ncadv.org ) reports that thanks to the dedication and hard work of activists throughout the country, domestic violence and sexual assault advocates are being talked about in Washington as one of the most organized and energetic grassroots lobbying groups in recent memory!

Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD), author of the House of Representative's VAWA bill said, "This legislation passed because of all the organizations out there making sure that Congress heard their voices loud and clear."

(Her sentiments were echoed by Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) author of the original VAWA, and co-author of the current Senate version of VAWA, who said, "All the calls and letters and e-mails truly made the difference."

Members of http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org should feel particularly proud. Through your efforts, we sent over 156,000 e-mail messages, mailed nearly 8000 letters, and made countless phone calls to Congress in a 3 month period! Special credit to the many, many members who contacted Congress for the first time, and to those of you who dared to tell your personal stories of abuse to your legislators, so that others would benefit. You are the true heroes of this effort, and I salute you all...

...Thanks again for your support. Together, we can..... http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org

Irene Weiser

What’s Your Opinion? E-Mail

Learn more by visiting Dr. Jim Hopper's site at http://www.jimhopper.com/abstats/ and the Pandora's Box site that has much information on the topic of sex abuse at http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/sitemap.htm.

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