Anny Jacoby, Personal Safety Expert

YMCA’s Take Child Protection Very Seriously

2011-11-28T20:22:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the impact YMCAs have on kids, families and communities—and the sheer number of communities they serve—this “Y movement” will lead the way in engaging the largest group of citizens yet in child protection! Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/t6z0Aa

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

YMCA’s Take Child Protection Very Seriously

YMCAs take child protection very seriously. Their extensive policies and attention to safety regarding every program and service make them a leader in “state of the art” child protection policy. They also know that this alone does not keep children safe in their communities. They instead recognize the need for leadership at every level to be involved and engaged in protecting children from sexual abuse. With the health and well being of children and families at the heart of their mission and a long history of tackling tough community issues, Y’s across the country are stepping up to convene leaders and engage the entire community in prevention.

Teaming up to support these local Y efforts, D2L and The Redwoods Group Foundation are providing tools, resources and funding assistance to help YMCAs operationalize wide spread community awareness and education. Our vision is that Ys, serving as the natural conveners, bring together community leaders, other local child-serving organizations, and policy makers as partners in prevention. This exciting collaboration is empowering communities with a strategy and a model for creating and sustaining positive change in the protection of children from child sexual abuse.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1j3xz

http://bit.ly/t6vUvp

2011-11-27T13:14:00.001-05:00

Get involved, take a stance and welcome education into your families and communities. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/t6vUvp

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

What Can We Learn From Penn State?

It’s unfortunate that it takes national headlines to get people talking about a problem that is all too prevalent in our society but we can take advantage of this opportunity to shine the light on the issue of child sexual abuse and recognize that we all have a responsibility to protect children.

Anny is a Steward’s of Children Authorized Facilitator and Prevention Specialist who trains adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through Darkness to Light’s certification programs. Please contact Anny to bring Prevent Now! community meetings your area and to arrange Steward’s of Children trainings. You may contact her via email, anny@annyjacoby.com or 919-225-1421.

Take care and stay safe.

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1j2cs

Sandusky case triggers pain well beyond campus…

2011-11-16T15:16:00.001-05:00

Psychologists say that any sex abuse victim — man or woman — may find that news of the Penn State case sparks painful memories. But the way this case is unfolding strikes an especially deep chord with men. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/sKEqvg

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Sandusky case triggers pain well beyond campus…

As adults, victims suffer nightmares, anger, anxiety from childhood abuse.

As the Penn State sex abuse scandal unfolds — ghastly detail by detail — on front pages, the airwaves and Twitter accounts, the news can be especially devastating for one group in particular: former victims of sexual abuse.

“Another night of triggers and flashbacks,” writes a forum member on MaleSurvivor.org, a website devoted to healing male victims of sexual abuse. “… I felt him all over me and my arms are scratched as I try to get the feeling of his hands off me. … I think all the (Penn State) news set the triggers off, and now I am like a zombie, trying to recover and move forward today.”

“I never met Jerry Sandusky, but feel I know him all too well,” writes another member of the forum, referring to the university’s former defensive coordinator who stands accused of sexually molesting at least eight young boys. “I dealt with my own ‘Jerry’ when I was 12 or 13. … Now that he is sated and I am long forgotten, I’m still picking up the pieces.”

“This whole thing is devastating me. These boys are lost in the details … just as most of us here were,” the member added.

Psychologists say that any sex abuse victim — man or woman — may find that news of the Penn State case sparks painful memories. But the way this case is unfolding strikes an especially deep chord with men.

“It can be very triggering of either their own memories — they may get flashbacks — or they may get angry again,” said Richard Gartner, a psychologist and psychoanalyst in New York, and spokesman for Malesurvivor.org. Some men may have to limit their news consumption, and maybe avoid watching football to avoid a panic attack or bout of depression, he said.

“It is re-traumatizing for them — more so to the extent that they believe that this is being handled wrong … and ignoring the needs of the victims.”

Take care and STAY SAFE!

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1ib8t

Penn State Tradegy by Erin Merryn

2011-11-14T12:46:00.001-05:00

No way does this post take away the fact that adults are ultimately responsible for child sexual abuse. On the hand, if children learn in school the same way they are educated on tornado drills, bus drills, fire drills, DARE, Stranger Danger, Internet Safety, Bully Intervention, etc. on safe touch, unsafe touch, safe secrets, unsafe secrets, how to get away and tell today then children would have had the courage to speak up and keep telling an adult until someone put an end to their horror. Instead.....they were never educated because we fail to educate kids on sexual abuse. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/vEO6Ab

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Penn State Tradegy by Erin Merryn

By now we all have heard about Penn State. All you need to do is turn on the television and whether you are watching the news or sports they are talking about it.

Jerry Sandusky doesn’t have many free days left before he is locked away for the rest of his life. He is a perfect example of why we need Erin’s Law in every state. Adults in charge witnessed children being molested by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and while they reported it they did not take it to the police which they should have reported immediately when they saw it happen. No ifs, ands, buts, about it. They witnessed a horrific act take place or were told about these horrific acts being done to children and they turned a blind eye.

The Board of Trustees did exactly what needed to be done and that was firing the President of the University and head coach Joe Paterno. Joe started off doing the right thing by taking it to the President but when the President did not go to police with the matter this is when it was Joe Paterno’s moral duty to report it to police. Instead more children’s innocence would be stolen all in the sake of protecting the Universities reputation. A school’s image is more important in the mind of a University President then innocent children who fell into the hands of a very dangerous sick individual who used his authority to groom and rape children. Reports have said Sandusky gave the children he abused many gifts. Often sexual predators use gifts as a way to silence children on top of threats. Several adults over a fifteen year time period were aware of Jerry Sandusky’s actions yet Jerry continued to be around children and abusing several more.

If these children had learned in school the same way they are educated on tornado drills, bus drills, fire drills, DARE, Stranger Danger, Internet Safety, Bully Intervention, etc. on safe touch, unsafe touch, safe secrets, unsafe secrets, how to get away and tell today then these children would have had the courage to speak up and keep telling an adult until someone put an end to their horror. Instead they were never educated because we fail to educate kids on sexual abuse which is why I went after Erin’s law. The law that would have empowered these children with the power to use their voice and tell someone. So many more children could have been saved from the hands of Jerry Sandusky had they been educated. Parents would have been educated through Erin’s law on what to talk about with their kids and the warning signs to look for in a child that has been abused. One parent whose child was abused spoke openly without her identity being revealed and she shared how her son’s behavior changed, he began acting out, showed lots of anger, and did not want to be around Sandusky. She went to the school guidance counselor about it and the guidance counselor brushed it off saying it is a phase he is going through. Had this mother been educated on the biggest silent epidemic in this world, that being sexual abuse of children, then she would have known to talk to her son and her son would have known to talk and not keep these secrets.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1i089

Teens Using Vodka-soaked Tampons To Get Drunk!!!...

2011-11-12T16:34:00.001-05:00

Oy! (Lost for words!) Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/u6ycJt

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Teens Using Vodka-soaked Tampons To Get Drunk!!!!…..

Teenagers have found a new way of getting drunk by inserting vodka-soaked tampons into their vaginas. And it’s not just girls; boys are inserting the alcohol-drenched feminine hygiene products in their rectums.

This is not isolated to any school, any city, any financial area. This is everywhere. There’s been documented cases of people going to the hospital with alcohol poisoning just from utilizing it that way.

It was definitely not just girls using the tampons to get drunk; rectal beer bongs is another bizarre trend created under the same concept and is becoming as popular as beer bongs used at college drinking bashes. It is called “butt chugging.”

Students are inventing new ways to consume alcohol that is less detectable by their parents and teachers. He suggests parents become more involved in their children’s lives to combat these problems of alcohol use among teenagers.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1hr3h

Penn State Incident Should Empower All Adults To Better Protect Children

2011-11-10T22:34:00.001-05:00

If you believe that your child has been victimized in any way please get immediate help through your local child advocacy center. In addition, Darkness to Light is here as a resource to any parent or organization who wants to get involved in making their community a safer place for children.Continue reading: http://bit.ly/u2UAks

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Penn State Incident Should Empower All Adults To Better Protect Children

As individuals and communities, we are all impacted by the horrible allegations of child sexual abuse by a former assistant football coach at Penn Sate. These reports leave us wondering how such atrocities could happen when so many well-minded adults were around –– yet none took the necessary action steps to end the abuse and the offender’s access to children. Further, parents are left wondering how they can best protect their children.

Shock, disbelief and outrage are often the first reactions to such news. However, this incident can serve as a teachable moment to empower adults to recognize the signs, have the courage to react responsibly and, ultimately, prevent child sexual abuse before it happens in the first place.

The accused did not wear a trench coat and lure a child into a dark alley. Rather, he was a talented man who was revered by the public as a coach and trusted mentor. He allegedly used that trust to obtain access to children. Tragically, this scenario plays out all around us every day. Hundreds of thousands of children are sexually violated by adults every year, and shockingly, more than 90% of the time, the child is abused by someone the family knows and trusts.

Anny is a Steward’s of Children Authorized Facilitator and Prevention Specialist who trains adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through Darkness to Light’s certification programs.

Take care and stay safe.

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1hkrk

Sex-abuse case jolts Penn State University

2011-11-07T02:00:00.001-05:00

These children were RAPED! And, the law in Pennsylvania stipulates MANDATORY REPORTING, which was NOT done!

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

These children were RAPED! And, the law in Pennsylvania stipulates MANDATORY REPORTING, which was NOT done!

Sex-abuse case jolts Penn State University

Jerry Sandusky, 67, allegedly engaged in fondling, oral and anal sex with young boys over a period of more than 10 years, according to an investigative state grand jury’s summary of testimony. He maintains he is innocent.

Also named in the state grand jury report are Penn State Athletic Director Timothy Curley, 57, and Gary Schultz, 62, the university’s senior vice president for finance and business. They face one count of perjury each in connection to an alleged cover-up of the abuse.

“If true, the nature and amount of charges made are very shocking to me and all Penn Staters. While I did what I was supposed to with the one charge brought to my attention, like anyone else involved I can’t help but be deeply saddened these matters are alleged to have occurred,” Paterno said in a statement.

The legendary coach said an assistant coach told him in 2002 about an “incident in the shower of our locker room facility.”

“It was obvious that the witness was distraught over what he saw, but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the Grand Jury report. Regardless, it was clear that the witness saw something inappropriate involving Mr. Sandusky. As Coach Sandusky was retired from our coaching staff at that time, I referred the matter to university administrators,” Paterno said.

Sandusky, who served 23 years as defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions, faces seven counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and numerous other charges, including aggravated indecent assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

In some cases, Sandusky promised boys gifts or invited them to football games and sleepovers, according to the grand jury.

“One of the most compelling and disturbing pieces of testimony in this investigation came from an eyewitness to a late-night sexual assault that allegedly occurred in March of 2002, in the locker room of the Lasch Football Building on the University Park Campus,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said Saturday.

“Hearing what sounded like sexual activity in the showers of a building that was supposed to be empty, a graduate assistant reportedly observed Sandusky sexually assaulting a naked boy who appeared to be about 10 years old,” she said.

The assistant reported the incident to head football coach Paterno, who in turn alerted athletic director Curley, said Kelly.

Instead of reporting the incident to authorities, Curley and Schultz banned Sandusky from having children from Second Mile visit the football building, Kelly said.

Sandusky, who retired from coaching in 1999, was founder of the Second Mile, a charitable organization that began as a group foster home “dedicated to helping troubled boys,” the grand jury states. He was arrested and released Saturday on $100,000 unsecured bail.

“If this is true we were all fooled, along with scores of professionals trained in such things, and we grieve for the victims and their families. They are in our prayers,” Paterno said in his statement.

He added: “I understand that people are upset and angry, but let’s be fair and let the legal process unfold. In the meantime I would ask all Penn Staters to continue to trust in what that name represents, continue to pursue their lives every day with high ideals and not let these events shake their beliefs nor who they are.”
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1h1u4

“Red, White & View” – Teen Dating Violence Discussion…

2011-09-26T18:58:00.001-04:00

It’s so important that you learn the signs of abusive relationships prior to dating, but it's never too late to learn if you are dating already. If any of the signs below are true for your relationship in the post, get help. Males are abused as well by girlfriends. Victimization DOES NOT discriminate. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/p0AfL2

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

“Red, White & View” – Teen Dating Violence Discussion…

VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH R. BIDEN TO DISCUSS ISSUE OF DATING VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT AFFECTING TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS, LIVE ON “THE VIEW,” TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie, executive producers of the ABC’s Daytime Emmy® Award-winning talk show, “The View,” announced that Joseph R. Biden, the 47th Vice President of the United States, will be the special guest, live, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET). The Vice President will focus on the threat of dating violence and sexual assault that continues to exist for teens and young adults across the country. The Vice President’s appearance is part of “Red, White & View” continuing the show’s commitment to political guests and discussions.

Dating abuse isn’t always as obvious as bruises and beatings. In fact, if you don’t know any better, some of the most common forms of relationship abuse might seem like the way that boyfriends and girlfriends are supposed to act.

That’s why it’s so important that you learn the signs of abusive relationships as soon as you start dating. If any of the signs below are true for your relationship, get help. The following signs can be applied to abused males as well by girlfriends. Victimization DOES NOT discriminate.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1dpma

Phone App Wakes Parents Up to Teen Dating Abuse via WeNews…

2011-09-13T12:24:00.001-04:00

Education is key to prevention. Parents must take a proactive approach and educate themselves on teen dating abuse before their teens enter relationships. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/qZwFWN

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Education is key to prevention. Parents must take a proactive approach and educate themselves on teen dating abuse before their teens enter relationships.

Phone App Wakes Parents Up to Teen Dating Abuse via WeNews…

Parental involvement is key to combating teen dating abuse, says Jane Randel. The Liz Claiborne Inc.’s Love Is Not Abuse campaign has created an iPhone application to educate parents on what their teens may be going through.

For the past seven years, the Liz Claiborne Inc.’s Love Is Not Abuse initiative has worked to combat and prevent teen dating abuse. One of the key insights gleaned during that time is that parental involvement and guidance are essential to preventing teen dating abuse.

We’ve also learned that there are inherent challenges to parental intervention. Although parents recognize dating abuse as a problem, many believe the issue simply does not affect their child. Many also don’t realize that technology has become a platform for abuse.

Teen dating abuse is much more prevalent than many parents think; 10 percent of U.S. high school students reported experiencing assault by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year, according to Adolescent Health study authors Emily Rothman, an associate professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, and Dr. Elizabeth Miller, division of adolescent medicine chief at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

And dating abuse is not only physical. Other, very common, forms of abuse include emotional and digital abuse. A recent study commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc. found that 1-in-4 teens report being abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend through technology.

The need to engage parents is why we have created the Love Is Not Abuse iPhone application (app), an exciting new resource designed to educate parents and get them talking to their teens. The app informs parents about the warning signs of dating violence and emotional and digital dating abuse. Included are tips on how to talk to your teen about dating abuse and national resources to get help.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1ctbo

Back By Popular Demand, Anny Jacoby and Crime Time with Vito Colucci, Part 2

2011-09-09T22:07:00.001-04:00

Back for another run! Vito Colucci invites Anny Jacoby back to the show to continue the conversation. On this show they will discuss the importance of college campus safety, street smarts, carjacking and safety, stranger asking for directions, and knowing your surroundings. Everyone will want to listen to the information on this show to know how to stay safe in a dangerous world!

Sunday Night, September 11, 11pm ET

on Business Talk Radio

Listen LIVE: http://businesstalkradio.net/weekend_host/ctvc.shtml

Amplify’d from imaginepublicity.com

Back By Popular Demand, Anny Jacoby and Crime Time with Vito Colucci, Part 2

Sunday Night, September 11, 11pm ET

on Business Talk Radio

Listen LIVE: http://businesstalkradio.net/weekend_host/ctvc.shtml

Back for another run! Vito Colucci invites Anny Jacoby back to the show to continue the conversation. On this show they will discuss the importance of college campus safety, street smarts, carjacking and safety, stranger asking for directions, and knowing your surroundings. Everyone will want to listen to the information on this show to know how to stay safe in a dangerous world!

Crime Time with Vito Colucci, P.I. features anything crime related. Current high profile cases or trials are discussed in detail with commentary from experts in law enforcement, investigators and lawyers.

Vito Colucci, Jr.

Vito Colucci, Jr., owner of Colucci Investigations LLC, is a former member of the Stamford, CT Police Department where he worked as a Narcotic’s Detective and Undercover Organized Crime Investigator. One of the main investigations Vito spearheaded during that time was uncovering the organized crime ties within his own police department.

Vito has been a private investigator for the past 22 years, working many high profile cases; Michael Skakel/Martha Moxley case, Jayson William’s case, and honeymooner, George Smith’s case .

Vito Colucci is a regular commentator on various news programs including: Fox News MSNBC, Catherine Crier/Court TV, Star Jones, Glenn Beck, Nancy Grace, Larry King, CNN Headline News, and The Bill O’Reilly Show, as well as being a featured speaker at the first World Investigator’s Conference in LasVegas in 2005.

ANNY JACOBY

Anny’s mission is to reach out to every avenue available to teach these skills at the corporate level, to emergency services, victim support groups and agencies, schools, colleges and health service providers. Her professional programs are designed for every age group from children to seniors, as well as a program designed specifically for the disabled.

Recently, Anny has developed a new division to her company, Project Safe Girls, which is designed specifically for girls and is used in after school programs, girl’s organizations and YWCAs, to name a few of the target areas. Specific curriculum and training is developed for age appropriate

Anny’s program is not traditional “self-defense” nor martial arts or weapons. She has developed her training specifically for females and teaches them to use their bodies as their weapon to diffuse a violent situation.

Anny’s style is serious, with compassion and empathy, yet fun and empowering. Her training classes and seminars leave her students with a sense of confidence and an understanding of their intuitions regarding safety. Anny has authored a comprehensive training manual for each student to take with them as reference.

Anny Jacoby is available for speaking engagements, lectures, individual consultations and presentations. She is a Certified PDR (Personal Defense Readiness) Instructor and has a team of male Certified PDR instructors and coaches with The Realistic Female Self-Defense Company who are dedicated to teaching and training only females.

Anny is also an independent contractor as a Certified Prevention Specialist and an Authorized Stewards of Children Facilitator through the Darkness to Light prevention program. She has developed a passion for educating parents and communities about the issue of child sexual abuse and prevention. She is available to travel throughout the US bringing this important and vital information to all.
Read more at imaginepublicity.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1cnv2

Myths About Male Sexual Abuse…

2011-09-07T20:42:00.001-04:00

1 in 6 males will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday - awaiting new stats. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/q60HGM

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Myths About Male Sexual Abuse…

Believing these myths is dangerous and damaging.

So long as society believes these myths, and teaches them to children from their earliest years, sexually abused males will be unlikely to get the recognition and help they need.

So long as society believes these myths, sexually abused males will be more likely join the minority of survivors who perpetuate this suffering by abusing others.

So long as boys or men who have been sexually abused believe these myths, they will feel ashamed and angry.

And so long as sexually abused males believe these myths they reinforce the power of another devastating myth that all abused children struggle with: that it was their fault. It is never the fault of the child in a sexual situation – though perpetrators can be quite skilled at getting their victims to believe these myths and take on responsibility that is always and only their own.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1ckz9

Breaking down B4U-ACT’s (Pedophilia) Plea for Tolerance…

2011-08-31T08:38:00.001-04:00

If pedophiles want to feel included in society as a whole instead of being labeled as an outcast, the road to success is quite simple,

Don’t put your hands on a child. Ever.

Don’t have a child’s hands on you. Ever.

Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/qILqI8

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Breaking down B4U-ACT’s (Pedophilia) Plea for Tolerance…

Just as the pedophile grooms and conditions his victims, the B4U-ACT group, a pro-pedophile organization, is being criticized for attempting to condition society to tolerate the “special feelings” pedophiles have for minors.

As you know, sympathetic activists held a conference encouraging society to connect emotionally with pedophiles to promote tolerance.

The group held a conference in Baltimore on August 17 that included clinicians, researchers and pedophiles talking about pedophilia and how those at risk for acting on their urges can seek real help. But the dominating topic of discussion was the group’s intentions of changing the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) classification of pedophilia.

B4U-ACT classifies pedophilia as a different type of sexual orientation, just as gay or hetero are different from each other. (Super! Let’s make new laws to protect all types of sexual orientation. What a circus society will be!)

While B4U-ACT may have its heart in the right place with their willingness to help pedophiles manage their sexual feelings for children, the group’s encouragement of using phrases such as, “minor-attracted persons” in place of “pedophiles” is very dangerous.

The B4U-ACT group repeatedly refers to pedophiles as, “minor-attracted persons.” The reference is made ad nauseam and appears on the B4U-ACT Web site like flies at a picnic.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1c7e5

‘Dance Crew’ Judge DISTURBING Details In Child Sex Case

2011-08-27T21:50:00.001-04:00

You NEVER know who is a pedophile – they don’t have a “look”; he/she can be ANYONE! They have many faces, in many professions and just the average person in a crowd. Continued Reading: http://bit.ly/qSNMIk

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

‘Dance Crew’ Judge DISTURBING Details In Child Sex Case

Former “America’s Best Dance Crew” judge Shane Sparks allegedly sexually abused at least 6 young girls IN ADDITION to the woman who claims Sparks raped her when she was 12 years old … this according to court documents obtained by TMZ.

The documents were just made public … following a plea deal Sparks made with the L.A. County District Attorney in which he received 270 days in jail after pleading no contest to having unlawful sex with a minor under 16.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1bzk3

Paving the Way for Condoning Child Rape by Dr. Keith Ablow…

2011-08-26T22:14:00.001-04:00

"Suggesting to pedophiles that their thoughts and impulses are “understandable” and that they won’t be judged by the members of B4U-Act is the kind of message that encourages them to push harder to change what they think of as unfair laws that keep them from their base desires." Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/qtUfyK

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Paving the Way for Condoning Child Rape by Dr. Keith Ablow…

There were those who scoffed at my contention that Abercrombie and Fitch, the edgy retailer, was paving the way for mainstream pedophilia when it began marketing breast enhancing bikinis to girls as young as eight.

There were those who railed against my contention that the French edition of Vogue was kindling pedophilia and embracing it with its racy depictions of 10-year-old Thylane Lena-Rose Loubry-Blondeau in heavy makeup, a plunging neckline and stiletto heels.

There were others who suggested that I had a problem with breastfeeding, in general, when I took issue with The Breast Milk Baby, which encourages little girls to wear a vest that has flowers in place of larger nipples and nurse the doll.

But, now, there should be no doubt that our culture is poised to begin embracing pedophilia as a lifestyle choice, just like homosexuality. A group of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals called B4U-Act, which has representatives from Harvard and Johns Hopkins, gathered recently in Baltimore to organize their push to change the negative perception of pedophiles and encourage them to get help in a nonjudgmental environment.

While B4U-Act is not representative of mainstream psychiatry, and while the American Psychiatric Association (APA) did not participate in the group’s meeting, psychiatry has a history of caving into cultural pressure to stop defining controversial illnesses as pathological. You won’t even find ego-dystonic homosexuality—meaning, homosexual impulses that cause an individual to feel distressed and which that individual does not want to give into—in the DSM, anymore.

Thank you Dr. Ablow for your professional contribution, for telling “it” just as it is and for being a voice for our children. You are appreciated.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1bxek

Annie Le’s death at Yale puts spotlight on campus security…

2011-08-21T09:04:00.001-04:00

The reality of one’s safety and protection ultimately lies within one’s self, never rely upon another individual, staff or a college for you or your daughter’s safety.

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Annie Le’s death at Yale puts spotlight on campus security…

Video surveillance cameras, live cameras monitored 24/7 and official warnings that can be blasted in seconds to tens of thousands via email, cell phone text messages and Facebook. Campus security is more sophisticated than ever, but college officials say they still can’t absolutely guarantee the safety of their students.

“That is impossible,” says Melissa Essary, dean of the Campbell Law School in Raleigh, NC. “There will always be criminals out there who can get away from the best security system.”

Since the Virginia Tech killings, schools around the country have beefed up security substantially, she says. Her school has just one public entrance, staffed full time by a security officer. But a potentially dangerous situation could erupt from within, she says. “There are potential inside threats as well as outside threats,” Essary says.

Though many colleges have surveillance cameras, only some are live while others are recording devices that would only be examined after the fact, not when a crime is actually occurring.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1bn2z

Habit versus Fear...Home Invasion

2011-08-06T18:32:00.001-04:00

The impact of being oblivious and not facing the fact that all type of crimes and assaults are happening on a daily basis is an individual with blinders on. Electing not be educated or taught how to be safe is just downright ludicrous.

Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/qbAps3

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

The impact of being oblivious and not facing the fact that all type of crimes and assaults are happening on a daily basis is an individual with blinders on. Electing not be educated or taught how to be safe is just downright ludacris.

Habit versus Fear…Home Invasion

At ten o’clock that night, Lindsay had checked that her doors were locked, as usual, before shutting the lights off and going to bed. She assumed she was safe within the protection of her apartment walls. A typical night coupled with a typical attitude. At four o’clock in the morning, Lindsay’s night drastically changed. Her worst fear had crept out of her nightmares and forced its way into her bedroom.

“Don’t make a sound or I’ll kill you…just do exactly what I say” — a ruthless command and a lethal threat on an innocent human being. This was not a practical joke carried out by a friend. It was real and it was happening to Lindsay — a tall, think, ultra-feminine woman who had always thought with confidence, “It (rape) won’t happen to me.” But there he was and there she was.

While Lindsay slept a man had broken into her locked apartment and moved silently into her bedroom. He woke her from a peaceful sleep with the forceful words, “Don’t make a sound, don’t move.” That statement would repeat over and over in her mind for years to come.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1abya

Is Your Child's Lifeguard, Camp Counselors, Coaches Sex Offenders?

2011-07-20T08:19:00.001-04:00

As parents and guardians it is your J-O-B to be proactive as the safety of your children is in your hands. There is so much information at our fingertips today. Do not be afraid to ask questions, do not be nervous about what others may think if you inquire or you feel that something may not seem “right”. Speak up, be a voice. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/nabKBz

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Is Your Child’s Lifeguard, Camp Counselors, Coaches Sex Offenders?

State laws nationwide prohibit sex offenders from working as school teachers, coaches and school bus drivers, but most laws do not prevent them from sitting in a lifeguard chair, teaching karate, coaching youth, or dance instructors in the private sector. There is a laundry list of jobs that are not regulated federally that a convicted sex offender can obtain. This fact is beyond scary and government must take immediate action to stop it.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a18oa6

My child has manners but not when it comes to his SAFETY!…Kid Safe Foundation

2011-07-04T11:55:00.001-04:00

A must read from Kid Safe Foundation. Please take a moment and read this important information for parents and children - great tips and information; you won't regret the five minutes at most, trust me. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/lKSeKW

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

My child has manners but not when it comes to his SAFETY!…Kid Safe Foundation

When we were young our parents sent us off to school and camp with statements such as: “Be a good listener.” “Mind your manners.” “Do what your counselor tells you to do.” “A tough teacher is a good teacher.” I can’t even imagine saying blanket statements like this to my 10 year old today. In fact, almost the opposite is said at our house. We want him to be polite but NEVER at the expense of his safety and just because an adult, like a teacher or counselor, tells him to do something, if it makes him uncomfortable or confused… guess what? He doesn’t have to do it! He has the right to say “NO” and he knows it. Blind obedience versus knowing when and how to be assertive is on my mind as my son tells me this experience he had at camp:

My son is at a new camp. The first two days when changing for swim they changed in a huge bathroom that had stalls. My son (as did the other boys) went into their individual stalls and changed. The third day they were brought to a smaller bathroom (no clue why) and there were no stalls. My son said to the counselor, “I want to change in the stall.”
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a16k1h

“Teach Our Teens and Save Their Lives” – Susie Kroll

2011-07-03T11:36:00.001-04:00

Susie strives to educate both teens and adults about the seriousness of teen dating violence. She specializes in speaking about Teen Dating Violence and Healthy & Safe Dating. Take the time to get to know Susie and the wonderful work that she is doing. We all know that teen dating violence is on the rise - do you know the facts as parents. And, doesn't our young people deserve the right to impertinent information that they will have for the rest of their lives? Continue reading: http://bit.ly/kQYSNf

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

“Teach Our Teens and Save Their Lives” – Susie Kroll

In the realm of teen dating violence, Susie promotes the concept that healthy teen dating relationships will translate into strong and healthy adult relationships. Susie strives to educate both teens and adults about the seriousness of teen dating violence. She specializes in speaking about Teen Dating Violence and Healthy & Safe Dating. She conducts workshops, keynotes, trainings, and seminars on issues specifically related to teens and their relationships. Related topics to Teen Dating Violence include:

setting boundaries,

safe dates,

the Dating Bill of Rights,

Cycle of Violence,

early warning signs of teen dating violence,

teen empowerment,

the differences between healthy and potentially destructive dating relationships.

Because most domestic violence relationships that end in fatalities started in high school, she feels it a vital necessity to reach out to teens and work toward prevention and safety.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a16gq7

Child bride of Doug Hutchison...

2011-06-24T19:25:00.001-04:00

Whew..I have so much going on in my head - BUT besides his money, what he will leave her, possible publicity stunt....what the hell would a 16 year-old see or want in a 51 year-old man?? I get the older guy thing but daaamn! Continue reading: http://bit.ly/iyxSDt

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Homeschool or Public High School for Courtney Alexis Stodden? (Child bride of Doug Hutchison)

Star Jones tweeted the following, “sexual deviance is not a “preference”. I “prefer” to live in Buckingham Palace…but if I go there uninvited…they will arrest me.

“Ok, ok, let me catch you up in case you haven’t heard…Doug Anthony Hutchison, the Lost actor, 51 and minor teen, Courtney Alexis Stodden, age 16 has caused quite a stir in the media as they revealed that they were married in May in Las Vegas. I can just imagine the look on your face and what you are thinking at this moment – my head actually hurts from shaking it from side to side.

The first question that is raised is…”is this legal?” According to the marriage license page for Clark County, Las Vegas, it’s easy. Minor applicants who are 16 or 17 years old can obtain a marriage license with two things: an original or certified copy of their birth certificate, and a parent or legal guardian who will provide his or her consent. Answer: Yes.

Minor Courtney’s mom, Krista Stodden, approved of her daughter’s marriage despite the 35-year age difference and that at least one of Courtney’s parents did sign the necessary permission form. Mr. and Mrs. Stodden seem to adore Hutchison and that they are both supportive of the marriage.

So many things come to mind with this relationship/marriage; I honestly do not know where to begin. What compelled Hutchison to marry a “child”/minor or even have an interest in any way?
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a15ums

Teens Face More Consequences from Sexting than Congressmen Do!

2011-06-13T18:54:00.001-04:00

“All it takes is for you to press ‘send’ and in a millisecond it’s out there and you can’t take it back,” she says. “[Girls] just impulsively send it. They don’t think of the consequences. And the same with the boys who are passing it on. They don’t think about how it might affect the person who’s pictured.” Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/kID4di

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Teens Face More Consequences from Sexting than Congressmen Do!

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner may not have broken any laws by texting lewd photos of himself to younger women he didn’t know.

Delaware Police are investigating allegations that Democrat Rep. Anthony Weiner may have been sexting a 17-year-old girl.

In an effort to protect children, both Congress and state legislatures have passed tough criminal laws designating the electronic distribution of nude images of teenagers as child pornography and often requiring those convicted of “sexting” to be registered as sex offenders. The problem is that a net thrown by the legal system to catch adults who exploit children is now more effective at ensnaring children.

Most states now require youths who send nude or semi-nude images of minors to be criminally prosecuted. Alabama, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are among those where teenagers as young as 13 have been prosecuted or convicted for sexting.

SIMPLY….. DON’T BE A PART OF SEXTING NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a151hx

Darkness to Light – an Organization to Help Prevent Child Sexual Abuse

2011-06-10T07:21:00.001-04:00

Child sexual abuse is regarded as an epidemic. According to statistics from D2L, There are more than 39 million survivors of sexual abuse in America and they estimate that 1 in 4 girls will be sexually abused by the time she is 18. More than 90% of abusers are people children trust love and know. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/jtlrqm

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Shane Alexander Donates Proceeds From His Song “Look Out For Me” to Darkness to Light – an Organization to Help Prevent Child Sexual Abuse

A based singer/songwriter/guitarist Shane Alexander is paying it forward. He has written his latest song “Look Out For Me” to help the charity Darkness to Light, whose ultimate mission is to end childhood sexual abuse through education and awareness. CEO of Darkness to Light Anne Lee says, “Shane Alexander’s “Look Out for Me” is a beautiful, melodic reminder that our children need us and depend on us to protect their only childhood.”

Possessing a singularly evocative voice, Shane Alexander writes songs that Performing Songwriter Magazine has called “stunning,” and The Los Angeles Times described as “beautiful.” Shane has opened multiple US tours for Jewel and Seal and performed in Europe with Bon Iver and Suzanne Vega, among many others. Since his debut in 2005, he has released 4 solo albums, including his latest effort Mono Solo, on his own BuddhaLand Records imprint. No stranger to the road, he tours the US and Europe constantly. This fiercely independent artist has amassed a global fanbase and has nearly one million plays on MySpace to prove it. His popularity has been driven in part by over 50 television and film placements, including the season finale of MTV’s highly rated “My Life as Liz” (aired April 29th 2011). He has recently signed with Warner Chappell Publishing and Rough Trade Distribution in Europe.Even with all this success, Shane Alexander is finding the time to help others; he has a huge talent but a big heart to match it.

Shane Alexander’s current efforts have been directed at raising funds and awareness for the charity Darkness to Light (D2L). This is a cause Shane feels strongly about: “I believe in giving back as much as possible, and to lend my voice to an organization with such a noble mission just felt right. The statistics of childhood sexual abuse are pretty staggering, and Darkness to Light is working so hard to help prevent the suffering that these kids might face. It’s a real privilege for me to be working with such great people.” Shane Alexander was so compelled by what the charity stood for that it inspired him to write this touching and poignant song and to donate proceeds to the charity upon its release. Anne Lee believes that Shane Alexander’s song “has captured the pure essence of childhood that every adult needs to hear.”A portion of the proceeds from Shane’s US summer tour will be donated to the Darkness to Light as well.

Child sexual abuse is regarded as an epidemic. According to statistics from D2L, There are more than 39 million survivors of sexual abuse in America and they estimate that 1 in 4 girls will be sexually abused by the time she is 18. More than 90% of abusers are people children trust love and know.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a14ueh

Juror in NYC Rape Case Questions Handling of Evidence

2011-06-03T13:53:00.001-04:00

“Too Drunk to Remember, Not Too Drunk to Be Raped?……The verdict just reinforces the ugly truth about what women will face if they accuse a man of sexual assault, especially if they’re drunk and the man is a cop and he’ll conveniently claim that she was too wasted to remember anything or to be taken seriously.” Andy Ostroy, Huffington Post NY Continue reading: http://bit.ly/jY3PWD

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Juror in NYC Rape Case Questions Handling of Evidence

Melinda Hernandez, a member of the jury that last week acquitted two New York City police officers of rape, is distressed by a process that she felt left her no choice but to vote not guilty. Justice, she says, was not served.

“As a feminist it really challenged my values to vote not guilty,” an emotionally spent Hernandez told Women’s eNews in an exclusive telephone interview on May 30.

In particular, she was concerned about the way forensic evidence–in a case concerning police as perpetrators–went through the New York Police Department lab and was then sent to New York Medical Examiners lab.

“I think they should have hired an independent person to collect the evidence,” Hernandez says. “There’s just common sense behind that.”

“Too Drunk to Remember, Not Too Drunk to Be Raped?……The verdict just reinforces the ugly truth about what women will face if they accuse a man of sexual assault, especially if they’re drunk and the man is a cop and he’ll conveniently claim that she was too wasted to remember anything or to be taken seriously.” Andy Ostroy, Huffington Post NY

See more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a14g2w

NC (North Carolina) Stop Human Trafficking!

2011-06-03T11:12:00.001-04:00

NC Stop Human Trafficking is a statewide organization whose mission is to eradicate modern day slavery in all its forms. RALEIGH – U.S. National Committee for UN Women – 2011 National Conference; continue reading http://bit.ly/k74w76

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

NC (North Carolina) Stop Human Trafficking!

NC Stop Human Trafficking is a statewide organization whose mission is to eradicate modern day slavery in all its forms. NC Stop Human Trafficking works to fight human trafficking on multiple levels following the P.A.V.E. model: Prevention, Advocacy, Victim Services and Education/awareness. NC Stop works through connecting and supporting individuals, community-based and faith-based organizations, non-governmental and governmental organizations. We focus on collaboration and communication between all groups to be efficient and effective. NC Stop strives to create opportunities for community members to become involved in the fight to stop human trafficking that are fulfilling and appropriate for each member.

RALEIGH – U.S. National Committee for UN Women – 2011 National Conference

When: Saturday, June 11, 2011

Time: 9:00am – 5:30pm / Reception Afterward

Location:Witherspoon Student Center, North Carolina State University, 2810 Cates Ave, Raleigh, NC

Link: http://wp.me/pikPQ-gG

Via NC Stop Human Trafficking
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a14fod

Is There Such a Thing as a ‘Credible’ Rape Victim?

2011-06-02T07:06:00.001-04:00

I know I’m not the only woman who will now think twice the next time I’m alone, it’s nighttime and I need help with anything, including getting home safely, and I see two male police officers. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/lNbOIt

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Is there any woman on the planet whose word, reputation and behavior is considered beyond reproach enough that she can accuse someone in power of assaulting her and have a real shot at being taken seriously

Is There Such a Thing as a ‘Credible’ Rape Victim?

In the last few weeks I’ve learned a number of valuable lessons. Among them:

1) Apparently if you are poor, you should not expect to be taken seriously if you accuse someone who is not poor, of sexually assaulting you (or trying to).

2) Similarly, if you are powerless, you should not expect to be taken seriously if you accuse someone who is powerful of sexually assaulting you.

3) If you are intoxicated — at all — you should not expect the judicial system to take you seriously if you accuse someone of sexually assaulting you.

4) If you are worried that you are in a vulnerable state — intoxicated or otherwise — and therefore worried that you could find yourself in danger (of sexual assault or other bodily harm), don’t call the police.

5) If you do call the police, and they take advantage of you, don’t expect the judicial system to take your complaint seriously. (See numbers 1 through 4.)

I would like to thank the two (former) New York police officers who were supposed to be coming to the aid of an intoxicated woman, but instead admitted to “cuddling” with her in bed (but not “assaulting” her), for teaching me these valuable lessons. I’d also like to thank the jurors who acquitted them of the most serious charges they faced, stemming from that night. And lastly, I’d like to thank the defenders of Dominique Strauss-Kahn for driving these points home through their endless efforts to trash and — and when that didn’t seem to work — buy off his accuser and her family (allegedly).
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a14cc4

Program trains adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse

2011-05-31T12:40:00.001-04:00

Anny Jacoby, whose expertise is in personal safety and victim advocacy, has broadened the scope of her experience by joining forces with Darkness to Light and advocating through the Stewards of Children program. Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/lx5LVW

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Anny Jacoby Facilitating Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children Program

Program trains adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse

Taking a bold effort to reach into communities across the country, Anny Jacoby is a Prevention Specialist and an authorized Facilitator for Stewards of Children through the Darkness to Light program, an organization whose mission is to train adults in every community to responsibly attack the issue of child sexual abuse. The focus of the Stewards of Children Program is to effectively shift the responsibility of recognizing and reacting to child sexual abuse to adults, and teach them how to make a local impact.

“Stewards of Children is the only national program which is evidence-based and proven to increase knowledge, improve attitudes, and change child protective behaviors. Training is offered to community groups, parent groups, grand-parents, all organizations that serve children and youth (paid staff and/or volunteer), church congregations, every employee in school districts, coaches, law enforcement, etc. All adults.” (www.d2l.org)
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1462b

Shattering the Silence of College Sexual Violence

2011-05-27T09:54:00.001-04:00

This campaign seeks to shed light on crimes that so greatly impact the lives of far too many college students every year. Continue reading: http://bit.ly/kbFNpc

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Security On Campus and Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment Launch Unprecedented Approach to Shattering the Silence of College Sexual Violence

Washington, DC -Soon-to-be high school graduates entering college this fall may not realize there’s more to worry about than getting good grades. Many should be worrying about sexual violence.

PAVE and SOC announce the launch of the “Safe Campus, Strong Voices” Campaign to follow today’s introduction of the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act – national legislation designed to help campuses better respond to and prevent sexual violence. “Safe Campus, Strong Voices” is a nationwide campaign to raise awareness and shatter the silence of college sexual violence. To end the epidemic of campus sexual violence, students and faculty, men and women, will to work together to create safer and more supportive campuses.

According to the US Department of Justice, 1 in 4 college women will be sexually assaulted, and the majority of those sexual assaults happen fall semester to freshmen and sophomore women. An astounding 95.2% of these will never be reported. Addressing this issue is critical when thinking about the safety of everyone in that environment.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a13yrn

Sugar Ray Leonard Says Coach Sexually Abused Him

2011-05-21T19:18:00.001-04:00

“That was painful enough,” Leonard writes. “But last year, after

watching the actor Todd Bridges bare his soul on Oprah’s show about how

he was sexually abused as a kid, I realized I would never be free unless

I revealed the whole truth, no matter how much it hurt.” Continue Reading: http://bit.ly/kbVrAW

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Sugar Ray Leonard Says Coach Sexually Abused Him

The opening segment of a forthcoming autobiography by Sugar Ray Leonard runs counter to the cunning style he used in winning boxing championships in five weight divisions more than a quarter-century ago. It is more like hearing the bell, rushing to the center of the ring and being hit with a straight right hand.

Most fans of Leonard remember him for his sweet smile and lightning-fast hands, as a transcendent and breakout celebrity in a brutal profession. But by Page 36 of “The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring,” to be published next month by Viking, Leonard has mentioned his cocaine use, growing up in a home with alcohol abuse and domestic violence, luckily surviving a car wreck with his mother at the wheel, almost drowning in a creek as a child who was unable to swim, and fathering a son at 17.

Two pages later, Leonard delivers the book’s bombshell while indirectly addressing a growing concern in the sports industry at large. He reveals publicly for the first time that he was sexually abused as a young fighter by an unnamed “prominent Olympic boxing coach.”
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a13nmz

Sexual Assault Can Be Prevented

2011-04-12T17:41:00.001-04:00

It can happen at home. It can happen at work. It can happen in a car. It can happen in a dorm. Sexual assault occurs whenever someone is forced, coerced or manipulated into any unwanted sexual activity. The list of offenses is graphic and includes rape, incest, date rape, marital rape, sexual harassment, child sexual assault, stranger rape, forced prostitution, exposure, voyeurism and statutory rape. Continue reading: http://bit.ly/fyU6w5

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Sexual Assault Can Be Prevented

It can happen at home. It can happen at work. It can happen in a car. It can happen in a dorm. Sexual assault occurs whenever someone is forced, coerced or manipulated into any unwanted sexual activity. The list of offenses is graphic and includes rape, incest, date rape, marital rape, sexual harassment, child sexual assault, stranger rape, forced prostitution, exposure, voyeurism and statutory rape. Silence continues to surround the topic of sexual assault, yet according to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, one in six American women and one in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. Seventy three percent of rapes were committed by a non-stranger — a friend, intimate, relative or acquaintance. In other words, sexual assaults are happening more often to people we love by people they know, rather than the stranger hiding in the bushes. And it’s happening to our daughters, mothers, girlfriends, sons and co-workers.

There are many myths that still exist today that place blame on the victim, such as past consensual sex, whether alcohol was involved and even the type of clothing worn by the victim. No one, under any circumstances, deserves to be sexually assaulted . Period. Sexual assault is not about sexual desire gone wrong but about power and control over another, utilizing sex as a weapon. Most often sexual assault happens as a pervasive result of attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that assert male privilege over females, as evidenced by advertising, music videos, video games and other media. When males are taught to respect their peers, both male and female, how to understand boundaries, the elements of consent and how to appropriately challenge negative behaviors of peers, then change at the individual level can happen. However, beyond individual responsibility, we need organizations that support the redefining of positive parameters that define masculinity beyond brute strength and sexual activity. We need organizations that challenge young people to develop effective communication and negotiation skills for healthy relationships. We need systems that support victims and understand the devastating impact of trauma due to sexual assault. We need churches, educational institutions, community agencies, parents and youth organizations to step out of the box and talk about sexual assault in authentic, informed and creative ways.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/byvtn

Pinwheels Call Attention to Child Abuse

2011-04-11T06:15:00.001-04:00

Ways to Identify and Prevent It! It’s time that people take a stand against child abuse. Your simple actions will help prevent child abuse and give abused children hope for a brighter future. Continue reading: http://bit.ly/h1V04I

Amplify’d from annyjacoby.wordpress.com

Pinwheels Call Attention to Child Abuse, Ways to Identify and Prevent It!

Many communities “plant pinwheel gardens” each April of colorful pinwheels spinning in the wind which represents a child living in the community who was abused last year.

April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month and many local organizations offer tips on preventing abuse.

Congress first declared April as National Child Abuse Awareness Month, a time designated each year to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect, in 1983, and each year the president issues a proclamation calling on Americans to use the month to help prevent child abuse.

The first step in helping abused children is learning to recognize the symptoms of child abuse. Although child abuse is divided into four types – physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment – the types are more typically found in combination than alone. A physically abused child for example is often emotionally maltreated as well, and a sexually abused child may be also neglected. Any child at any age may experience any of the types of child abuse.

Child abuse leaves more than just bruises. Long after children have recovered from the physical results of any type of abuse, abused children suffer from emotional and psychological trauma that can last the rest of their lives.

Unfortunately, many bystanders witness child abuse and do nothing about it. Neighbors and friends may hear or even see child abuse happening, but don’t want to intrude or interfere with “the rights” of the parents. Such inaction can mean years of pain and heartbreak for young children who are unable to get out of a horrific situation.

Abused children need your intervention. In their helplessness, they must rely on capable adults who are willing to take a stand and get them out of an abusive environment. By being aware of child abuse, and helping to educate the people you know, you can help prevent child abuse in your community.
Read more at annyjacoby.wordpress.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bysks

Back to School: Spotlighting Campus Crimes and Violence…

2010-08-16T10:38:00.000-04:00

It is time to get ready for campus life, with September right around the corner. Project Safe Girls wants you to be aware and prepared. Awareness is a good first step toward protecting yourself. Being prepared is the best defense.

Campus crimes occur much more frequently than any of us realize. Crimes on College Campuses and crimes nearby college campuses frequently go unreported and/or under reported. A recent study by The U.S. Department of Justice on The Sexual Victimization of College Women reveals some disturbing statistics. Among the findings:

Annually 4.9% of college Co-Eds experience a rape. In other words, the victimization rate is 49 rapes per 1000 female students.
When one considers that the average college career now lasts 5 years, there is a 25% likelihood of a rape between Freshman Orientation and Graduation Day.
This data becomes more disturbing when analyzed by the number of incidents rather than the number of victims. When the analysis is based on incident count the rate increases by nearly 30%. This takes into account women who have been victimized more than once.
Crimes categorized as sexual victimization other than rape touched 3.4%, or 34 per 1000, college Co-Eds annually.
This data also becomes more disturbing when analyzed by the number of incidents rather than the number of victims. Analyzed this way, the rate increases by a whopping 397%.
9 out of 10 victims know the person who sexually victimizes them.
71% of sexual victimization of college women occurs on a date – known more commonly as date rape.
88%of sexual crimes against women occur between the hours of 6 pm and 6 am.
Sexual victimization of college Co-Eds most often occurs in a residence (on or off campus), with nearly 60% occurring in the victim’s own residence, 30% occurring in other campus living quarters and 10% at a Fraternity.
Overwhelmingly, data indicates that women who attempt to protect or defend themselves avoid becoming the victim of a completed rape. While protecting or defending oneself is not a 100% guarantee, it is overwhelmingly the best action to take in order to avoid becoming the victim of a completed rape.
In the instances where women used force or a self-defense product like pepper spray, Mace, a stun gun or a Taser, just under 31% of the attempted rapes resulted in completed rapes.
Shockingly, fewer than 5% of completed or attempted rapes are actually reported to law enforcement officials. Reasons indicated for not doing so include: Not serious enough to report; not clear a crime was committed; not wanting family or others to know; lack of proof; fear of reprisal by the assailant; fear of hostility by police and fear police would not believe the incident occurred or was serious enough.
Another frequent and unwanted violation of women on college campuses is stalking. An annual incidence rate 156.5 stalkings per 1000 Co-Eds is reported. Clearly this is a bigger problem and requires further attention, study and consideration.

If you are assaulted or in a dating violence relationship PLEASE REPORT THE INCIDENT to your campus police department AND PRESS CHARGES! ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS PRESS CRIMINAL CHARGES! And, I strongly suggest that you go to the local DV or Rape Crisis agency in your college community as well as filing a POLICE REPORT WITH THE TOWN/CITY POLICE DEPARTMENTS! Cover all of your bases. Do not leave any rock unturned.

Too many assailants, universities and colleges are getting away with sweeping college crimes under the carpet. DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU! Remember, YOU DID NOT DESERVE IT! IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT!

Parents – get involved in your daughter’s safety during college. Contact me as we are gearing up our tour to bring personal safety training (6 hours on a weekend) to campuses everywhere!

Take care and STAY SAFE!

Females & Guns; Myths=Excuses, Facts=Reality

2010-08-13T10:11:00.000-04:00

Females & Guns; Myths=Excuses, Facts=Reality

I had the honor to be a guest on The Cop Doc’s BlogTalkRadio show (Richard Weinblatt) with Betsy Brantner Smith and Steve Kardian (all former police officers).

The topic of guns (weapons) was presented during our discussion and I strongly took a stance, which I have always; against promoting weapons for females to use for self-defense. I feel that it is imperative to once again stress my concerns (cons) about weapons and false security of same.

I have shot guns since I was in junior high school, had a concealed carry permit in my lifetime, carried a Glock in the console of my car and kept it safely away in my home. And I do support the Right To Bear Arms. I do not support the myth, “I own a gun and that is the best possible method of self-defense. If someone attacks me, I can use it to protect myself.”

Let’s take a look at why not……the facts and reality of such myth.

First, I say congratulations! I have heard this comment from females and males on behalf of the women in their lives with a cavalier attitude – all thinking/feeling that if owning a gun is the only sufficient method of personal safety/self-defense.

Weapons are advantageous and necessary when situations demand their use. Our military are not equipped with cans of pepper spray, really loud whistles and table knives. Our soldiers and law enforcement are armed with top-of-the line deadly weapons in order to fulfill their duties to be able to fight defensively during wartime. Good common sense.

Supporting the right to bear arms comes in when you wake up in the middle of the night, you hear a strange noise, having a gun safely in your night stand is a good thing. You will probably have enough time to make a 911 call; get your weapon, gather up enough courage to head toward the direction of the noise and attempt to intimidate and stall him until the police arrive. A gun is handy when it is used with KNOWLEDGE, GOOD JUDGMENT AND RESPECT. Most important…….it’s best IF you have time to use it.

Realistically, when you are attacked by an assailant, it happens without warning or if you find yourself in a domestic dispute a gun could be the end of your life. You are given the smallest margin of time to prepare your defense. I don’t care what your weapon of choice is you will not be given the time necessary to pull it out and use it. If you are unexpectedly pushed or ambushed to the ground, even if you have your weapon in your pocketbook, it’s not going to help the situation. If you decide to draw a gun on an assailant you don’t have time nor are able to tell him to hold still while you try to find the weapon in the bottom of your purse. As for Pepper spray or Mace you do not walk around with your finger on the trigger (there is a safety) and you better pray that the wind is not blowing in your direction – you will be covered with either of them. Then what happens? Your assailant will most likely overpower you and use your weapon of choice on you. He’s not going to hold still for you while you try to find your weapon, aim it and fire/spray – he’s going to move in for the kill and fulfill his intention that he had from the beginning.

Ultimately, when faced with predicaments the call for immediate personal safety training/self-defense, the only two things that are readily available – your MIND AND BODY. That’s all you have, bottom-line.

Guns are useful in certain situations or as a means of intimidation; the odds of being able to access a weapon in enough time so that it retains its benefits are pretty damn slim. A gun in your safety box or safe at your home won’t help you when someone attacks you while you are jogging in the park or in the grocery store parking lot. A gun in your car console won’t assist you either – you simply DO NOT walk around with your finger on the trigger nor on your hip in a holster as trained military and law enforcement officers do.

This same principle applies to any weapons – including pepper spray, Mace or knives. And, honestly the majority of females that are not military and law enforcement will freeze in FEAR. Being assaulted is not the same as being at the range learning to fire that weapon – you don’t have that kind of time to think of what to do. The first five seconds of an attack is your best chance for your defense.

Ultimately, learn how to use yourself as a weapon and you might not have to worry about owning a gun. Learn effective non-verbal and verbal de-escalation skills. Learn how to read body language and how you can effectively and realistically use your body to defend yourself. Learn what tools you have in your toolbox in the event you have to use them. You are physically and mentally equipped with so many but females do not realize this……until they are properly trained. Yes, you have to practice mentally and physically. You cannot just take one class and never think about it again. Self-defense/personal safety has to become embedded in your mind forming mental blueprints so that you react and respond quickly.

Food for thought…….why do you think our military and law enforcement are taught “hand-to-hand combat” extensively in training? Simple answer…….they may not have enough time to draw their weapons to defend themselves in the event of an altercation. They must know how to protect and defend themselves “realistically” with their minds and bodies rather than depending on their weapon.

So, why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to learn how to use your mind and body “realistically” to defend yourself? Take a moment to watch and listen to video #1 to the right of your screen. Tony Blauer, Owner and President of Blauer Tactical Systems, Inc. teaches us for certification of the S.P.E.A.R. system (self-defense based on your natural flinch) to teach civilians – yes, he is well known in the military/government and law enforcement arena. Listen carefully to his words.

Bottom-line, weapons give females FALSE security. Learn to use what you have readily available, learn to use it wisely and correctly – YOUR MIND AND BODY. Having those mental blueprints, learning about awareness and intuition and so much more will empower you. Knowledge in itself is a powerful tool!

Take care and STAY SAFE!

AWN Pepsi Refresh Project...NEEDS YOUR VOTE!

2010-08-12T17:00:00.000-04:00

AWN Pepsi Refresh Project

From Executive Director, Sharon daVanport.
Greetings and welcome to the Autism Women's Network. AWN is dedicated to building a community of autistic females, their families, friends, and supporters who have a place where they can share their experiences amongst a diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment. We invite you to take a look around and join us today.

Pepsi is giving away millions in grants to refresh individuals and communities, PepsiREFRESHproject. The PepsiREFRESHproject is looking for people, businesses and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact in communities and want to make changes. Awards range from $5K to $250K.
PLEASE VOTE Daily for AWN Project FAIM [Female AutisticInsight Mentoring]

VOTE Daily for AWN Project FAIM [Female Autistic Insight Mentoring]
If you are a BLOGGER or have your own WEBSITE, please go to our AWN Pepsi Project Page and pick up a widget on the right hand side of the page to place on your webpage. THANK YOU!
AWN appreciates your daily support. Please vote for our Pepsi Grant Project by simply clicking on the following link and casting your VOTE daily: AWN Project FAIM
VOTING for AWN Project FAIM can be done via cell phone: Text* 101500 to Pepsi (73774)
Thank you friends!
AWN's Project FAIM [Female Autism Insight Mentoring]

AWN Project FAIM [Female Autistic Insight Mentoring] Workshops will be the 1st of its kind.

We plan to set up 5 Project FAIM Workshops across the USAwhich will focus on qualities specific to females on the autism spectrum. Topics will include: peer supports, adolescence, adult life, relationships, vulnerabilities, and successful communications.

Project FAIM Workshops will include active supports and information for everyone (autistics, parents, educators, etc.)

The participants will meet renowned autistic females whereby gaining valuable insight.

We will secure the Autism Women's Network non-profit status so we can continue to provide Community Events, online Forumsupport & E-Mentoring as well as our AWN Radio Show.

How will the 50K be Used?
Budget Notes: salaries for workshop coordinators
$ 25,000	materials, speakers, rent space for workshops
$ 7,500	web development, maintenance, and online support
$ 5,000	legal fees to secure non-profit status
$ 12,500	administrative costs (incl. transportation)

What You Can Do To Prevent Child Abductions…

2010-08-01T12:42:00.000-04:00

Continuing child abductions are striking fear into every parent or grandparent’s heart. By learning how to recognize and stop crime is the most important and first step to prevention.

One of the training and education aspects we focus on with children in grades 2-3 is “stranger awareness”. We no longer refer to it as “stranger danger” simply because children immediately think or feel that a “stranger” is the monster under the bed or an individual that appears to be not well kept (ie. clothing, hygiene, etc.). The reality is that anyone and I mean anyone is a stranger to your children unless you have personally introduced them and YOU feel and are comfortable with the person.

First and foremost with the little ones you must do role-place scenarios and remind children to check with you, the parent BEFORE going anywhere with anyone.

The objective to teach children in grades 2-3 is to – Learn to manage dangerous situations and to strengthen decision-making skills.

Activities:

Share the following situations with the little ones:

You are playing outside with your friends. An adult you do not know asks for directions to a nearby store.

A neighbor is walking his dog. He sees you playing outside and asks if you want to walk the dog with him.

As you are walking home from school, you notice an adult you don’t know that is following you.

On your way home from school you see an adult you know. She/He asks if you want to go get some ice cream and then she/he will drive you home.

After each situation, ask the little ones what they think they should do. Ask them what they have learned thus far about the above situations prior to chatting with you.

You have to drill into their little minds that:

They should not talk or go anywhere with an adult without first asking a parent or caregiver.

They should reach out to a trusted adult to help if they ever feel afraid or uncomfortable.

Encourage them to share any and all situations that may have happened or happen with an adult that they trust.

Finally have the children role-play telling an adult about one of the situations.

Of course we strongly recommend having your child learn physical personal safety – you would be amazed at the damage a child can do…..IF TAUGHT PROPERLY to ward off an attack or abduction. Teaching a child the S.P.E.A.R. system and how they CAN protect and defend themselves is truly awesome. Often adequate credit is not given to a child in the physical aspect – you would be surprised.

Your child is grabbed by an adult. What should they do?

Your child’s best bet is to shout and scream and yell at the top of their voice.

They should wriggle like mad and to kick their legs violently.

Try it with your child…Pick your child up, encourage them to kick their legs as hard and fast.

You will find that you shins will take a bashing and you won’t hold on for long! When the grip is broken teach the child the RUN, RUN, RUN AS FAST AND HARD AS THEY CAN.
Pinching is a great self-defense technique for kids.

Teach your child how to pinch the THIN skin on the inside of a thigh or arm.

Get them to dig their nails in. IT REALLY HURTS!

Teach the kids how easily it is to bend back fingers. This is a great way to get an adult to release a grab.

After your child has broken free……TEACH THEM TO RUN LIKE HELL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE ASSAILANT.

The best self-defense for children is being our of the way of danger.

And, don’t forget to teach them that it is okay to bite and bite as hard as they can to break the grip of their assailant. Again, once the grip is broken, run like hell in the opposite direction.

Most importantly, teach them that it is okay if they are in in fear they must do everything in their power to escape by any means necessary. And that’s it okay NOT TO BE NICE in the process.

3 Simple Steps to Help Find the Missing – Billy’s Law

2010-07-21T13:52:00.000-04:00

3 Simple Steps to Help Find the Missing – Billy’s Law

We have within our ability the opportunity to pass a LAW that will have a revolutionary positive impact upon the lives of all Missing Persons, their Loved Ones and all those at all involved and/or potentially involved (which is everyone on the planet, btw – with this issue.

The truth is … EVERYTHING else that you could do, are doing and/or may someday accomplish for ANY missing person within the United States of America directly hinges upon and would be significantly improved by passage of The Help Find the Missing Act (ie. Billy’s Law) …

Time is URGENT, we ALL must contribute to, spread awareness of and spend some of our time dedicated towards THIS issue … NOW is the time to put it on the forefront of your “To Do’s” and MAKE IT HAPPEN … Tomorrow WILL BE too late … There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for anyone with a passion and heart for the missing to not do so …

Tell the United States Judiciary Committee Senators to pass Billy’s Law (S3019) NOW!

~ Sample Letter Here!

Okay so … how do we do this?

We only have until the end of July….yes, time is of the essence.

It’s simple … honestly … SIMPLE!

Here’s the plan …

1. Copy/Paste this letter located HERE
2. Go HERE to find contact info for Senators on the United States Judicial Committee
3. Fill out the form on each of their individual websites (copy/paste the letter in the remarks area) and click send …

That’s it …

Honestly, 3 simple steps and you’ve changed the world … just think of how well you’ll sleep tonight and feel in general after doing so.

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of enriching the future of America and positively impacting our countries history.

Well, here’s your chance to do so … don’t miss out … ACT Now.

And thank you for doing so … xoxo

Please join us at Peace4 the Missing

A Community Network Dedicated To Missing & Abused Persons Awareness and Support

http://peace4missing.ning.com

Jan Smolinski addressed the Subcommittee in the video below, which the House passed UNANIMOUSLY! Please do not allow our Senators to ignore the importance of this bill and what it will mean for families who have loved ones missing or for families that may encounter this tragedy.

NC NEWS ALERT: NC Lawmakers Voted and PASSED To Close Sex Offender Loophole

2010-07-08T00:01:00.001-04:00

IN A TAD BIT OVER A MONTH SINCE UNCOVERED (MAY 27TH) – NC Lawmakers JUMPED on this major threat/issue and rectified it immediately! Thank you!

RALEIGH (WTVD) — The North Carolina Legislature has passed a bill to close a loophole in North Carolina’s sex offender registry law that was exposed by the ABC11 I-Team.

Last month, ABC11 Eyewitness News discovered sex offenders living in North Carolina, but not registered in North Carolina –32 of them in Wake, Durham and Cumberland counties alone.

The loophole allowed offenders convicted or released from prison before 1996 –who moved to North Carolina before December of 2006– to not register.

After the I-Team exposed the loophole, Representative Tim Moore (R-Cleveland County) promised to help close it.

Representative Moore introduced the bill in the Legislature that would fix the legal loophole. House Bill 726 would require sex offender registration for out of state convictions.

“As a parent it terrified me,” Moore said. “Fortunately, with the passage of this law, that loophole is now closed and we can continue to tighten down on these folks.”

The bill is now on its way to Governor Bev Perdue’s desk for her signature.

It’ll become law on Oct.1 and sex offenders will be required to register on that date.

Respectfully submitted from WTVD-TV/DT

Thank you to the RALEIGH (WTVD), ABC11 I-Team Investigative Reporters and Representative Moore for all that you have done in your work to make NC more safe. Residents will now at least have a fighting chance in protecting themselves and their children from predators. Keep up the great work.

Cold hit: Police connect Morgan Harrington slaying to Fairfax attack…

2010-07-02T11:42:00.000-04:00

The suspect, depicted here from the 2005 victim’s description, would now be 30 to 40 years old.
FAIRFAX POLICE

Police investigating the slaying of 20-year-old concert-goer Morgan Dana Harrington have made a “cold hit” connecting forensic evidence obtained in the investigation with an unknown 2005 rape suspect in Fairfax.

The young woman from Roanoke, who was pursuing an education degree at Virginia Tech, disappeared after leaving a Metallica concert on the night of October 17, 2009. Her mostly skeletal remains were discovered a little over three months later on 742-acre Anchorage Farm in southern Albemarle County.

Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Appomattox Field Office, University of Virginia Police, Albemarle County Police, and the Charlottesville Police are working with the City of Fairfax Police in regards to both criminal incidents.

Those with information about the man featured in the “Wanted Poster” (linked to pdf) may contact City of Fairfax Police Detective Mike Boone at (703) 385-7959. Anyone wishing to provide information in the Morgan Harrington case is encouraged to call the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000 or Virginia State Police at (434) 352-3467 or email State Police at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov. A reward of $150,041 is still available for anyone with information that leads to a resolution of the Harrington crime.–developing—

Respectfully submitted.

by Hawes Spencer – The Hook
published 12:39pm Thursday Jul 1, 2010

NC Lawmaker Works To Close Sex Offender Loophole…

2010-06-29T00:05:00.001-04:00

RALEIGH (WTVD) — After the I-Team of ABC11 exposed a loophole in North Carolina’s sex offender registry law, Representative Tim Moore (R-Cleveland County) promised to help close it.

Our investigation revealed sex offenders convicted of things like rape and sexually abusing children are living in North Carolina, but they don’t appear on the state’s sex offender registry.

Triangle resident Reem Baloch contacted the I-Team after discovering the father of her child was convicted of a sex offense but doesn’t appear on the state registry. Instead, she found him in the national database.

The I-Team then discovered there are 32 sex offenders in our three largest counties – Wake, Durham and Cumberland – who appear on the national registry, but not on the North Carolina registry.

Under state law, sex offenders who were convicted or released from prison before 1996 – and moved to North Carolina before December of 2006 – do not need to register in North Carolina.

Representative Moore has now introduced a bill in the Legislature that would fix the legal loophole. House Bill 726 would require sex offender registration for out of state convictions.
“We need to close that loophole and ensure those folks are required to register,” said Moore.

Respectfully submitted from WTVD-TV/DT, Steve Daniels.

Is Your Child’s Lifeguard a Sex Offender?

2010-06-25T01:00:00.002-04:00

State laws nationwide prohibit sex offenders from working as school teachers, coaches and school bus drivers, but most laws do not prevent them from sitting in a lifeguard chair, teaching karate, coaching youth, or dance instructors in the private sector. There is a laundry list of jobs that are not regulated federally that a convicted sex offender can obtain. This fact is beyond scary and government must take immediate action to stop it.

The current federal law, known as the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, leaves it up to states to decide where convicted sex offenders can be employed.

YMCA’s have begun revoking the memberships of registered sex offenders in a move to comb out predators who may come in contact with the thousands of children who use Y’s.

Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY, is proposing legislation that would close what he is calling loopholes in the federal law that currently allow pedophiles to work with children. “Sex offenders are different than just about any other criminal because the percent of recidivism is huge and the chance of rehabilitation is unfortunately small,” Schumer told ABCNews.com.

According to the Center for Sex Offender Management, a part of the U.S. Department of Justice, between 12 and 14 percent of sex offenders are known to have repeated their crimes. Data does show, however, that many sex crimes go unreported and the statistic could be low.

Ultimately every company should have in place a complete background check of every potential employee (National, State and County). And, periodic checks should be in place.

Common traits of sex offenders should help you raise the red flag on inappropriate relationships between adults and your children.

Be wary, but not paranoid, of adults who have one or several of these behaviors.

These common traits of sex offenders should help you raise the red flag on inappropriate relationships between adults and your children.

Adults who seem preoccupied with children
Single adults who work or volunteer with children’s clubs/activities and frequently spend their free time doing “special” things with kids
Adults who spend time volunteering with youth groups who do not have children in those groups
Adults who seem to engage in frequent contact with children, i.e., casual touching, caressing, wrestling, tickling, combing hair or having children sit on their lap
Adults who act like children when with children or who allow children to do questionable or inappropriate things
Adults who want to take your children on special outings too frequently or plan activities that would include being alone with your child
Adults who do not have children and seem to know too much about the current fads or music popular with children
Adults that your children seem to like for reasons you don’t understand
Adults who seem able to infiltrate family and social functions or are “always available” to watch your kids

Talking to your kids about abuse and keeping the line of communication open with your kids is key.

Use proper or semi-proper names for body parts (penis and vagina), and phrases like: Private parts are “private and special.”
Tell your children that if anyone touches or tries to see their private parts; tries to get them to touch or look at another person’s private parts; shows them pictures of or tries to take pictures of their private parts; talks to them about sex; walks in on them in the bathroom; or does anything that makes them feel uncomfortable to tell you or a “support person” as soon as they can.
Tell your children that some children and adults have “touching problems.” These people can make “secret touching” look accidental, and they should still tell you even if they think it might have been an accident.
Tell your children that touching problems are kind of like stealing or lying, and that the people who have those kinds of problems need special help so they don’t continue to have problems or get into trouble. Don’t describe it as a “sickness.”
Tell your children that some people try to trick kids into keeping touching a secret. Tell your children, “We don’t want those kinds of secrets in our family.”
Give your children examples of things that someone might use to try to get them to keep a secret: candy, money, special privileges, threats, subtle fear of loss, separation, or punishment.
Make sure they have support people they can talk to at home, at school, in their extended family, neighborhood or church. Have them pick out three people and tell you who they are. Put the phone numbers next to your home phone and let them know that, if for any reason they cannot talk to you, they should call or go see another support person.

Resources (Where Do Sex Offenders Live in Your Neighborhood?):

Family Watchdog

NeighborhoodScan.com

National Alert Registry

Take care and STAY SAFE!

U.S. Finally Includes Itself in Human Trafficking Report

2010-06-24T10:26:00.000-04:00

The U.S. State Department just released the tenth installment of the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. What’s new in 2010? The removal of one little asterisked disclaimer: “*does not include the United States,” which indicates a very big deal.

That message, which appeared on each report from 2001 to 2009, is gone; the United States now receives a ranking on its trafficking-prevention efforts, like the rest of the world, and victims’ testimonials include domestic accounts like this one:

Harriet ran away from home when she was 11 years old and moved in with a 32-year-old man who sexually and physically abused her and convinced her to become a prostitute. … The police arrested Harriet when she was 13 and charged her with committing prostitution. They made no efforts to find her pimp. Harriet was placed on probation for 18 months in the custody of juvenile probation officials. Her lawyers have appealed the decision, arguing that since she could not legally consent to sex, she cannot face prostitution-related charges.

The report classifies countries into three tiers based on their compliance with the minimum standards of eliminating trafficking set by the United States in the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act. And these minimums are indeed minimal: that governments have laws that prohibit and punish trafficking, and that they actively pursue trafficking investigations. Predictably, the United States made the most favored first tier. Further rankings could be mistaken for a worldwide popularity contest. Greece and Switzerland are both tier two. Countries like Thailand and India are on a tier two “watch list.” The Congo, Iran and Saudi Arabia are on the third tier.

It’s debatable whether these annual rankings or the international promise-to-try agreement (the 2000 TVPA) are having any effect on the trafficking epidemic. In 2001, it was believed that at least 700,000 persons were being trafficked worldwide. Last year, that number had reached 12.3 million and remained there through 2010.

Women continue to make up 56 percent of the world’s trafficking victims. Why? Depends on the year. In 2001, social and cultural practices that devalue women were to blame. In 2009, women’s social and economic dependence on men was believed to be the problem. Both of these, though true, looked like attempts to remove the “empowered” women of the U.S. from the equation. The 2009 report also said that “in countries where women’s economic status had improved, significantly fewer local women participate in commercial sex.”

But this mindset obscures an important truth: Even in countries like the U.S. with high average incomes, poverty persists and poor populations are still vulnerable to trafficking.

Take a city as (seemingly) innocuous as Toledo, Ohio. According to February’s state report, Toledo is currently number four in the nation in terms of the number of arrests, investigation, and rescues of domestic-minor sex-trafficking victims among U.S. cities (behind Miami, Portland and Las Vegas.) Let that register: Children are being bought and sold for sex in the “heartland” of America–not brought from overseas, but drawn from local populations. Ohio had 1,078 victims under the age of 18 in the last year. The TVPA (and every TIP Report) unequivocally state that all such prostitution of minors constitutes trafficking:

The act defines “severe forms of trafficking in persons” as sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

The 2010 TIP Report also makes clear that an effective approach to trafficking involves helping, not prosecuting, victims. Celia Williamson, associate professor of social work at the University of Toledo founded the Second Chance program with this rehabilitation method back in 1993. But she still sees victims being treated like criminals elsewhere in her community. She estimated more than half of domestically trafficked women and girls in this country are wrongfully arrested for solicitation, loitering and prostitution. And many adults found prostituting on their own were originally trafficked as children. “[The] country is illegally incarcerating and re-traumatizing [victims],” she said, “so how can we ask these kids to come forward about this underground victimization?”

And while the U.S. has a lengthy prescription for how to combat global trafficking, there is a communication breakdown at the state level. “Even though [the TVPA is] in the federal law, that doesn’t mean anything,” Williamson said. The Ohio Trafficking in Persons Study Commission found that:

Law enforcement agencies expressed a need for training, indicating they are both unaware of the problem in their communities and how to recognize signs of a victim of sex or labor trafficking or a human trafficking business or entity. … They did not understand criminal justice system procedures pertaining to human trafficking, and are unfamiliar with both Ohio and federal laws.

Given this, of the 11,144 prostitution-related charges in Ohio in the last five years, how many were actually incidents of trafficking?

Internal reports like this cast doubt on whether the U.S. really deserved its cushy tier-one placement. But other research shows at least one group of U.S. lawmakers pushing for progress: A study conducted by Vanessa Bouche, a Ph.D. candidate at Ohio State University and a member of the Greater Cincinnati Human Trafficking Report research team, found that the more women there are on a legislature, the more likely anti-trafficking legislation will pass and be comprehensive.

And, of course, it’s a woman–Secretary of State Hillary Clinton–who has finally included the U.S. in its own anti-trafficking report. She has put the second-largest sex purchaser in the world on the road to recovery–because admitting you have a problem is the first step.

June 22, 2010 by Kate Noftsinger, Ms.blog

The Price Of A Life?

2010-06-15T14:02:00.000-04:00

The Price of a Life?

Family and domestic violence was put on the plate of Susan Murphy-Milano the day she was born. She didn’t ask for it, it asked for her, perhaps knowing that somewhere in her soul was something that could make a difference in the way that cases of domestic violence were handled. Living and breathing it daily in her home growing up, she survived for a reason, and, in my opinion, that reason is to help the helpless, to guide those who are living in violent chaos and having a hard time making sense of their own lives. She has been doing it for over 20 years!

This year Susan Murphy-Milano wrote and published the book, Time’s Up: A Guide on How to Leave an Abusive and Stalking Relationship and laid the procedures she created and used during the last 20 years of working directly with victims of violence. Point of fact…not one woman in 20 years died while on Susan’s watch, and that alone should speak for her knowledge and expertise.

This book is even more important to Susan because it was written to be something that will be used by victims who cannot be helped by her personally. Each day hundreds of emails come into her box seeking her help. Most inquiries are those in which someone will die, the “high risk” cases of a woman living in the danger zone, reaching out desperately in the eleventh hour. Susan is only one person, and realizing that, she offers the Time’s Up book and the Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit to all who need it.

After the book was launched in April, 2010 on her murdered mother’s birthday, there have been many accolades and great reviews, but that is not enough! While all the good things said and written about Time’s Up are flattering, it’s not enough to get this book into the hands of the victims who are being beaten and killed every day. This book was not written and distributed for the sake of book sales, or for flattering words, it was written for one purpose only…..to save lives.

How many celebrities have supported the issue of domestic violence and how many organizations have been built around the need to help? Thousands of people have taken to the streets to educate and bring awareness to the general public, and yet, we are seeing lives lost in epidemic proportions due to family violence. Many wonderful laws have been passed, many advocates have spoken to Congress, and every day people still look the other way. Why?

In order to get Time’s Up, and the information contained to the victim who needs it right now is a daunting task taken on by one woman with a passion and a mission to save lives. Susan Murphy-Milano is not out to become the next media darling looking for a gig on the latest news talk show, although she would definitely appear if asked, she would appear as the spokesperson for those who cannot speak for themselves because they are frozen with fear wondering how long they have to live!

Each time you read a story on the Internet of another stalking or domestic
violence related death post a comment with the link to the “Time’s Up” book and Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit and Video with step-by-setp instruction in Chapter 4 for a victim to create (example of the video is below). Let others know the prescription is now available for world-wide use to every victim of stalking and domestic violence. Send an email each time to a reporter after you see a story on domestic violence and tell them about the prescription. Write the producers of news and crime shows so they mention it each time they discuss a tragic case where another woman has been murdered and the person of interest has yet to be arrested. Ask bloggers, Internet sites the drudge report, huffington post, smoking gun, mom logic or reporters, radio show personalities to consider writing a review on the information and strategies in the book. Also, if you would, leave a comment on Amazon.com.

Time’s Up’ is more than a manual, a handbook, it’s more than just another book, it’s a ‘Lifesaver,’ a surefire roadmap chocked full of ways to document evidence and protect yourself; in protecting yourself, you are also protecting your children from a life with an abuser. With your help we will eventually see a copy of ‘Time’s Up’ in every library, every police department, every school, every church and every shelter where those who need help can utilize it and protect themselves from an abuser.

“Times Up” needs national exposure. It wasn’t written to impress the professionals. It was written to save lives.” Peter Hyatt, Investigator, State of Maine Statement Analysis Labratory for Scientific Interrogation.

So, what is the price for a life? What more do we need to do? All of the “yays” and “shares” and pats on the back only go so far in these two issues which are consuming many! How much do we have to pay to scream from the rooftops until people “get it?” If one missing person’s family is given the peace of mind they deserve, if one victim of a violent relationship is spared their life, is it worth it? Who are those “in charge” that can make a difference and why are they not stepping up to the plate? Is it money, fame, recognition that they want? What’s the price they are willing to pay? And why, oh why, does it have to come down to money?

Yes, the cure is here and now available. Spread the word about the prescription. Susan needs your help to accomplish this important milestone. Without you the victims will continue filling the cemeteries.

Been there, done that…” Susan Murphy- Milano has turned a tired phrase into demonstrable realism through the gift of her newly published book, “TIME’S UP: A GUIDE ON HOW TO LEAVE AND SURVIVE ABUSIVE AND STALKING RELATIONSHIPS.

Thank you.
Take care and STAY SAFE!
Anny

What Is Human Trafficking?…Modern Day Practice of Slavery

2010-06-11T01:00:00.001-04:00

Human trafficking is the modern day practice of slavery. Also known as trafficking in persons, human trafficking comprises the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, based on the recruitment, harboring, and transportation of people solely for the purpose of exploitation. Every year traffickers generate billions of dollars in profits at the expense of victimizing millions of people around the world.

Victims of human trafficking are people forced or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Labor trafficking is widespread in variety of situations that encompass domestic servitude and small-scale labor operations, to large-scale operations such as farms, sweatshops, and major multinational corporations. Sex trafficking is one of the most lucrative sectors regarding the illegal trade in people, and involves any form of sexual exploitation in prostitution, pornography, bride trafficking, and the commercial sexual abuse of children. Under international law, any sexually exploited child is considered a trafficking victim, even if no force or coercion is present.

An estimated 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the United States alone. The number of US citizens trafficked within the country is even higher. An estimated 200,000 American children are at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry each year.

Despite this staggering reality, governments around the world are only beginning to address the problem. In most countries, traffickers operate with almost total impunity even in the most severe cases. A lack of awareness in the public exacerbates inaction on the part of authorities. Take a stand and join us in leading the anti-trafficking movement forward to end the modern practice of slavery. Learn more and get involved by signing up to receive regular updates about human trafficking, Polaris Project, and ways to help fight modern-day slavery. We need your support to help end the exploitation of victims of human trafficking.

UNDERSTANDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

MYTH #1: Human trafficking is the forced transportation of people across borders.

Reality: Forced transportation in the absence of slavery-like labor or commercial sexual exploitation is usually considered the crime of kidnapping. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery through labor or commercial sexual exploitation, and does not require transportation to occur, though transportation may be involved.

MYTH #2: Trafficking victims are only foreign nationals.

Reality: Both the U.N. Protocol and U.S. federal law use definitions of trafficking in persons that do not require crossing of international or state borders. Many trafficked persons are victims of internal or domestic trafficking – trafficking within the borders of a single country, and are themselves nationals of that country.

MYTH #3: Poverty and inequality are the causes of human trafficking.

Reality: While poverty and inequality are important factors in making certain populations more vulnerable to being trafficked, they are not the primary cause of trafficking. Trafficking is a criminal industry driven by 1) the ability to make large profits due to high demand, and 2) negligible-to-low risk of prosecution. As long as demand is unchecked and the risks for traffickers are low, trafficking will exist regardless of other contributing factors.

Blaming poverty and inequality alone is not only inaccurate and disheartening, it tends to deflect blame from the key actors that perpetuate trafficking – the traffickers themselves and their customers.

MYTH #4: There’s not much I can do about such a huge issue.

Reality: Together – we can make a huge difference! We were founded by regular community members like yourself, as were historic organizations like the Underground Railroad. Organizations like Polaris Project live and breathe based on the contributions and dedication of community members. Making a financial donation, a gift of time, goods, or services, or helping to raise awareness are some of the things collectively that help victims everyday. Please join us and be welcomed into the growing movement to combat slavery today!

Throw HER a Personal Safety Life Vest…

2010-06-10T08:26:00.000-04:00

I was a student with the immediate understanding of the S.P.E.A.R. system prior to becoming a P.D.R. certified instructor with Blauer Tactical Systems. I believed as a student and firmly believe as an instructor that the S.P.E.A.R. system is by far the most realistic and automatic personal safety/self-defense system to learn. Personal safety/self-defense is NOT martial arts or a sport – it is entirely about protecting and defending yourself mentally, emotionally, spiritually and ultimately physically realistically.

An excerpt from Tony Blauer:
RESEARCH
The core of P.D.R.™ (Personal Defense Readiness) is based on the S.P.E.A.R. SYSTEM™ (Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response) which is the first genetically & behaviorally inspired self-defense course of it’s kind. It is the only self-defense method that fully integrates the body’s reflexive responses and instinctive survival mechanisms making the S.P.E.A.R. SYSTEM the easiest, most natural way to protect yourself. Our program also includes unique and patented learning models but most importantly, we have pioneered research on how to manage and overcome fear.

Strategically & tactically speaking, our courses are based on how real confrontations actually occur! We have been leading the scenario/behavioral approach to training for over 20 years. Our curriculum is based on a ‘3-Dimensional’ theory that creates confidence on emotional, psychological and physical levels.

OUR TEACHING DOCTRINE
We only teach realistic self-defense skills that are street applicable. Students are exposed to aggressive as well as defensive role-playing to simulate encounters and to prepare them to react ethically as well as decisively to real-life aggression. Our curriculum covers verbal defusing tactics, choice speech principles and a host of other behaviorally researched strategies.

OTHER BENEFITS
Training in our system engenders personal evolution: Our breakthrough research on fear management is the foundation of our program and understanding and directing fear is the key to overcoming any obstacle in life. We’ve had many individuals participate in the program and experience transcendent applications in their professional life and in intra-personal relationships.

Our system fosters respect for yourself and others by developing virtues like self-discipline, humility, assertiveness and character. Since our program is so focused around the managing of one’s fears, it directly works the ‘esteem’ and ‘ego’ centers of anyone sincerely studying the system, ultimately leading to greater self-knowledge and personal evolution.

Training events are now being scheduled for Fall 2010, email me for your Organizer packet; give yourself, family, friends – the gift of life.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

Anny

Sex offenders not registered in North Carolina…Who’s In Your Neighborhood/State???

2010-06-01T01:00:00.003-04:00

RALEIGH (WTVD) — An ABC11 Eyewitness News investigation has uncovered a startling loophole in North Carolina law that allows some sex offenders listed on the national registry to skip registering here.

That means some people convicted of things like rape and sexually abusing children in other states are living in the Triangle and a search of North Carolina’s sex offender registry doesn’t show them.

Reem Baloch made that discovery about a man she lived with for two years and had a child with.

“I got up and I started yelling and just horrified and scared,” she recalled.

She says she met Rob Fish on the internet in September, 2001 when he moved to Raleigh. It wasn’t until earlier this year while in the midst of a custody battle that she discovered his past. She had checked the state registry for sex offenders multiple times in the past, but that day she did something different.

“I have a feeling in my heart that there’s something not right about him. And so one day, I went to the national registry,” she recalled. “And that’s when I discovered it.”

She discovered Fish is on the national sex offender registry – with an address in Apex – but he does not appear on the North Carolina sex offender registry.

“No one knows. No one has any idea he’s a level 3 registered sex offender,” said Baloch.

Fish is not an isolated case. The I-Team discovered 26 sex offenders in Wake County who are on the national registry, but are not required to register in North Carolina. There are five more in Cumberland County and one in Durham.

Click here to see the list (.pdf)

How does it happen? Under state law, sex offenders who were convicted or released from prison before 1996 and moved to North Carolina before December 2006 do not need to register in North Carolina.

That means many years sex offenders who committed their crime in another state and then moved here can keep their sex crime a secret.

We took the findings of our investigation to State Representative Tim Moore — who co-sponsored previous sex offender laws.

“First of all, thank you for doing this story because it’s bringing to the attention of legislators something that we need to look at,” he said. “It’s my intent to come back and file a bill to fix this loophole we have.”

Also during our investigation, we discovered the majority of sex offenders listed on the national registry have only a city with their information – so it’s not clear exactly what neighborhood they live in.

Baloch told ABC11 she was shocked that it took an I-Team investigation to bring the issue to the attention of lawmakers.

“I mean it’s ridiculous. It should not happen. And that’s why there’s future victims out there because people can’t keep their children safe, because they have no way of knowing,” she offered.

The I-Team contacted Rob Fish for comment on this story. He declined.

Respectfully submitted from WTVD-TV/DT, Steve Daniels.

References:

National Sex Offenders Registry

FamilyWatchDog

TAKE 25...

2010-05-31T01:00:00.002-04:00

Childhood is full of rewards and potential risks. As babies become toddlers, they are more prone to bumps, bruises, falls, and distractions. As children grow into teenagers, they become increasingly independent and are more apt to explore, live life, and socialize with less family supervision.

Fortunately, potential risks children face throughout their lives can be lessened when parents and guardians teach safety concepts. While it may not be possible for parents and guardians to be with their children every minute of the day, they can spend time talking to them, setting appropriate limits, and helping them make good choices.

Just minutes of prevention can make a huge impact in the life of a child.

Take 25 is a preventive child safety campaign created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in honor of National Missing Children’s Day. Annually honored on May 25th, this day serves as a reminder to the nation to make child safety a national priority.

Designed to raise awareness of the issues surrounding missing and exploited children, the Take 25 campaign encourages parents, guardians, educators, and others to take 25 minutes to talk to children about safety. With a focus on prevention, Take 25 provides communities with free safety resources including safety tips, conversation starters, and engaging activities. Take 25’s resources are available free of charge and can be found at local Take 25 events.

In 2007, NCMEC joined forces with more than 100 local and national organizations to launch the Take 25 campaign. With the help of our partner organizations, more than 375 Take 25 child safety events were hosted in communities across the United States and abroad. While this was a great achievement for the first year, the Take 25 campaign has continued to grow each year, reaching 737 events in 2008 and 1,335 events in 2009.

This campaign would not be a success without the dedication and support of our national partner organizations. Our partners in this initiative include

Via National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Prevention, Awareness & Education with Anny and Jake Jacoby on PIDD BlogTalkRadio, Sunday, May 30th at 9:30EST

2010-05-30T01:00:00.013-04:00

Dating violence is rampant and “It’s Time To Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” for parents, educators and females of all ages and our communities. Get your heads out of the sand and stop thinking, “it won’t happen to me”, “my daughter is bright/smart-no one would ever harm her”. The reality is…..anyone can be a victim and the sooner that everyone realizes this and starts to take pro-active measures and step up to educate and train our females in all respects the sooner we can make a solid attempt to stop abuse. Education that she will have the rest of her life, SHE IS WORTHY AND DESERVES IT. You (parents and girls) will have to take the first step to personal safety.

The abuse that transpires is not the victim's fault. Who is to blame is the abuser, the system, parents, our communities, our education departments (middle schools/high schools/colleges). Yes, I’ve said it and there’s no sugar coating. We as a society have so much at our fingertips to at least attempt to cut abuse off at the chase that is not taken advantage of. Ask yourself, why is that?

Abusers fail to see that they have a problem or issue; parents fail to see, turn their backs on the possibility that their son has an issue with anger management and the possibilities of where it may lead. Our communities take a back seat, many don’t want to “get involved….it’s a family issue” – NO IT’S A DAMN COMMUNITY ISSUE. We have an EPIDEMIC on our hands parents. And, your child is not surrounded by a bubble that will protect her for the rest of her life. It is your job to provide the most available education in all areas for her in order to live a long and healthy life.

As for school systems…..well, it time for looking outside of the box and to make a decision. Not one school is sterile whereas dating violence is not happening in the halls, in the parking lots, dorms rooms, or campus apartments and even homes. Educators…it is your job to get involved. Promote to educate our youth, females and males about all of the above. And, take a step further EVERYONE………..GET THE FEMALES TRAINED IN ALL ASPECTS OF PERSONAL SAFETY. Implement the training into their daily lives, it’s never too late. Education that they will have forever just like math, english and driver’s ed.

A female does not have to take a “martial arts class” years upon years to learn how to protect and defend herself. Learning AWARENESS is the FIRST STEP OF ANY FORM OF SELF-DEFENSE. However, we have to educate about awareness, introduce intuition and how to embrace it, safety tips as well as how they can use their bodies to protect and defend themselves “REALISTICALLY” if they should ever encounter a physical altercation. This education is readily available to our young people and it’s high time to make it happen.

Too many women are dying at the hands of their abusers and assailants; TIME’S UP……….the cycle of violence must be stopped. A female can be educated to heighten her awareness whereas all of her senses come to full alert. What is the difference between an healthy and unhealthy relationship. Males must be educated as well by men who take a stance in the arena of Men Against Violence.

Join us as we chat with Joanna and her listeners about personal safety for females on Sunday, May 30th, 9:30pmEST. We'll discuss our workshops, what personal safety entails and much more.

Jake will share with us his perspective from an instructor and male advocate point of view about violence against females.

We will take a look back over the last month to discuss abuse and assaults on females (Yeardley Love, Eve Carson, and the Angels of Husson University).

The number to call into the show with questions or comments is :

1-347-934-0024

Please join us live in the chat room or email questions or comments to anny@annyjacoby.com.

DIRECT LINK TO THE SHOW:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pidd-radio/2010/05/31/primary-immune-deficiencies

Sunday, May 30, 2010; 9:30EST

Eve Carson Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty, Dodges Federal Death Penalty…

2010-05-28T01:00:00.003-04:00

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — One of two men charged in the slaying of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president Eve Carson pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree murder, avoiding a possible death sentence for his role in the March 2008 crime.

Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour sentenced Demario James Atwater to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Last month, Atwater also avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty to five federal charges in the case, including carjacking resulting in death and kidnapping, in exchange for a life sentence without parole.

Under the agreement with the state, Atwater will serve his sentence in federal custody.

“Mr. Atwater, what you have admitted to doing was senseless, as it’s been said by two attorneys before me,” Baddour said. “It was wrong. It can have no place in our free society.”

Atwater also pleaded guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon, first-degree kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a felon. Charges of felonious larceny, possession of a weapon of mass destruction and possession of stolen goods were dismissed.

Baddour sentenced Atwater to 275 to 349 months on the remaining charges, to be served concurrently with the life sentence.

Carson’s mother, father and brother, from Athens, Ga., were present for the hearing and offered a statement, read by Raleigh attorney Wade Smith.

“We won’t be talking to the court about how our lives are diminished without Eve. The effects of her death are both obvious and personal. We choose not to confront Demario Atwater. The selfishness of taking another’s life is incomprehensible, and this coward is unaddressable,” Smith read.

The family continued, saying the life sentence “is consistent with the wishes of our family and honors Eve’s love of life and all people.”

A representative for UNC-Chapel Hill said the university would not comment on Atwater’s plea.

“There’s been so much made that Eve was the president of the student body at UNC, and that was a great accomplishment, and she had done many great things,” Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall said. “But I think she was – she was a sister, she was a daughter – and to me, that’s probably more important than anything.”

“I just hope, by what we’re doing today, we can help the family. We can give them some sense of closure as it relates to this defendant,” he continued. “I wish we could do more. We can’t.”

Atwater had nothing to say, but his attorney, Jonathan Broun, extended sympathy to the Carson family.

“We knew that allowing a sentence that, while harsh and severe as it should be, will allow him to live. We know they are doing that, not as a favor to Mr. Atwater, but because of the love that they feel for Eve Carson, and we appreciate it.”

New details revealed

Police found Carson’s body in the early morning of March 5, 2008, in a neighborhood several blocks from the UNC campus while responding to reports of gunshots.

An autopsy found she was shot four times with a 25-caliber handgun and once – the fifth and fatal shot – with a sawed-off Harrington & Richardson 12-gauge shotgun.

“She had placed her (right) hand up to shield her head, whenever the shotgun was fired,” Woodall said, outlining the facts of the case. “The medical examiner believed that she would have survived for some period of time, as to the gunshot wounds from the 25-caliber handgun.”

Atwater and his alleged accomplice, Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr., went to Carson’s home, abducted her and took her in her blue Toyota Highlander to withdraw $1,400 from ATM machines before killing her, Woodall said.

“All the other evidence tends to support that Eve Carson was – they confronted and took her from her home – if not actually inside her home, just outside her home,” Woodall said.

Atwater later admitted to his girlfriend at the time, Shanita Love, what had happened, and he told about a dozen other people parts of what happened that night, Woodall said.

The crime was random, Atwater admitted, and he and Lovette, who is still awaiting trial, had been in Chapel Hill looking for people to rob.

What investigators were never able to determine was where Atwater and his alleged accomplice kidnapped Carson. There were a couple of different stories, he told, about how she was abducted, Woodall said.

“He told (Love) that they had gone into a sorority house through an open door and got Ms. Carson,” he said.

“There was never any evidence discovered, other than this statement, that anyone went into the house,” Woodall continued.

Other evidence also put Atwater and Lovette in Chapel Hill and near Carson’s home that morning.

Around 3:30 a.m., Woodall said, a woman reported seeing “two suspicious black males” in the area of Rosemary Street near the house where Carson lived on Friendly Lane.

Video footage showed the men, identified as Atwater and Lovette, walking and, a few minutes later, driving by in Carson’s SUV.

Lovette also used a cell phone that could be traced to Franklin Street, about a mile from Carson’s home, at 3:02 a.m., Woodall said.

After Atwater’s arrest, police also found Carson’s iPod in his truck and shotgun shells consistent with the murder weapon in his home.

DNA evidence in Carson’s SUV also linked Atwater to the crime, Woodall said.

“That is some of the evidence in this case,” he said. “This is a case where there is literally a mountain of evidence, and it seems clear that the defendant was the one who fired the shotgun on this occasion.”

Respectfully submitted via WRAL.com

“Army Wives” and Guest Star, Wynonna Judd Speaks Out Against Domestic Violence…

2010-05-27T01:17:00.001-04:00

I’m a week behind but I caught up on Army Wives over the weekend and I am elated that the show has once again brought much needed attention to the fact that domestic violence is alive and kicking in all branches of our military.

Ft. Marshall has again experienced a no longer taboo subject, domestic violence once again. The commanders and spouses come together to support and encourage fellow Army Wife Marisol (guest-star Gina Rodriquez) to be honest about her husband’s abusive actions.

The show captured so many aspects of the violence from the actual assault to the victim trying/wanting to conceal the abuse to the honeymoon phase to the military spouses reaching out to help to the commanders taking a strong stance and much more. Here watch for yourself…..a powerful message and episode, Army Wives, bringing awareness to domestic violence.

Commending the cast of “Army Wives”, Producers, Wynonna Judd for their support and advocacy. Thank you.

Anny Jacoby, Personal Safety Expert

YMCA’s Take Child Protection Very Seriously

YMCA’s Take Child Protection Very Seriously

http://bit.ly/t6vUvp

What Can We Learn From Penn State?

Sandusky case triggers pain well beyond campus…

Sandusky case triggers pain well beyond campus…

Penn State Tradegy by Erin Merryn

Penn State Tradegy by Erin Merryn

Teens Using Vodka-soaked Tampons To Get Drunk!!!...

Teens Using Vodka-soaked Tampons To Get Drunk!!!!…..

Penn State Incident Should Empower All Adults To Better Protect Children

Penn State Incident Should Empower All Adults To Better Protect Children

Sex-abuse case jolts Penn State University

Sex-abuse case jolts Penn State University

“Red, White & View” – Teen Dating Violence Discussion…

“Red, White & View” – Teen Dating Violence Discussion…

Phone App Wakes Parents Up to Teen Dating Abuse via WeNews…

Phone App Wakes Parents Up to Teen Dating Abuse via WeNews…

Back By Popular Demand, Anny Jacoby and Crime Time with Vito Colucci, Part 2

Back By Popular Demand, Anny Jacoby and Crime Time with Vito Colucci, Part 2

Sunday Night, September 11, 11pm ET

on Business Talk Radio

Myths About Male Sexual Abuse…

Breaking down B4U-ACT’s (Pedophilia) Plea for Tolerance…

‘Dance Crew’ Judge DISTURBING Details In Child Sex Case

‘Dance Crew’ Judge DISTURBING Details In Child Sex Case

Paving the Way for Condoning Child Rape by Dr. Keith Ablow…

Annie Le’s death at Yale puts spotlight on campus security…

Annie Le’s death at Yale puts spotlight on campus security…

Habit versus Fear...Home Invasion

Habit versus Fear…Home Invasion

Is Your Child's Lifeguard, Camp Counselors, Coaches Sex Offenders?

Is Your Child’s Lifeguard, Camp Counselors, Coaches Sex Offenders?

My child has manners but not when it comes to his SAFETY!…Kid Safe Foundation

My child has manners but not when it comes to his SAFETY!…Kid Safe Foundation

“Teach Our Teens and Save Their Lives” – Susie Kroll

“Teach Our Teens and Save Their Lives” – Susie Kroll

Child bride of Doug Hutchison...

Homeschool or Public High School for Courtney Alexis Stodden? (Child bride of Doug Hutchison)

Teens Face More Consequences from Sexting than Congressmen Do!

Teens Face More Consequences from Sexting than Congressmen Do!

Darkness to Light – an Organization to Help Prevent Child Sexual Abuse

Shane Alexander Donates Proceeds From His Song “Look Out For Me” to Darkness to Light – an Organization to Help Prevent Child Sexual Abuse

Juror in NYC Rape Case Questions Handling of Evidence

Juror in NYC Rape Case Questions Handling of Evidence

NC (North Carolina) Stop Human Trafficking!

NC (North Carolina) Stop Human Trafficking!

Is There Such a Thing as a ‘Credible’ Rape Victim?

Is There Such a Thing as a ‘Credible’ Rape Victim?

Program trains adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse

Program trains adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse

Shattering the Silence of College Sexual Violence

Sugar Ray Leonard Says Coach Sexually Abused Him

Sexual Assault Can Be Prevented

Sexual Assault Can Be Prevented

Pinwheels Call Attention to Child Abuse

Back to School: Spotlighting Campus Crimes and Violence…

Females & Guns; Myths=Excuses, Facts=Reality

Females & Guns; Myths=Excuses, Facts=Reality

AWN Pepsi Refresh Project...NEEDS YOUR VOTE!

AWN Pepsi Refresh Project

How will the 50K be Used?

What You Can Do To Prevent Child Abductions…

3 Simple Steps to Help Find the Missing – Billy’s Law

3 Simple Steps to Help Find the Missing – Billy’s Law

NC NEWS ALERT: NC Lawmakers Voted and PASSED To Close Sex Offender Loophole

Cold hit: Police connect Morgan Harrington slaying to Fairfax attack…

NC Lawmaker Works To Close Sex Offender Loophole…

Is Your Child’s Lifeguard a Sex Offender?

U.S. Finally Includes Itself in Human Trafficking Report

The Price Of A Life?

What Is Human Trafficking?…Modern Day Practice of Slavery

Throw HER a Personal Safety Life Vest…

Sex offenders not registered in North Carolina…Who’s In Your Neighborhood/State???

TAKE 25...

Prevention, Awareness & Education with Anny and Jake Jacoby on PIDD BlogTalkRadio, Sunday, May 30th at 9:30EST

Eve Carson Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty, Dodges Federal Death Penalty…

“Army Wives” and Guest Star, Wynonna Judd Speaks Out Against Domestic Violence…