Protecting our Children: Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect

Suspected child abuse or neglect deserves prompt reporting to local law enforcement, social services or child protective services. An attitude of "it is not my child, business or responsibility" is irresponsible. Educators are in particularly important positions to assist with the prevention of child abuse or neglect.

It must always be remembered that an individual is innocent until proven guilty and that any deliberate false reporting with the purpose of harassing or to gain unfair leverage in a child custody case is morally reprehensible as well as criminally culpable.

[Reprinted from the Tennyson Center for Children website – http://www.childabuse.org/recognizing%20abuse.html]

You should know about these signs...

When you have concerns for a child's well-being, the indicators listed below may help guide you in your thought process. Many of these "symptoms" or "signs" could be caused by things other than abuse or neglect. Generally, these indicators do indicate that a child's safety may be at risk and, at the very least, the situation should be assessed by a professional who is able to determine the causes of these symptoms and offer the help and assistance necessary to reduce the risk to a child.

Signs of Physical Abuse

Physical Indicators:

• Unexplained bruises and welts on the face, throat, upper arms, buttocks, thighs or lower back in unusual patterns or shapes which suggests the use of an instrument (belt buckle, electric cord) on an infant in various stages of healing that are seen after absences, weekends, or vacations.
• Unexplained burns, cigarette burns, especially burns found on palms, soles of feet, abdomen, buttocks; immersion burns producing "stocking" or "glove" marks on hands and feet; "dough nut shaped" on buttocks or genital area.
• Rope burns.
• Infected burns indicating delay in treatment; burns in the shape of common household utensils or appliances.

Behavioral Indicators:

• Behavioral extremes (withdrawal, aggression, regression, depression).
• Inappropriate or excessive fear of parent or caretaker.
• Antisocial behavior such as substance abuse, truancy, running away, fear of going home.
• Unbelievable or inconsistent explanation for injuries.
• Lies unusually still while surveying surroundings (for infants).
• Unusual shyness, wariness of physical contact.

Signs of Sexual Abuse

Physical Indicators:

• Torn, stained or bloody underclothes.
• Frequent, unexplained sore throats, yeast or urinary infections.
• Somatic complaints, including pain and irritation of the genitals.
• Sexually transmitted diseases.
• Bruises or bleeding from external genitalia, vagina or anal region.
• Pregnancy.

Behavioral Indicators:

• The victim's disclosure of sexual abuse.
• Regressive behaviors (thumb-sucking, bed wetting, fear of the dark).
• Promiscuity or seductive behaviors.
• Disturbed sleep patterns (recurrent nightmares).
• Unusual and age-inappropriate interest in sexual matters.
• Avoidance of undressing or wearing extra layers of clothes.
• Sudden decline in school performance, truancy.
• Difficulty in walking or sitting.

Signs of Emotional Abuse

Physical Indicators:

• Eating disorders, including obesity or anorexia.
• Speech disorders (stuttering, stammering).
• Developmental delays in the acquisition of speech or motor skills.
• Weight or height level substantially below norm.
• Flat or bald spots on head (infants).
• Nervous disorders (rashes, hives, facial tics, stomach aches).

Behavioral Indicators:

• Habit disorders (biting, rocking, head-banging).
• Cruel behavior, seeming to get pleasure from hurting children, adults or animals; seeming to get pleasure from being mistreated.
• Age-inappropriate behaviors (bed wetting, wetting, soiling).
• Behavioral extremes, such as overly compliant-demanding; withdrawn-aggressive; listless-excitable.

Signs of Neglect

Physical Indicators:

• Poor hygiene, including lice, scabies, severe or untreated diaper rash, bedsores, body odor.
• Squinting.
• Unsuitable clothing; missing key articles of clothing (underwear, socks, shoes); overdressed or under dressed for climate conditions.
• Untreated injury or illness.
• Lack of immunizations.
• Indicators of prolonged exposure to elements (excessive sunburn, insect bites, colds).
• Height and weight significantly below age level.

Behavioral Indicators:

• Unusual school attendance.
• Chronic absenteeism.
• Chronic hunger, tiredness, or lethargy.
• Begging for or collecting leftovers.
• Assuming adult responsibilities.
• Reporting no caretaker at home.

READ MORE

Child Welfare Information Gateway Child Abuse and Neglect Factsheet

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The Phoenix Project: Repairing Wounded Military Marriages

"When a Soldier Goes to War,
the Family Goes to War;
When a Soldier Gets Wounded,
the Family Gets Wounded."

Military, Veteran and Family
Assistance Foundation

According to a recent study by the Veterans Administration, of the 103,788 military personnel returning home between 2001-2005, 25% suffered from mental health problems. For those who carry the visions and horror of war in their hearts, mental health assistance is critical to alleviate depression, post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, broken families and suicide. America must act with compassion and be fully committed to support the healing of the body, mind and spirit of those who have served.

The Phoenix Project Soldiers and Veterans Transitional Retreat is one program which seeks to support returning soldiers and their spouses after deployment to a combat zone.

[Reprinted from The Phoenix Project – http://phoenixprojectretreat.org/mvfa%20phoenix.html]

War is a terrible thing. We think of war as soldiers facing the enemy in a terrible conflict of hell, bullets, bombs, blood and death. We all know that war effects most those who are directly involved. However, there is another side to war; it is the pain and suffering of the family, extended family, friends, and community that are also torn apart from the deployments of their loved one.

The work of reunion; and addressing the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and economic wounds is most productive and healing when it involves everyone affected. The community that we live in pays the price of liberty and freedom. Sending one of our sons or daughters to war takes a toll on the community as it does with the family.

It is critical that communities come together in the same American spirit of helping our neighbors as in the barn raising efforts of years ago. Communities must come together to rebuild the lives of those that have served and are serving and for the sacrifices made by them while in the military. As we rebuild each life we rebuild a valuable, contributing member of our community.

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The Phoenix Project	Click here to visit site
U.S. Air Force News Service Video	Click here to visit site

Memorial Day: Honoring the Fallen

On Monday, May 28, 2007, America honored all who have died in service to our country. It is important to also remember the sacrifices of many who have lost a child, parent, brother, sister, relative or friend.

Memorial Day is a solemn day of recollection, appreciation and prayerfulness. Our nation must continually pause to honor the fallen and all affected by the loss of a loved one.

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Washington Post Gallery	Click here to visit site
Memorial Day History	Click here to visit site

In the Aftermath of War, Soldiers Need our Support

"It is the youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow... that are the aftermath of war. " – Herbert Hoover

We mourn and honor those who have died serving our country. Yet we must remember that the ravages of war linger in the bodies, minds and spirits of those who have fought and returned home. Many veterans suffer from lost limbs, mental health issues, or other serious injuries. It is the responsibility of this nation to support them in their time of need.

Army Master Sergeant James Coons had seen action in the first Gulf War and in Iraq in 2003. His experiences haunted him and he suffered from a deep depression. Upon his return in June 2003, and while under medical care at Walter Reed Medical Center, Master Sgt. Coons committed suicide. His death is another reminder that we have fallen short of supporting our returning soldiers.

[Reprinted from ABC News website – http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/WoodruffReports/story?
id=3067983&page=1]

Bob Woodruff: 'Where Is the Accountability?'
Nearly Four Years After Soldier Son Committed Suicide While in Military Care, His Family Speaks Out About Their Experience
By Bob Woodruff

The parents of Master Sgt. James Coons spoke to Congress today to express their concerns over veteran care -- their son committed suicide after he returned from Iraq. They previously spoke with Bob Woodruff about their experience in the following report from April 23.

On July 4, 2003, Carol and Richard Coons had planned to welcome home their son Master Sgt. James Coons, a career soldier who had seen action in Iraq in 2003 and during the first Gulf War. Instead, they found out James was dead.

He had committed suicide in his room at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Walter Reed staff did not find him until at least two days after his death, and only then at the insistence of his family, who were desperate to locate their son.

In their first network television interview since their son's death, Carol and Richard Coons sat down with me to talk about their family's anger and quest for answers. "They didn't take care of my son. They just didn't take care of him," Carol said.

Just a few days earlier, Coons, 35, had been evacuated from a base in Kuwait because he had overdosed on sleeping pills. An Army doctor at a combat hospital labeled the action a "suicidal gesture," according to Coons' medical records.

Coons told medical personnel that he had visited a morgue on the base to pay his respects to the fallen soldiers and had been haunted by one of the faces -- that of a Navy corpsman who had been badly burned and disfigured by an IED.

His parents knew from talking to him on the phone that he was troubled -- they say his voice began to sound different, and they could tell that he was under a lot of strain. "He said, 'The things that I've seen are really bothering me,'" said Carol. "He would see demons and he was trying to control his demons," added Richard.

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ABC News Website Article	Click here to visit site
Houston Chronicle Article	Click here to visit site

Helen Keller: Enduring Icon of Leadership

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." – Helen Keller

In an age where respect, appreciation and sensitivity must be expressed toward those who are not considered the poster children of American perfectionism, Helen Keller stands as an enduring icon of leadership who overcame the challenges of being both blind and mute. Her courage and perseverance teaches us that we do not have to be perfect to be fully human or to attain extraordinary achievement.

[Reprinted from The Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century – http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/
keller01.html]

Helen Keller
She altered our perception of the disabled and remapped the boundaries of sight and sense
By DIANE SCHUUR WITH DAVID JACKSON

Helen Keller was less than two years old when she came down with a fever. It struck dramatically and left her unconscious. The fever went just as suddenly. But she was blinded and, very soon after, deaf. As she grew up, she managed to learn to do tiny errands, but she also realized that she was missing something. "Sometimes," she later wrote, "I stood between two persons who were conversing and touched their lips. I could not understand, and was vexed. I moved my lips and gesticulated frantically without result. This made me so angry at times that I kicked and screamed until I was exhausted." She was a wild child.

As miraculous as learning language may seem, that achievement of Keller's belongs to the 19th century. It was also a co-production with her patient and persevering teacher, Anne Sullivan. Helen Keller's greater achievement came after Sullivan, her companion and protector, died in 1936. Keller would live 32 more years and in that time would prove that the disabled can be independent. I hate the word handicapped. Keller would too. We are people with inconveniences. We're not charity cases. She was once asked how disabled veterans of World War II should be treated and said that they do "not want to be treated as heroes. They want to be able to live naturally and to be treated as human beings."

Those people whose only experience of her is "The Miracle Worker" will be surprised to discover her many dimensions. "My work for the blind," she wrote, "has never occupied a center in my personality. My sympathies are with all who struggle for justice." She was a tireless activist for racial and sexual equality. She once said, "I think God made woman foolish so that she might be a suitable companion to man." She had such left-leaning opinions that the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover kept a file on her. And who were her choices for the most important people of the century? Thomas Edison, Charlie Chaplin and Lenin. Furthermore, she did not think appearing on the vaudeville circuit, showing off her skills, was beneath her, even as her friends were shocked that she would venture onto the vulgar stage. She was complex. Her main message was and is, "We're like everybody else. We're here to be able to live a life as full as any sighted person's. And it's O.K. to be ourselves."

READ MORE

Helen Keller Services for the Blind	Click here to visit site
The Time 100 The Most Important People of the Century	Click here to visit site

Community Policing Initiatives: Time for Renewed Commitment

A disturbing fact, tucked away toward the end of a Reuters report on the rising crime rate nationwide, caught my eye: Community Oriented Policing Services Program (COPS) funding "fell to $102 million in fiscal 2007 from $487 million in 2004 and $1.5 billion in 1998, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors." Over $1 billion in cuts to this significant crime prevention initiative is a tremendous injustice to law enforcement and American communities.

As a practitioner dedicated to community policing for the last 12 years, I have always encouraged its practice. One concrete example is a COPS program administered by the Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute in partnership with numerous police departments throughout New Jersey. This program allowed law enforcement personnel and private citizens to take courses together, completing their studies with a capstone project leading to certification. It included training modules on:

• ethics
• community policing
• crime prevention
• diversity
• conflict resolution and
• problem solving.

Due to budget cuts, the worthwhile program that built partnerships between law enforcement and the community is virtually non-existent.

In light of current concerns with school and gang violence, terrorism and a rising crime rate, community policing initiatives must be revitalized. Community policing is a profoundly critical philosophy to contemporary crime prevention and reigniting all that it stands for can only have a positive impact on community transformation.

Youth Detention Facilities: Repression and Brutality Concerns

The state of affairs in juvenile detention facilities throughout the nation is in need of serious and immediate assessments based on an alarming investigation developing at state youth detention facilities in Texas.

[Reprinted from the USA Today website – www.usatoday.com/
news/nation/2007-05-14-texas-inmate-abuse_N.htm]

Injuries of teen inmates probed
By Kevin Johnson

Texas authorities are investigating whether guards at state juvenile detention facilities broke the bones of 60 young offenders as a result of abusive tactics. The newly disclosed review comes amid spreading concerns about the treatment of teenage inmates.

The investigation is part of a criminal inquiry into the Texas Youth Commission, one of the nation's largest juvenile justice systems, with about 4,000 offenders. It was triggered by medical reports over five years showing inmates were treated for suspicious breaks, commonly the humerus, the long bone in the upper arm, according to Dr. Ben Raimer, who oversees commission health care services for the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Investigators suspect the arm injuries occurred when guards yanked offenders' arms upward while the limbs were shackled behind the youths' backs, said Jay Kimbrough, who has been appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to direct the state inquiry.

"There are enough of these injuries to cause us serious concern," Kimbrough said.

The review has grown out of a broader investigation of sexual abuse and physical assaults of inmates and other improper conduct by the staff.

On Monday, four system superintendents were suspended in connection with the overall inquiry. Since March, eight staff members have been arrested, 19 have been fired and termination proceedings are pending for 62 others, state spokesman Jim Hurley said.

National juvenile justice analysts said allegations raised in Texas are symptomatic of recurring troubles in institutions across the country.

In the past seven years, juvenile facilities in 11 states have been the focus of federal reviews for possible civil rights violations, according to Justice Department records.

"State reform schools are hothouses for psychopaths," said Jerome Miller, former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services.

Youth work demands workers who undergo rigorous background checks and are dedicated to:

• prevention rather than repression,
• compassion rather than brutality and
• rehabilitation rather than recidivism.

READ MORE

USA Today Article

Click here to visit site

GAO Report Confirms Collaboration Needs Improvement

"Emergency planning is a community endeavor. All organizations at all levels must be involved — schools and school districts, local law enforcement and emergency responders, state and federal emergency management. A collaborative effort can ease the burden on any one group. By working together, we maximize efficiencies and create an environment of high achievement." – Vincent J. Bove

There is only one way to get the job of emergency planning done right and that is by working together. A recently released report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office stated that, "Fewer than half of districts with emergency plans involve community partners when developing and updating these plans."

I implore all schools, school districts and community organizations to exert a full force effort to develop, update, implement and practice their emergency plans. Disasters don't have a schedule, so let's begin today to make a difference.

[Reprinted from the GAO Highlights on EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Status of School Districts’ Planning and Preparedness – http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-07-821T]

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Status of School Districts’ Planning and Preparedness

School districts have taken steps to plan for a range of emergencies, as most have developed multi-hazard emergency management plans; however some plans and activities do not address federally recommended practices. For example, based on GAO’s survey of a sample of public school districts, an estimated 56 percent of all school districts have not employed any procedures in their plans for continuing student education in the event of an extended school closure, such as might occur during a pandemic, and many do not include procedures for special needs students. Fewer than half of districts with emergency plans involve community partners when developing and updating these plans. Finally, school districts are generally not training with first responders or community partners on how to implement their school district emergency plans. Many school district officials said that they experience challenges in planning for emergencies and some school districts face difficulties in communicating and coordinating with first responders and parents, but most said that they do not experience challenges in communicating with students. For example, in an estimated 62 percent of districts, officials identified challenges stemming from a lack of equipment, training for staff, and personnel with expertise in the area of emergency planning as obstacles to implementing recommended practices.

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U.S. Government Accountability Office Emergency Management: Status of School Districts' Planning and Preparedness

Click here to visit site

Baseball Steroid Scandal: Jason Giambi Admits Use

According to numerous published reports, Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees (now in jeopardy of having his seven year $120 million dollar contract with the Yankees terminated over his confession) has all but admitted using steroids and criticized Major League Baseball's culture of silence on the issue of steroid and performance enhancing drug abuse.

Regardless of Giambi's motivation — some suggest he is simply trying to save himself with a pre-emptive admission — Giambi's truthfulness must be commended in the face of silence, denials and criticism.

[Reprinted from the Chicago Sun-Times website –
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/deluca/394054,
cst-spt-chris20a.article]

Steroid scandal still smoldering
  Yankees' Giambi strongly hints at past use,   criticizes MLB's culture of silence
BY CHRIS DE LUCA | Chicago Sun-Times

New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi came as close as any active player has in discussing his own steroid use. He strongly hinted he is a former user but pointed the sharpest finger at commissioner Bud Selig.

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," Giambi told USA Today's Bob Nightengale during the Yankees' series against the White Sox. "What we should have done a long time ago was stand up – players, ownership, everybody – and said: 'We made a mistake.'

"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. ... Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."

It's still a topic most want to avoid. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman refused to answer questions directly related to Giambi's implication that he was a steroid user. But Cashman did take issue with Giambi's finger-pointing.

"It gives the implication that a lot of people involved knew what was going on, and that is false," he told reporters in New York.

Cashman's comment is disappointing. How could people who have made a career out of evaluating talent not have noticed the increase in power, the high readings on radar guns and the ridiculous size of bodies invading clubhouses and not at least speculated about performance-enhancing drugs?

Giambi hits the nail on the head when he says it's a topic everyone wants to avoid.

Selig has been ripped in some circles for choosing not to be in attendance when San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's all-time home-run record this summer. Selig most certainly should be there for Bonds' big moment.

If he thinks Bonds is dirty, he should come out and say it. He could turn the historic day into a cleansing for the game, admitting that, yes, it looks like several players enhanced their numbers by using drugs that now are deemed illegal in baseball. Yes, it was terrible that we let the problem go on for as long as we did. Yes, the numbers got thrown out of whack. But we can't turn back time; we only can guard against further transgressions.

Don't hold your breath waiting for Selig to make that series of admissions. If Selig is disgusted by what Bonds has accomplished, then he should resign for allowing the drug problem to rage out of control during his watch. And if this is truly the "golden age" of baseball – as Selig frequently reminds – then how could Bonds not be a part of that?

Instead, Selig chooses to stick his head in the sand.

Meanwhile, maybe Giambi's semi-admission will push others to tell their story. We already are seeing clubbies revealing secrets. More and more players will be dragged under the dark cloud.

Maybe Giambi is trying to do some damage control for himself. Better for him to come clean on his own than to be outed by someone else. If he looks like a straight-shooter, maybe he won't face the same kind of ridicule that continues to dog Mark McGwire.

Too bad Giambi didn't have the guts to go all the way with his frank talk.

Nightengale's article ends with this paragraph: "When asked, 'So why did you take steroids?' Giambi said: 'Maybe one day I'll talk about it, but not now."'

Avoiding the topic is a hard habit to kick.

The national pastime is important to our country and must exemplify honesty, fair play and character. The time is now to restore the game to have the integrity and respect that it deserves.

True leadership demands a full and open accounting of the steroid abuse problem in Major League Baseball. Any attempt to evade or sidestep the problem contributes to the crisis of character in our society and sends the message to young athletes throughout the nation that it is ok to cheat to get a competitive edge.

READ MORE

Chicago Sun-Times	Click here to visit site
AOL Sports Blog	Click here to visit site
www.steroidabuse.gov	Click here to visit site
Steroids: Dangerous, Damaging and Dishonorable Vincent J. Bove—December 2006	Click here to visit site
American Leadership in an Age of Scandal Vincent J. Bove—December 2005	Click here to visit site
Baseball Has A Day of Reckoning In Congress Washington Post—March 2005	Click here to visit site
Baseball officials announce tougher steroids policy USA Today—January 2005	Click here to visit site

Free at Last: DNA Exonerates Man After 19 Year Imprisonment

"Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison... the only house in a slave State in which a free man can abide with honor." – Henry David Thoreau

Over 200 prisoners in America have been released from wrongful convictions after DNA evidence cleared them. How many more innocents are serving time or on death row? We must realize that unjust convictions happen too often and our criminal justice system is in need of review and transformation. The imprisonment of an innocent human being is a serious injustice. Preventing wrongful convictions and correcting the miscarriage of justice must be a priority of our criminal justice system.

One recent case is Byron Halsey. On May 15, 2007, Mr. Halsey had his handcuffs removed and walked out of prison after serving 19 years. A judge in the Union County, New Jersey courthouse vacated his convictions because DNA evidence had cleared him.

[Reprinted from The New York Times website – http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/nyregion/16dna.html]

DNA in Murders Frees Inmate After 19 Years

ELIZABETH, N.J., May 15 – A man who served 19 years in prison for the sadistic murders of his companion’s two children walked out of the Union County Courthouse flanked by his family members after a judge vacated his convictions on Tuesday.

Prosecutors contended that DNA evidence in the case would probably change the mind of the jury that convicted the man, Byron Halsey, 46. They also said that the DNA evidence pointed instead to Cliff Hall, a neighbor who testified against Mr. Halsey at his 1988 trial and who is currently in prison for three sexual assaults.

Mr. Halsey, who was handcuffed, sat crying silently during the brief proceeding in Union County Superior Court before Judge Stuart L. Peim.

As he left the courthouse, Mr. Halsey said, "I thank my Lord and savior Jesus for keeping me."

Asked about his emotional state, he smiled and said, "I don’t want to get in more trouble." He added, "What was done to me was criminal at best."

Barry Scheck, co-director of the Innocence Project, the Manhattan legal clinic that revived the case, said: "It’s a miracle that Byron is here with us, because if ever there was a case where there was a risk of executing an innocent man, it was this case. Because the facts of the case were so horrible."

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Mr. Halsey in the 1985 killings. The crimes were particularly chilling – Tina Urquhart, 7, was raped and strangled, and her brother, Tyrone Urquhart, 8, died after four nails were hammered into his skull with a brick. The children’s bodies were found in the basement of a rooming house in Plainfield where Mr. Halsey lived with their mother.

Mr. Halsey, a factory worker, was convicted in 1988 of two counts of felony murder and other charges, and sentenced to two life terms and 20 years. He was not eligible for the death penalty because he was not found guilty of purposeful and knowing murder, a capital offense, one of his lawyers said.

His release comes at a crucial time in the state’s debate over abolishing the death penalty, which has not been carried out since 1963. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill to replace the death penalty with a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for the most serious crimes. A similar bill was introduced in the Assembly last November. There are nine men now on death row in New Jersey.

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New York Times Article	Click here to visit site
	Click here to visit site

Cheese: Starter Heroin for Youth

The epidemic of substance abuse and addiction continues to grow in America. Tragically, the methods are increasing and the age of abusers is decreasing. According to an April 26, 2007 USA report, "Cheese" is being served not only in high schools but even in middle schools in Texas.

While it may sound harmless, "Cheese" is a toxic mix of heroin and Tylenol PM. Young people find "Cheese" particularly appealing since it is only $2.00 a "bump" Like cocaine, it is snorted and is highly addictive.

[Reprinted from the Gulf Coast Addiction Technology Center Website – http://www.utexas.edu/research/cswr/gcattc/]

"Cheese" Heroin: Status as of May 2, 2007
By Jane C. Maxwell, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
Gulf Coast Addiction Technology Transfer Center
The University of Texas at Austin

The media has been reporting on "Cheese" heroin for about a year. It was reported in the June 2006 Texas Drug Trends report to NIDA's Community Epidemiology Work Group and it has been described in DEA's microgram. "Cheese heroin" is Black Tar heroin which has been turned into brown heroin powder by mixing the Tar with Tylenol PM^®, which is acetaminophen and diphenhydramine (such as Benedryl^®). Diphenhydramine has traditionally been used as a "cut" to turn Tar into powder, but there seems to be no explanation why "Cheese" heroin contains the more expensive Tylenol PM^® rather than the generic diphenhydramine.

Deaths. Because each county has its own medical examiner or justices of the peace to sign death certificates, there is no realtime centralized reporting of death data. The press has published various numbers, and the Dallas County Medical Examiner at the end of March, 2007, reported no deaths in 2005 involving heroin+diphenhydramine+acetaminophen. There were two deaths involving this combination of drugs in 2006, and none as of the end of March, 2007. The Dallas Medical Examiner is reexamining the death data to determine the number of deaths involving heroin and other substances.

Poison Control Center Cases. The Texas Poison Control Centers data on human exposure to heroin, acetaminophen, and diphenhydramine in combination show one case in 1998, four in 2001, one in 2002, two in 2003, one in 2004, none in 2005, and 10 in 2006. Between 1998 and 2005, the age range was 1736, average 21.6 years. and during this period, there was one case in Dallas and one in adjoining Cooke County. The other cases were spread around the state in Corpus Christi, Amarillo, and Lubbock. The exposure reason for seven of the 19982005 cases was intentional, suspected suicide. The 10 cases in 2006 were all in Dallas and ages ranged from 1348. Average was 21.1 years, but six of the cases were teenagers, with a 13 year old, two 14 year olds, one 15, and one 16. Seven of the 2006 cases were male. Eight of the 10 cases were intentional abuse.

In 2007, four cases had been reported to poison control centers through March (reporting may be incomplete). Of these, ages ranged from 1118, average of average age of 14.5. Two of the cases were from Dallas, one from Denton County, and one from Hockley County, which is west of Lubbock. Three of four cases were males. Intentional abuse was the exposure reason for the four cases to date in 2007. No deaths were reported in any of the poison control center cases between 1998 and March, 2007.

Inhaling/"Snorting" Heroin. A rumor has persisted for years that "if you inhale heroin, you will not get addicted." This is untrue, and in Texas, the average lag between first inhaling of heroin and entrance to treatment is seven years. Mexican black tar may be sticky like roofing tar or hard like coal. The most common route of administration of black tar is injection. Mexican brown powder may be either a powdered heroin produced in Mexico, or it may be black tar that has been turned into a brown powder by local dealers or users by adding a diluent. Because of its oily, gummy consistency, special steps are required to convert the heroin into a powder that can be inhaled. Diluents ("cuts") can include dormin, mannite (mannitol), lactose, Benedryl^®, Nytol, baby laxative, vitamin B, and coffee creamer. Tar heroin can be frozen, the "cut" added, and then pulverized or ground into a powder in a coffee grinder or with mortar and pestle. It can also be dried out on a plate over the stove or under a heat lamp prior to pulverizing. Because brown powder is diluted, it is reported to be preferred by novices and users who fear overdoses.

The newspapers have reported use of “Cheese heroin” with “Monkey Juice,” which is also called Agua de Chango or Monkey Water. This is a mix of heroin with water that is then drawn up in a syringe (with or without needle) and shot it up the nose, or used with a nose dropper. This method has been common among young users for over a decade.

America's substance abuse problem must be fought on many fronts. Law enforcement, educators, corporations and especially parents must join forces to take back our communities from the drug abuse that continues to unleash its destructive force.

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Gulf Coast Addiction Technology Center	Click here to visit site
CBS 11 — Dallas/Fort Worth Report	Click here to visit site

Purdue Phama Executives: Crisis of Character

According to a May 10, 2007 U.S. Department of Justice press release, Purdue Pharma L.P., the maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin, and three of its former executives pleaded guilty to misleading the public about the drugs risk of addiction.

"Purdue's claims that OxyContin was less addictive and less subject to abuse and diversion were false – and Purdue knew its claims were false."
From the USDOJ Press Release

Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Chairman and President of The National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, made a statement regarding Purdue Pharma Executives misleading the public on OxyContin:

"If Purdue Pharma and its executives had been street drug dealers they would be in prison for a very long time. Their fraudulent and misleading marketing has led to thousands of deaths from overdose use of OxyContin and many more kids have their lives ruined by addiction to the drug. They have made billions of dollars. A fine of several hundred million dollars is hardly appropriate for the ruined lives and deaths they have caused lying about the addictive nature of this drug. Prescription drug abuse has exploded in America and OxyContin is the chief culprit."

[Reprinted from U.S. Department of Justice Press Release – http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vaw/]

One of the oldest and most challenging medical mysteries is the treatment of pain. For centuries, scientists and doctors have searched for a drug that would safely relieve patients of their chronic pain without inflicting the dangerous side effects that routinely come from the use of addictive narcotics. The discovery of this "wonder" drug would bring hope and relief to millions of suffering patients and wealth beyond one’s imagination to its creators.

In 1996, Purdue and its top executives claimed that they had developed such a drug; a safe drug that would help those suffering in pain. The name of that drug was OxyContin. Backed by an aggressive marketing campaign, Purdue's OxyContin became the new pain medication of choice for many doctors and patients. Purdue claimed it had created the miracle drug – a low risk drug that could provide long acting pain relief but was less addictive and less subject to abuse. Purdue's marketing campaign worked, and sales for OxyContin skyrocketed – making billions for Purdue and millions for its top executives.

But OxyContin offered no miracles to those suffering in pain. Purdue's claims that OxyContin was less addictive and less subject to abuse and diversion were false – and Purdue knew its claims were false. The result of their misrepresentations and crimes sparked one of our nation's greatest prescription drug failures. OxyContin is nothing more than pure oxycodone – a habit forming narcotic derived from the opium poppy. Purdue's OxyContin never lived up to its hype and never offered a low risk way of reducing pain as promised. Simply put, the genesis of OxyContin was not the result of good science or laboratory experiment. OxyContin was the child of marketeers and bottom line financial decision making.

Accordingly, this morning, in a federal courtroom in Abingdon, Virginia, the Purdue Frederick Company, the manufacturer and distributor of OxyContin, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of illegally misbranding OxyContin in an effort to mislead and defraud physicians and consumers. Purdue has agreed to pay over $600 million in criminal and civil penalties, fines and forfeitures, subjected itself to independent monitoring and an extensive remedial action program, and acknowledged that it illegally marketed and promoted OxyContin by falsely claiming that OxyContin was less addictive, less subject to abuse and diversion, and less likely to cause withdrawal symptoms than other pain medications – all in an effort to maximize its profits. Also, Purdue's Chief Executive Officer Michael Friedman, General Counsel Howard Udell, and former Chief Medical Officer Paul Goldenheim pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of misbranding OxyContin and collectively agreed to pay $34.5 million in penalties. With its OxyContin, Purdue unleashed a highly abusable, addictive, and potentially dangerous drug on an unsuspecting and unknowing public. For these misrepresentations and crimes, Purdue and its executives have been brought to justice.

America is suffering from a crisis of character accentuated by greed, arrogance and dishonesty. The Purdue Pharma scandal is a clear example of how pervasive corruption is in our country and how low a company will go, to the point of destroying lives for the sake of profits.

Punishment for corporate corruption should be comparable to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) penalties – it must be severe and should include prison sentences and forfeiture of all ill-gotten gains. Fines that take just a small part of the illegal profit are only a slap on the wrist and serve to encourage future corruption. It's time for these corporate criminals to exchange their pinstripes for prison stripes.

Remembering Our Grieving Mothers

As we celebrate Mother's Day, we honor those women blessed with the gift of motherhood. Children throughout the nation remember their mothers with phone calls, flowers, or breakfast in bed. Yet, too many mothers spend the day in grief, with only the memories of children lost before their time.

The earliest Mother's Days in America were celebrated by mothers to promote peace. Many of the mothers who gathered at these first Mother's Day celebrations had sons who died during the Civil War. The original Mother's Day Proclamation by Julia Ward Howe in 1870 expressed these sentiments:

[Reprinted from About.com – http://womenshistory.about.com/od/howejwriting/a/mothers_day.htm]

Mother's Day Proclamation – 1870
by Julia Ward Howe

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

We must do all we can to end the deaths of young people caused by the gang culture, school violence, drunk driving, war, and other tragedies. The broken heart of a mother who has lost her child is one of life's greatest tragedies and must move each of us, not only to lives of compassion, but to prevent these senseless deaths from continuing to break the hearts of so many mothers.

Terrorism Awareness: Fort Dix Lessons Learned

Thanks to the watchful eye and action of a New Jersey retail clerk, a deadly terrorism attack was avoided. The clerk notified law enforcement when he viewed a videotape showing a group of young men firing assault rifles and calling for jihad.

[Reprinted from the FBI website – www.fbi.gov/page2/may07/ftdix050807.htm]

A 17-month FBI undercover investigation has led to charges against six men who allegedly tried to amass a small arsenal for a planned attack on soldiers at the U.S. Army base at Fort Dix in New Jersey.

The six men—including three residing in the U.S. illegally—were arrested Monday night by FBI agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, and state and local authorities as they prepared to buy a cache of assault weapons from a man working with the FBI. Five of the men were charged Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Camden with conspiring to kill U.S. servicemen. A sixth faces illegal firearms charges.

According to a criminal complaint filed May 7 by a special agent in our Philadelphia office, the defendants traveled several times to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania for firearms training; collected an arsenal of handguns, shotguns, and semi-automatic assault weapons; and conducted surveillance on Fort Dix and other area military bases.

"Today we dodged a bullet," Jody Weis, Special Agent in Charge of our Philadelphia office, said in a press conference Tuesday. "We may have dodged a lot of bullets."

Terrorism remains a threat to America and civilians must act as the eyes and ears of the community to help prevent acts of violence. The Fort Dix arrests remind us that collaboration between citizens and law enforcement, as well as the immediate reporting of suspicious activity, is paramount to safeguarding Americans and protecting our homeland.

READ MORE

FBI Press Release	Click here to visit site
Terrorism Awareness and Prevention	Click here to visit site

Emergency Preparedness and Response: Alleviating Human Suffering

Throughout this past week, the United States has been beset with extraordinary natural disasters including tornadoes, floods and fires:

• A massive tornado claimed ten lives in Greensburg, Kansas on Friday, May 4, 2007. Over 90 percent of the town was destroyed and turned into piles of debris.
• The next day, more than 60 tornadoes were reported to touch down.
• As of May 9, residents of towns in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri were preparing for the worst flooding along the Missouri River in a decade.
• Wildfires and brush fires throughout the U.S., from Los Angeles to Minnesota, Georgia to Florida, threaten acres of forest, parkland, and homes.

All of these disasters, and many others during the last two years, were foreshadowed by the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe on August 29, 2005, the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. Recovering from Katrina has been hampered by bureaucracy, apathy and indifference. As reported in The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina, the nation must develop a culture of preparedness. Although a culture of preparedness may not be able to fully prevent the devastation of natural disasters, the dedication to its principles may serve to minimize the effects and alleviate human suffering.

Individuals entrusted to serve American communities in positions of emergency preparedness must understand that their profession is of extraordinary significance in preventing and diminishing human anguish and misery. Their work must be people-centered and understood comprehensively as a profession that involves mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

[Reprinted from The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned – www.whitehouse.gov]

Critical Challenge: National Preparedness

Lesson Learned: The Federal government should work with its homeland security partners in revising existing plans, ensuring a functional operational structure—including within regions—and establishing a clear, accountable process for all National preparedness efforts. In doing so, the Federal government must:

• Ensure that Executive Branch agencies are organized, trained, and equipped to perform their response roles.
• Finalize and implement the National Preparedness Goal.

Critical Challenge: Integrated Use of Military Capabilities

Lesson Learned: The Departments of Homeland Security and Defense should jointly plan for the Department of Defense’s support of Federal response activities as well as those extraordinary circumstances when it is appropriate for the Department of Defense to lead the Federal response. In addition, the Department of Defense should ensure the transformation of the National Guard is focused on increased integration with active duty forces for homeland security plans and activities.

Critical Challenge: Communications

Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security should review our current laws, policies, plans, and strategies relevant to communications. Upon the conclusion of this review, the Homeland Security Council, with support from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, should develop a National Emergency Communications Strategy that supports communications operability and interoperability.

Critical Challenge: Logistics and Evacuation

Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with State and local governments and the private sector, should develop a modern, flexible and transparent logistics system. This system should be based on established contracts for stockpiling commodities at the local level for emergencies and the provision of goods and services during emergencies. The Federal government must develop the capacity to conduct large-scale logistical operations that supplement and, if necessary, replace State and local logistical systems by leveraging resources within both the public sector and the private sector. The Department of Transportation, in coordination with other appropriate departments of the Executive Branch, must also be prepared to conduct mass evacuation operations when disasters overwhelm or incapacitate State and local governments.

Critical Challenge: Search and Rescue

Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security should lead an interagency review of current policies and procedures to ensure effective integration of all Federal search and rescue assets during disaster response.

Critical Challenge: Public Safety and Security

Lesson Learned: The Department of Justice, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, should examine Federal responsibilities for support to State and local law enforcement and criminal justice systems during emergencies and then build operational plans, procedures, and policies to ensure an effective Federal law enforcement response.

Critical Challenge: Public Health and Medical Support

Lesson Learned: In coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security partners, the Department of Health and Human Services should strengthen the Federal government’s capability to provide public health and medical support during a crisis. This will require the improvement of command and control of public health resources, the development of deliberate plans, an additional investment in deployable operational resources, and an acceleration of the initiative to foster the widespread use of interoperable electronic health records systems.

Critical Challenge: Human Services

Lesson Learned: The Department of Health and Human Services should coordinate with other departments of the Executive Branch, as well as State governments and non-governmental organizations, to develop a robust, comprehensive, and integrated system to deliver human services during disasters so that victims are able to receive Federal and State assistance in a simple and seamless manner. In particular, this system should be designed to provide victims a consumer oriented, simple, effective, and single encounter from which they can receive assistance.

Critical Challenge: Mass Care and Housing

Lesson Learned: Using established Federal core competencies and all available resources, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, in coordination with other departments of the Executive Branch with housing stock, should develop integrated plans and bolstered capabilities for the temporary and long-term housing of evacuees. The American Red Cross and the Department of Homeland Security should retain responsibility and improve the process of mass care and sheltering during disasters.

Critical Challenge: Public Communications

Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security should develop an integrated public communications plan to better inform, guide, and reassure the American public before, during, and after a catastrophe. The Department of Homeland Security should enable this plan with operational capabilities to deploy coordinated public affairs teams during a crisis.

Critical Challenge: Critical Infrastructure and Impact Assessment

Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security, working collaboratively with the private sector, should revise the National Response Plan and finalize the Interim National Infrastructure Protection Plan to be able to rapidly assess the impact of a disaster on critical infrastructure. We must use this knowledge to inform Federal response and prioritization decisions and to support infrastructure restoration in order to save lives and mitigate the impact of the disaster on the Nation.

Critical Challenge: Environmental Hazards and Debris Removal

Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency, should oversee efforts to improve the Federal government’s capability to quickly gather environmental data and to provide the public and emergency responders the most accurate information available, to determine whether it is safe to operate in a disaster environment or to return after evacuation. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security should work with its State and local homeland security partners to plan and to coordinate an integrated approach to debris removal during and after a disaster.

Critical Challenge: Managing Offers of Foreign Assistance and Inquiries Regarding Affected Foreign Nationals

Lesson Learned: The Department of State, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, should review and revise policies, plans, and procedures for the management of foreign disaster assistance. In addition, this review should clarify responsibilities and procedures for handling inquiries regarding affected foreign nationals.

Critical Challenge: Non-governmental Aid

Lesson Learned: The Federal response should better integrate the contributions of volunteers and non-governmental organizations into the broader national effort. This integration would be best achieved at the State and local levels, prior to future incidents. In particular, State and local governments must engage NGOs in the planning process, credential their personnel, and provide them the necessary resource support for their involvement in a joint response.

Critical Challenge: Training, Exercises, and Lessons Learned

Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should establish specific requirements for training, exercise, and lessons learned programs linked through a comprehensive system and common supporting methodology throughout the Federal, State and local governments. Furthermore, assessments of training and exercises should be based on clear and consistent performance measures. DHS should require all Federal and State entities with operational Homeland Security responsibilities to have a lessons learned capability, and DHS should ensure all entities are accountable for the timely implementation of remedial actions in response to lessons learned.

Critical Challenge: Homeland Security Professional Development and Education

Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security should develop a comprehensive program for the professional development and education of the Nation’s homeland security personnel including Federal, State and local employees as well as emergency management persons within the private sector, non-governmental organizations, as well as faith-based and community groups. This program should foster a “joint” Federal Interagency, State, local, and civilian team.

Critical Challenge: Citizen and Community Preparedness

Lesson Learned: The Federal government, working with State, local, NGO, and private sector partners, should combine the various disparate citizen preparedness programs into a single national campaign to promote and strengthen citizen and community preparedness. This campaign should be developed in a manner that appeals to the American people, incorporates the endorsement and support of prominent national figures, focuses on the importance of individual and community responsibility for all-hazard disaster preparedness, provides meaningful and comprehensive education, training and exercise opportunities applicable to all facets of the American population, and establishes specialized preparedness programs for those less able to provide for themselves during disasters such as children, the ill, the disabled, and the elderly.

READ MORE

The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned

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Law Enforcement Appreciation Day : ASIS International Western NJ Chapter

On Tuesday, May 8, 2007, the Western New Jersey Chapter of ASIS International through the leadership of Chapter Chairman Richard Lagg, CPP and Vice Chairman Joseph W. Callahan, CPP presented its 9th Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Award Ceremony at the Hamilton Park Conference Center in Florham Park, New Jersey. Joseph A. Devine, Ed.D., who serves the chapter as the program chairperson announced the award recipients:

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Agency Awards

• Department of Homeland Security
  United States Secret Service
• Morris County Prosecutor's Office
     Maria Vinci-Savettiere, Esq.
     Executive Director/Volunteer, Dierdre's House
• Morris County Sheriff's Office
     John Sette, Operation CrimeStoppers
     Debbie Daniello, Project Lifesaver

Educational Awards

• Ronald E. Calissi, Esq.
     Fairleigh Dickinson University, Executive Associate Dean
• Roger W. Kane
     Fairleigh Dickinson University, Director of Transcript Services
• Vincent Markowski
     Ramapo College of New Jersey, Director of Security
• Francis Murphy, CPP
     Ramapo College of New Jersey, Assistant Professor of Law & Science

Leadership Awards

• Steven Benvenisti, Esq.
     Davis, Saperstein & Salomon
• Vincent J. Bove, CPP
     Leadership and Security Educator
• Denis Connell, Ed.D.
     Clark Police Department
• Scott DiGiralomo
     Deputy, Office of Emergency Management, County of Morris
• Lt. Patrick Fay
     Hackensack Police Department / President, NJRCPOA
• Rhonda M. Glover
     Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Domenick Varricchio, Ed.D.
     Port Authority Police Department
• Tom Zellman
     Director of Law & Public Safety, County of Morris

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The event included a highly educational presentation by the Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service in New Jersey. It covered the importance of public and private collaboration to the U.S. Secret Service and shared insights on various initiatives including:

• Electronic Crimes Task Force
• Electronic Crimes Special Agent Program
• Best Practices Guide to Searching and Seizing Evidence
• Forward Edge
• Critical Systems Protection Initiative
• Identity Crime Training Seminars
• National Threat Assessment Center
• The Safe School Initiative
• ID Theft Prevention

READ MORE

ASIS	Click here to visit site
U.S. Secret Service	Click here to visit site

Los Angeles Police Scandal: A Call to Renew Community Policing Initiatives

On May 1, 2007, the Los Angeles Police fired rubber bullets and used batons on demonstrators and journalists at an immigration rally in Macarthur Park in what was considered an excessive use of force.  LAPD Chief William J. Bratton said that it was the "worst incident of this type I have ever encountered in 37 years" in law enforcement.  Chief Bratton also told reporters that "I'm not going to defend the indefensible... Things were done that shouldn't have been done." About 60 members of an elite unit have been taken off street duty and won't return to active street duties until they have undergone retraining.

Especially in a city like Los Angeles, the principles of Community Policing are critical to address such as concerns and immigration.

[Reprinted from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services – www.cops.usdoj.gov]

Community policing focuses on crime and social disorder through the delivery of police services that includes aspects of traditional law enforcement, as well as prevention, problem-solving, community engagement, and partnerships. The community policing model balances reactive responses to calls for service with proactive problem-solving centered on the causes of crime and disorder. Community policing requires police and citizens to join together as partners in the course of both identifying and effectively addressing these issues.

The core elements of community policing are:

Organizational Elements

1. Philosophy Adopted Organization-Wide
2. Decentralized Decision-Making and Accountability
3. Fixed Geographic Accountability and Generalist Responsibilities
4. Utilization of Volunteer Resources
5. Enhancers

Tactical Elements

1. Enforcement of Laws
2. Proactive, Crime Prevention Oriented
3. Problem-solving

External Elements

1. Public Involvement in Community Partnerships
2. Government and Other Agency Partnerships

Sadly, community policing initiatives have been put on the back burner in many municipalities. It is critical that the ideals of community policing, in a culture where there is a great need for sensitivity to the demands of diversity, is re-ignited in law enforcement agencies throughout the nation.

READ MORE

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services	Click here to visit site
USDOJ COPS What is Community Policing?	Click here to visit site
Appreciating Diversity: Reawakening the Heart of America	Click here to visit site
Los Angeles Times Article	Click here to visit site

Prom Season: A Call to Vigilance

As prom season approaches, I am reminded of a scene I witnessed while waiting to board a ship for a party cruise along the Hudson River with the beautiful New York City skyline as the backdrop. As over one hundred magnificently clad 15-17 year olds began to arrive in limousines and party buses, they looked ready for a red carpet event. But appearances can be deceiving — many of them were so seriously under the influence (staggering, tripping over each other, vomiting and falling on the boardwalk) that the police and ambulance had to be called. The security director rightfully denied access to the boat and immediately made the correct decision to terminate the cruise.

What was supposed to be a night of joy and celebration became a sadly disappointing night for a sixteen year-old girl and her family who had gathered for a sweet sixteen birthday party.

Too many teenagers believe that being under the influence for these events, including prom night, is an acceptable right of passage. Too many parents, older family members and even educators have become enablers by their apathy, acceptance, or even by their encouragement that getting high is part of growing up.

It is neither acceptable nor mature and vigilance is needed for the prom and other teenage activities. Appropriate parental and adult presence is necessary to prevent more tragedies from occurring that can change families and communities forever.

[Reprinted from http://life.familyeducation.com/teen/prom/36549.html]

Prom Safety
Carleton Kendrick, Ed.M., LCSW

What Parents Worry About

High-school proms are very expensive affairs. When you add up the prom dresses and tuxedos, prom tickets and pictures, stretch limos, extravagant dining, flowers, and those special hairstyles and French manicures, it's not unusual for the tab to top $1,000. A prom bill, especially for seniors, may also include renting motel or hotel rooms for all-night, post-prom partying. High school goes Hollywood.

For parents, however, the primary prom-related concerns aren't financial. Our biggest prom worries are the risky behaviors associated with proms, most specifically driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and unsafe sex. Prom night always seems to be linked with drunken-driving injuries and deaths, date rapes, pregnancies and STDs. It's become the night where teens' poor judgment and dangerous choices have become institutionalized.

Think back to your own proms. While much more expensive and self-indulgent than yours were, the hopes, disappointments, joys and dangers associated with proms have remained essentially the same. The following tips may ease your prom anxieties, while helping to keep your kids as safe as possible:

Prom Safety Tips

The Talk -- Tell your children that you want them to have a wonderful, memorable prom. Keep that wish as a central focus. They need to give you their complete itinerary for the evening, including whom they will be with, where they'll be going after the prom and the phone numbers where you can contact them. "We'll just be driving around" is not an acceptable response. Come to a fair decision on a curfew, based upon your children's past level of responsibility in this area. Express your concerns about their health and safety and explain to them why prom night makes it more difficult to make safe and smart decisions. Don't be vague -- discuss drinking, drugging, driving under the influence, and sex. Ask them how they plan to keep safe and avoid actions they will regret. Reinforce your belief in their character and in their ability to act responsibly.

The Ride -- If they're not driving themselves, you must know who'll be driving them. Regardless of how many times you have talked about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, emphasize that these dangers are particularly high on prom night. Your children cannot drink or take drugs and drive. They also must be driven by someone who has not drunk alcohol or taken drugs. You need their promise on these rules. These rules are non-negotiable.

The Connection -- If your children are not returning home right after the prom, you need to be able to contact them at all times until they return home. You also need to be reachable at all times as well. There can be no doubt where your kids will be and with whom throughout the evening and morning. If they're going to other kids' houses after the prom, check ahead of time with these children's parents. You also have a right and a responsibility to ask if these parents are going to allow drinking in their homes. Many parents believe that as long as they "take keys" in a situation like this that underage drinking is permissible in their houses. You must answer the question, "Do I want my kids at after-prom parties where parents aren't present?" Post-prom, parent-child check-in calls make sense. Establish a couple of mandatory call-in times with your kids. You might consider giving cell phones to your kids for the evening, thereby establishing a guaranteed connection.

The Offer -- Give your children the unconditional option of calling you at any time for help or advice. That includes picking them up at any time of day or night, with a promise not to shame or humiliate them in front of others. Assure them that you always welcome being part of their making smart and safe decisions. This unconditional offer of help and advice should be an outstanding offer throughout their lives.

READ MORE

Family Education Website

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Texas Youth Commission Scandal: A Crisis of Leadership

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FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES WEBSITE

An investigation into sexual abuse and mismanagement at the Texas Youth Commission has led to the dismissal of 66 employees with records of felony charges or arrests, including one convicted of homicide and another who had pleaded guilty to attempted murder, the state official leading the inquiry reported Wednesday.

The employees included guards, case workers and maintenance staff members, most of them in regular contact with hundreds of troubled youths. Officials said they had no information on whether any of the 66 were accused of harming youths in their custody.

…

"The smoke signals were clearly visible; the dots should have been connected," said Mr. Kimbrough, faulting a variety of watchdogs, from the youth commission headquarters itself to a West Texas prosecutor, the governor’s staff and legislative officials.

The scandal broke in mid-February with news accounts of a shelved 2005 Texas Rangers report confirming sexual contacts between confined youths and a school principal and assistant superintendent at the West Texas State School in Pyote. Both resigned without charges but were recently indicted. Accusations of abuse at other youth centers came later.

Mr. Kimbrough, a former deputy state attorney general and director of homeland security, was named by Gov. Rick Perry in March as conservator of the youth commission.

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This disturbing information, reported on the New York Times website, brings to light a serious concern about those safeguarding American youth — hiring procedures, background checks, inter- and intra-agency collaboration and ongoing performance management.

At minimum, background checks should include fingerprinting checks on both a state and federal level, employment verification checks, integrity and social aptitude testing, drug testing, resume and application verification including educational and military service. These background checks must be documented in personnel files and numerous disciplines within an agency should be involved, including human resources, security and appropriate levels of management based on the position.

As a leadership and security educator who has personally conducted, managed and recommended background checks for security personnel and educators, I find this scandal appalling. Background checks should be considered the most fundamental element of a hiring practice. Comprehensive background checks of individuals who will be in contact with youth in any capacity are absolutely critical. It is beyond comprehension how a state agency could have allowed such negligence.

All Americans must remain vigilant, demanding that those entrusted with positions of authority act with honesty and integrity. We must always remember the question asked by Juvenal in 2nd Century Rome:

"Who will watch the watchers?"

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New York Times Article

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