Updates

CAP will be partnering with Foster Care Alumni of America in January.

Foster children account for a disproportionate number of abuse and exploitation reports in our society, and a tremendous number of children are in the foster system in the US. In Washington state alone, the number averages 11,000 at any given time.

The issue of abuse and exploitation of children in the foster care system is our primary motivator for Safe Child project. Initially, we wanted a mandatory curricula just for foster kids - by law, they would have to be taught their rights and how to safeguard their rights immediately upon being removed from their home. Logistically, however, that's extremely difficult. So we thought - well, let's take it to every single kid in the state, and make it logistically simple and huge, instead.

We're looking forward to working with the FCAA to improve the situation of foster children through security education and empowerment. Also, we just LOVE what the FCAA is trying to do. The Reunion was an incredibly inspirational idea, and we were very sorry to have missed it.

We're blogging about it beforehand to give you all the opportunity to provide feedback on our decision before we actually do it.

Community

I'm excited to meet Maggie from NCMEC today, and spend the day getting to know her and working on Take 25/Safe Child projects for 2009.

There are two ways [from my perspective] to really make a difference with Take 25. One, you can go to Take 25's website and get ideas for a single event, or a series of events, log them into the Take 25 website and they'll send you distribution materials [bookmarks, tip sheets, magnets...], and then have your event! It's a great feeling to contribute to the community, and it's easier than pie.

The second way to make a difference with Take 25 is to build consensus

• that Take 25 is important.
• that the message and information contained in those distribution materials is necessary, and
• that not only should an organization sponsor or host an event, they should consider implementing changes into their existing policies that reinforce the safety of their community
• at every level available to the planner - church, community center, school, employer, city, or state.

That is what Safe Child Week is about. There's not a state or community in the country that doesn't need some child security education - I am very sure of that. You can bring it to the community you live in.

Changes at CAP

CAP is moving from a c4 to a c3 nonprofit [we'll let you know as soon as we get approved - you'll hear the screeches of joy across the country], which requires that we shift the org's structure a bit.

Each chapter's website is moving to cap-usa/state_name. We're doing that via automatic redirect, so you don't need to update your bookmarks. The vast majority of education materials will be organized at www.communitywatch.us. If some piece of education is primarily for one state, then it will be on that state's site and on the Community Watch site.

The whole org, all three small chapters [and growing ;-)], will share the same advisory board, but the state directors have near-complete autonomy, so long as they follow the by laws and mission statement and listen to their local members.

The shop, links for donations, and ability to join as a maintainer will all be up and running sometime in January.

Community Watch is a work in progress. It will be a better product if we get some feedback. PlayGround Watch is coming in 2009.

And - you can probably tell that we could use some help. Do you have project or program management skills? About ten hours a month free? Dedication and stick-to-itness? Please send us an email.

December Wash-CAP update

We've been very busy at Communities Against Predators - there's a lot to read:

• We have a new safety website up at http://www.communitywatch.us/ - it's a work-in-progress, but there's some great information there, so check it out and tell your friends!


• We're building a Board of Advisors: representatives from communities and organizations will help guide our goals and decisions. If you have someone in mind for consideration, please let us know!


• Two membership levels will be available as of January 1st - Supporters and Maintainers.
  >Supporters - are showing their support of our effort. We ask for name and zip, plus school or legislative district. You can opt into our Action Alerts and/or Updates, or not. All information provided is kept entirely private.
  >Maintainers - are showing their support and helping us carry it forward with a membership cost of $10 per year. Maintainers also share a seat on our Board of Advisors, and thus get to collectively vote [simple majority] on our yearly agenda.
  **NOTE! - we don't want anyone distracted from holiday donations, so please do not send us any money now. Food banks, Giving Trees, the Salvation Army, and your local shelters are all great places help out this season.


• Maggie, from the Take 25 program at NCMEC, is visiting next week, Thursday December 11. Join us for a brain-storming session Thursday morning, with coffee, pastries, and some great company, to help plan Safe Child Week 2009! Wash-CAP had great success with Safe Child Week 2008:
  >Governor's Proclamation of Safe Child Week from May 19-25, 2008
  >TV coverage on KOMO 4 news
  >Take 25 materials in libraries across the state in May
  >Collaborative efforts with the Missing and Exploited Children's Task Force for WA
  >Public Service Announcements from the Attorney General's office
  >and more...
  *If you'd like to come to the planning meeting, reply back and I'll let you know exactly when and where! Bring a friend!
  **Also, NCMEC doesn't have an office up here in the North West - let's show them some dedicated citizenry!



• We're working on a few bills for this coming session, please let your legislators know what you think about them:
  >Statute of Limitations on Felony Sex Crimes against Children - we think it should be lengthened.
  >Indecent Exposure with Sexual Intent - we think it should be more than a misdemeanor [jay walking is a misdemeanor...].
  >Increased Penalty Zones around schools and bus stops - we think there should be IPZs around them, and the PTA agrees!
  >Safe Child Legislation - do children in Washington have rights? What are they, exactly? We think it should be articulated.

OK! That's all I've got for now. We really hope to see many of you next Thursday morning [December 11], to give Maggie a big welcome and let her know how important her organization, and our effort, is to our community.

Thank you for your support. We've heard from dozens of you in the last few months, and it's very encouraging to know that you all care and support our efforts.

Reporting & Statutes of Limitation

In many states, there is no Statute of Limitation [SOL] on Childhood Sexual Assault [CSA]. In fact, a few states don't have SOL for any sexual assault, and some states don't have any SOL for any felonies, period!

Every state is different, and the framers made that possible on purpose. In WA, we have a 3 year SOL on almost everything. Right or wrong, that's the way it is right now.

Nothing says we can't work to change that, however.

---

Surprisingly, Victim Advocates in WA are not in support of removing the SOL from CSA. Very few groups are in support of it, in fact. Wash-CAP thinks that it wouldn't be a bad thing, but that it's not a total fix for victims of CSA.

To get that opinion, we interviewed researchers at UW, victims, and prosecutors. If anyone wants more details, email me.

So, we came up with a compromise, and have started working on consensus for it:

When we came up with the idea, we were discussing what specific issues victims need addressed. We determined that victims may need

• to know that they’re not ‘allowing’ the predator to commit more crimes due to their lack of reporting,
• to know that they’ve sought justice for themselves, and
• to speak out against their abuser

We’re not victim’s advocates, so that list may not have the proper terminology or be a complete list. However, it did allow us to come up with the proposed compromise:

1. SOL be extended to 25 y/o for all felony CSA.
   This is for the following reasons:
   >The majority of abuse takes place within the home, and in the majority of cases the abuser is in direct control of the child and is also the person paying for the child’s car, college, etc.
   >The extension allows the child time to find therapy [free therapy in college without risk of mandatory reporting], complete college/trade school, and establish financial and social independence from the abusive environment.


2. Victims would be able to submit affidavits detailing the facts of the abuse as they remember it. Those affidavits would
   >Be held by law enforcement
   >Be “searchable” by law enforcement [databased]
   >Be admissible in court
   >Have no SOL


3. The accused would be notified of the affidavit and would be able to provide a response.

We leave it to the wisdom of the legislature as to whether these affidavits would be accessible to the public. Perhaps the facts of the affidavit, but not the identifying information.

---

We're open to suggestions and opinions.

Two cents: creating an environment conducive to reporting.

When I started working on this project [CAP], I knew not to use stranger danger, and I knew why, but I made a lot of other mistakes. Sometimes I still think certain things, briefly, without saying them out loud, and sometimes I hear things from others.

Things like, "That person is just evil/a monster," or, "If anyone ever hurt my child like that, I/my husband would kill them!"

Here's the point of the post:

Whether or not evil exists is a fascinating conversation. The existance of this type of abuse, and the extremes to which it can be carried, may indicate the existance of evil; I don't know. But child abusers themselves are not evil. They're sick, they're twisted, they have chemical imbalances coupled with weak characters and poor impulse control... but they're not evil.

When we call them 'evil' or [to a lesser extent] 'monsters', we're creating a mystery around them and making them seem even scarier than they are. When a child hears a parent talking about abusers that way, the kid is thinking that, no matter what the parent says, there's not a thing mom or dad can do about the evil guy, that you're not big enough or mean enough to deal with monsters. There's a good chance that the child is going to try and protect his/her parents from the evil monsters by not telling the parent what's happening.

The same thing holds true for statements involving 'killing' those who abuse our kids. Personally, I think my head might explode from wanting to, but I've learned not to say it because - as one of my children pointed out to me [ouch] - if I kill that person, then I'll be in jail, and they won't have me as a parent.

The unifying theme to both these points: The reality of child abuse is so overwhelmingly and explosively emotional that neutral and calm language is necessary in order to help ensure that the facts get shared. If the worst happens and a child is abused or assaulted, the child needs to know that the parent/trusted adult is able to safeguard them from more harm, and to handle the information without getting arrested. Otherwise, they may be more willing to tolerate further abuse than to potentially worsen the situation by having their parents in danger or in jail. Sounds horrific, but it's not uncommon.

Increased Penalty Zones

The Washington State PTA had their Legislative Assembly on October 3/4. During the Legislative Assembly, representatives from schools all over the state came to SeaTac to learn about and debate the issues under consideration for PTA support in the upcoming WA Legislative Session.

14 issues were presented for consideration, and 12 were kept on the ballot. The top 5 priority issues were based on education reform. Increased Penalty Zones came in at number six as a priority in PTA schools across the state!

It's great to know that the PTA, representing many thousand members state-wide, is supporting our efforts at Wash-CAP.

If you're a member of the PTA, you can contact your local legislators and let them know that the PTA supports Increased Penalty Zones, as described on our Projects page.

economy, children, and legislation

This week I was told by a legislator, who shall remain nameless, that the priority in the State Legislature this session had to be on the economy and saving money.

Fiscal responsibility is very important, and I wouldn’t deny that. I won't diminish the importance of having a balanced budget, controlled spending, and sufficient reserves. This message is about how all of these issues are tied together.

When the economy takes a down turn, life gets more stressful. Our money has less value, there are fewer employment opportunities and more unemployed, and the cost of life increases. Right now, food banks all over the state are experiencing tremendous difficulty meeting the needs of their community, and many are closing their doors.

Social workers are already over-burdened, the need for their services is going to increase, and there is no funding for the increased need.

Why is the need for their services going to increase? Because when the economy takes a down-turn, crimes against children increase.

In most states in the country - all of them, so far as we know - there is a large amount of reactive legislation to address crimes that have been committed. There is some legislation to address identifying behaviors that indicate that a child has been victimized. There is very little legislation which actually is intended to prevent crimes against children.

Crimes are prevented with awareness and education, which are pennies on the dollar to the costs of prosecution and detention. It is also pennies on the dollar when compared to the costs of economic drain due to self-destructive behaviors, lack of meaningful employment, social welfare programs, and the statistical probability of repeated abuse in the next generation.

Washington will get through this recession in the next few years, and when we do, we'll see the costs of economic strain combined with a non-progressive approach to crime prevention.

Huge props to Senator McAuliffe for working with us to figure out effective and feasible methods of bringing security curricula to Washington's families and communities when our school systems are in a budget crisis. Her dedication and pragmatism have served Washington and her district for a long time, and they are appreciated by Wash-CAP.

Facebook

If you have a Facebook account, you can join the Safe Child Project group.

Social Networking

Social Networking is an interesting thing.

With most social networks, the user is also the product. Social networking sites make money by selling advertising which targets your demographic, based on your member profile and your patterns of use.

In exchange, they provide a free or very cheap way to keep up with family and friends, to network, and to distract yourself with games and memes.

Another side effect of social networking is the increased vulnerability of the user.

When it comes down to it, you have no way of knowing who is really on the other side of that network connection. Is it Susan, or Susan's brother? Is it a handsome techie from Toledo or the cranky older guy that lives a few apartments down from yours?

Kids and teenagers make up a large percentage of social networking users. To protect kids under 13 from inappropriate data collection and marketing, the Feds came up with COPPA. As a result of COPPA, most social networking sites don't 'allow' children under 13 to join.

There is no way, of course, that those sites can effectively stop children from joining. So we have the added side-effect of many children online, and vulnerable to the manipulation of online predators. Without a profound policy shift amongst most social networking organizations, this will continue to be a problem, although it has improved as parents have increasingly prioritized internet safety.

Protecting your kids on the internet is simple.

• Don't send them online alone. Install parental controls [like OneCare] that allow you to restrict internet access when an adult is not in the house, and provide a record of each person they come in contact with online, and each site they visit. This will also allow you to provide access to some sites while restricting others.


• Get comfortable with the internet: POS means parent over shoulder; TTYL means talk to you later. Learn to determine when it's safe to enter ID or banking information, and teach your children. Teach them about phishing scams, ID theft, and fraud. The more they know, and you know, the more they will be empowered against risk.


• Keep the computers in a central location; don't allow your kids to surf the internet from their bedrooms, or while they're alone in the house. It's important to provide them with oversight and boundaries.


• Children should not communicate with anyone online that YOU have not met in real life. Their email contacts should include a parent's name and phone number. You should know all the passwords to all of their accounts. Track the parental control reports to ensure that you know all sites they regularly visit and where they could be meeting people.


• Let your kids know they must NEVER arrange to meet with anyone they know from the internet, or share information about their location with people they know from the internet.


• Everything that happens online has consequences in the real world. It's difficult to remember for many adults, and very challenging for most children. Boundaries and discussion are invaluable as your child, and you, explore the internet.

---

Against my own inclination, I created a CAP group at My Space. My thinking is that we can maintain a beacon of internet safety over there, and my gut says, "Bad idea." I entered the information, posted some internet safety guidelines, and saved the data. The profile page presented itself, and in great, huge, bright blue letters across the middle of the screen? An incredibly inappropriate advertising banner. I won't repeat the slogan, but it was laughably ironic.

September News

OK!

Our schedule has changed: as of now, the Safe Child Town Hall series is on hold.

While the participation amongst other organizations has been fantastic, and created a tremendous community resource for Tacoma and Bellevue, the events themselves have been under-attended.

When we can figure out how to get people in seats for this important topic, we'll re-schedule the Town Hall series. If you would still like one in your town or legislative district, send us an email or post here, and we'll prioritize the areas that get the most requests. So far there has been a lot of demand for Bothell and White Center/Burien.

ID Education [ideducation.net] is almost ready for use.

IDEducation.net will be a VERY basic, very accessible internet/ID safety site, largely pulling from, and referring to, expert sources like Look Both Ways and NetSmartz. This will not be cutting edge theory, this will be a tool box for folks just figuring out the many uses of the web.

We didn't get to attend the Together 2008 Reunion organized by FCAA. Heavy rain and sick kid prevented our drive to Tacoma. We hope we get another invite for next year, however. Did you attend? Tell us how it went!

Fall Schedule

We have a lot scheduled for the next few months. Check out this list, and see if there is anything in your area. If not, let us know if you'd like us to schedule something. We'll do our best.

• 9/18 - Safe Child Town Hall, Highland Middle School, Bellevue, 7-830 pm. Children Welcome
• 9/20 - Together, Reunion 2008, the Foster Care Alumni of America's first Reunion - if you are part of the foster care community, check out http://www.fostercarealumni.org/ website for more information.
• 9/25 - Safe Child Town Hall, WF West High, Chehalis, 7-830 pm. Children Welcome.
• 10/2 - Safe Child Town Hall, Bothell
• 10/3-4 - Washington State PTA Legislative Assembly
• 10/7 - Safe Child Town Hall, Richland
• 10/23 - Safe Child Town Hall, Sedro Woolley
• 11/6 - Safe Child Town Hall, Spokane

Somewhere in there we're going to try and fit a Safe Child town hall for the White Center area. We hope to see you over the next few months of Town Halls. Come and say 'Hi' if you're able to attend! They're all child-friendly, and we need volunteers to help coordinate!

Foster Care Alumni of America

This morning I opened up outlook and was pleased to see an evite - I'm a social girl, I like parties.

This is an incredibly cool party. Maybe one of the coolest parties ever. The evite was from FCAA - the Foster Care Alumni of America, for their first Reunion.

I'm going, and I'm taking my family.

What makes a family? What makes a community? Shared experience, support, and the will to work together through the conflicts and joys of life.

When something is broken, you work to fix it. When you do not have what you need, you work to get it. When you believe something, you do it. That is what the FCAA is doing, and I am so pleased and impressed.

Safe Child Town Hall - Tacoma

For Immediate Release:

The City of Tacoma is the site of the first Safe Child Town Hall, located at Lincoln High School’s auditorium, is Wednesday, August 20th, at 6:00 pm.

This town hall series is designed to empower communities, parents, and children; to help define and confront real risk head-on, in order to reduce crimes against children and tragedies in our communities. The Safe Child Town Hall series is part of Washington Communities Against Predator’s [Wash-CAP] Safe Child Project, in observance of National Missing Children’s Day. As many of the media know, 67% of all reported Sexual Assaults are committed upon minors: 33% are below 12 years of age. It is the goal of the Safe Child Project to reduce those numbers.

We hope for community members from across Tacoma to attend. Parents, care-givers, concerned adults and teenagers all benefit from learning –proactively- how to safeguard the children within their communities. With knowledge and empowerment, children can be kept safe and secure.

Tacoma Safe Child Town Hall topics will include:
· preventative safety for child and family,
· resources available if your child has been assaulted,
· real statistics on who is a threat to your child and community,
· internet safety
· what is being done to increase the safety of Tacoma’s families & children, and what has been learned in the last year since the tragic loss of Zinna Linnick,
· what kind of oversight Registered Sex Offenders receive,
· Panel Q&A

Participants include:
· Sexual Assault Center of Pierce County
· Safe Streets
· Department of Corrections
· Legislative Youth Advisory Council
· District 27 of the Washington State Legislature
· City of Tacoma, Tacoma TV
· Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital
· Tacoma Police Department
· Tacoma Schools
· Wash-CAP

Please – Attend if you can. Children are welcome. Printed materials will be available from participating organizations, including the Take 25 program from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children [NCMEC].

Some facts about injustice today - introducing the International Justice Mission

Earlier today I was instant messaging with my husband- we sit at our respective computers and send links back and forth to each other. At MSN, I came across a Dateline article on the Cambodian sex trade, which is one of the horrific issues that keeps me working on Saturday mornings while the kids play soccer.

The article describes the child sex-slave industry in Cambodia, and the efforts of some organizations to end that industry, and to provide care to the children who are rescued from the brothels - some of the children as young as five. One of those organizations is The International Justice Mission.

The International Justice Mission [IJM] is a phenomenal, courageous organization that works to shed light on gross injustice, and to bring pressure on countries to correct those injustices. Through hard work, risk, and working within the confines of other country's laws, IJM aggressively attacks the problems of child exploitation and sex-trade slavery, in addition to other kinds of slavery and injustice.

Here are some facts from their website, which are well documented via other organizations as well.

from the website of International Justice Mission
The Facts

• The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of $32 billion (U.N.)


• Each year, more than 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade (UNICEF)


• 27 million men, women and children are held as slaves. (Kevin Bales, Disposable People)


• 1 in 5 women is a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. (U. N. Development Fund for Women)


• More than 1 million children live in detention, the vast majority awaiting trial for minor offenses. (UNICEF)

Their website has a wealth of important information, including how you can help via volunteering and donation.

Some facts about slavery in the US (from Good magazine):

• Between 14,500 - 17,500 slaves are brought into the US each year. One approximately every 30 minutes.


• Half of the slaves brought into the US are used in the commercial sex industry


• Internationally, the average cost of a slave is $90

Washington update for July

Hello All!

• Are you a PTA member? Can you help us between 10-3pm on Saturday, July 12? Please? We have submitted a legislative proposal to the Washington State PTA, and are due to testify on its behalf tomorrow, 7/12. We realized Wednesday that Bethan hadn't paid her PTA dues for the 2007/2008 school year, and now we need someone to present the proposal for her! This proposal would increase the penalties for predatory crimes committed against kids within a school zone, defined as 1000 feet around schools, and 100 feet around bus stops.



• Huzzah to Wash-CAP - we made 'partner' with the Take 25 program from NCMEC, reaching more than 30,000 people with the prevention education message during late May and early June. We're still at it, too. If you live in White Center, you'll find Take 25 materials presented by the Kiwanis at the Jubilee, and various farmers markets around the Puget Sound area will have Take 25 materials, as available, during the Summer and Fall.



• Our Education work now dwarfs our legislative work, so we're filing for (c)(3) status. Soon, your donations will be tax deductible. In the meantime, we still need donations! Right now we're raising money to buy ID kits for the kids at Stanley Elementary in Tacoma. Representatives from state and federal agencies will fingerprint and photograph, and each kid leaves with a very functional ID kit in case the worst happens and a child goes missing.
  
  Very few children are kidnapped and 'disappear' each year, but the consequences are tremendous, and these ID kits have assisted in the return of many children. During ID events, preventative education is also provided to the community, families, and children. Please send in a donation to help this happen. There are approximately 325 kids, and each ID kit costs a dollar. We accept donations via checks, cash, and paypal.



• We need your skills! Grant writers, executive level project managers, fundraisers - if you'd like to do some resume-worthy non-profit work, contact us. We're working on some truly fantastic projects this year, and are only limited by dollars in the bank and hours in the day.



• What do you think?
  
  -Should there be a statute of limitations on child sexual assault cases?
  -Do you agree with the Supreme Court Ruling that the death penalty may not be applied even in the most severe cases of child sexual assault?
  
  Send us back your answers and will post them on our site.

Yay! We made the list!

Washington Communities Against Predators has made the partner list for the Take 25 campaign from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children!

Gavin de Becker interviewed by Charlie Rose

Very interesting <13 minute interview.

http://www.charlierose.com/guests/gavin-becker

Age of Consent

What do you think about Age of Consent?

Watch some of these episodes from 20/20's series, Age of Consent: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/AgeOfConsent/

What do you think - should a 19 year old who has intercouse with his 15 year old girl friend stay on a registry forever?

ADHD or Trauma?

Diagnosis: ADHD—or Is It Trauma?
"Though we tend to think of traumatic experiences as rare, in fact, by age 16, seven of 10 children have been exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event—such as a natural disaster, severe car accident, child abuse or the loss of close family member—according to a study of a representative sample of more than 1,400 children living in North Carolina published in 2007."

This article discusses the symptoms of trauma and how they are similar to ADHD or ADD, and so are often mistaken by pediatricians who don't have sufficient training, or who haven't received the information they need to do a proper screening for the REAL cause of the behavioral issues.

This is an area where the parents and care-givers need to be observant and stay attuned to their children: if you see a change in how your child behaves, such as nervousness, a strong startle response, increased aggressive behavior which seems out of character - then you need to look around at the people and circumstances of your child's environment and see if you can find some clues, and you need to get your kid screened by a professional. There are a lot of great child psychologists out there, and a lot of insurance companies cover a certain number of visits per year, especially when you have behavioral disruptions. Many of these psychologists and counselors are available through school districts.

Remember, younger kids have 'magical thinking'. If abuse starts before the kids are more logical thinkers, then they probably assume that you know about it, or that you can pick up on the tiny little clues that they drop, which are often disguised as erratic behavior.

Talk to your kids, follow up on random statements, and don't let erratic or unusual behavior go un-discussed and dealt with.

Washington update for June

Member Update for June, 2008
Hello Everyone!
We've had a lot happen in the last 4-6 weeks.

• Welcome to Colorado, our newest chapter. Jane from California forwarded us a news story about a man in Western Colorado who needed some help, and a few days later Jason started the process to create a chapter. Really nice people, and already getting a lot done. If you have relatives for friends in Colorado, let them know they have a resource for safety education and advocacy.


• Safe Child Week was a great success. Regional Library systems, the Attorney General's Office, the Governor, the Legislature, the PTA, several pediatric clinics, Moms' clubs, PEACE of Mind... all told, we reached approximately 30,000 people with the message of preventative safety education, using the Take 25 program from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And that's not counting the people reached with media coverage! Tremendous thanks to everyone who participated, and -if you missed the chance- there is more coming up with the Safe Child Effort:


• Town Hall meetings are scheduled in 7 Legislative Districts so far, starting in September. These Town Halls are in further observance of Missing Children's Day, and will cover children's safety issues and crime prevention. Local legislators and elected officials, local law enforcement, and experts in crime prevention will be attending as speakers and for Q&A. If you would like to participate in this effort, or would like more information, please contact us.


• Our agenda for 2008-09 is on the website. Our focus this year is on the Safe Child project, Increased Penalties in School Zone legislation, Statute of Limitations on Felony crimes committed against kids, and Predatory Exposure.


• Paula is going on hiatus for the rest of the year. We wouldn't be here without her dedication and hard work: she spent hundreds of hours getting this non-profit up off the ground, offering support, driving to Olympia to testify, etc., and all the while being a great parent and finding success in her demanding career.
  
  This leaves an opening in our organization for a Director. It's an unpaid position, and time commitments range from 10-30 hours per week. Higher-level project management skills are necessary, along with some experience in, or knowledge of, law enforcement, social work, legislation, or fund raising. If you're interested, send in your resume and cover letter.

Enjoy your summer, and keep safe! Here are Summer Safety Rules from NCMEC - a very good read. Print the .pdf and talk to your kids about it.

Washington update for May

May 06, 2008
Safe Child Week Update
For Immediate Release:

National Missing Children's Day is on May 25. This is the 26th National Missing Children's Day, which was first proclaimed by President Reagan in observance of the disappearance of a young boy in New York, and in observance of the thousands of children that are abducted in the US every year.

Washington Communities Against Predators, and Washington State, are observing National Missing Children's Day with the creation of Safe Child Week, which will occur May 19-25.

Safe Child Week is a week of prevention education across Washington State, working with the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children's Take 25 program. Our goal is that Take 25's common-sense and non-scary message will reach every single care-giver and parent in Washington State.

We're off to a great start.

The Governor's Office, Attorney General's Office, the State Senate, the PTA, the Association of Washington Cities, several of the regional library systems, Moms' Clubs of Washington, a number of hospitals, Safe Streets and other community based organizations, have all signed on to raise awareness, educate, and empower communities, families, and children.

But will it be enough? In 2006, 58,000 children were abducted by non-family members. 67% of reported sex crimes were committed against children under 18, 33% were committed upon children under 12. 14% of all reported sex crimes were committed upon children under 6 years old. And that's the crimes that were reported. Law enforcement indicate that a large number of these crimes go unreported as the criminal is in a position of authority over the child.

The effects of this type and amount of child victimization are felt by the family, the community, and society. We would ask that society 'Take 25' to realize that it is a serious risk to society: 33% of girls, and 20% of boys will experience sexual assault as children, and the damage will be lasting.

We can prevent it, and Safe Child Week, with Take 25, is a solid step in that direction.

Washington update for April

April 21, 2008
Hello Everyone!
Today is April 21, and we are busy. Very very busy.

• Safe Child Week - Organizations and businesses across Washington State are signing up to participate in this week-long effort toward preventative safety education. Town Hall meetings, ID Kit events, community seminars, library story-times, PTA programs, public service announcements... in a week or so, you'll be able to enter your location into [this] event form, and find a participant near you.


• Legislation - Not a single bill that we proposed got through. Thankfully, others have recognized the importance of that legislation, so there are more people working on it and helping it along. Some other legislation that we're working on is the Statute of Limitations on CSA crimes, and researching issues that members have had over the last 18 months, to see if there are systems that need work. Head over to our blog and talk about it!


• PlayGround Watch - is in the works. Have a community area that your family enjoys, like the park, playground at school, or a public pool? You'll be able to talk to others that use that same space, and trade community information and safety issues.


• Introducing Heather, who is our rotating Director of Special Projects. Right now, most of this is a special project! Heather will be working on establishing a seminar program for the state, and on formalizing Safe Child Week. She comes to us with a strong background in management and training, and we really appreciate her help.


• Town Hall meetings - In response to the large number of emails we received expressing disappointment with this session's results, we've talked to our State's Senators and Representatives about scheduling Town Hall meetings in their districts. Some of these may be hosted by community members, some by cities and towns, but all of them will provide a forum for YOU to tell your local government what you think about community and child safety, and also will provide some common-sense safety education. Contact your district office to find out if one is scheduled in your area.

And, please - we need feedback and volunteers.
Want to handout tip sheets at a farmers market in your community? Organize and moderate a safety seminar? Could be fun :-)

Talk to Us - Volunteer - Donate
Thank you!

Are sex offenders ill?

A great article from the Sex Crime blog: Are Sex Offenders Ill?

I'm not a mental health professional, so I won't offer an opinion. I will say that their mental health is not of concern to our org.

What is of concern is that -if they have gotten to the point of being 'sex offenders' - they allowed themselves to impose on another person in a sexually violent manner.

That's what jails are for.

Washington update for March

2008 is an eventful year so far.

In January, we worked with the Washington State Bar Association on their methods of dealing with members accused of sex crimes, prepared for the 2008 Legislative Session, and we traveled to Olympia to testify before a legislative committee.
In February, we made several trips to Olympia to testify and talk to legislators, put up a new website, and started preparations for Missing Children's Week, in May.
In March we

• Watched the clock as all of our Bills stalled in the final stage of the legislative session. In those final hours, the legislators showed us that they do not share our priorities. Disappointed? Hugely. Dis-spirited? Yeah, a little. And very motivated to get our message heard and our legislation passed in 2008/09.


• Received word from the Washington State Bar Association that they read our Letter of Request and agree that this is an issue they need to work on. They're forming a committee to figure out the best method of dealing with members accused of sex crimes, so that consumers of legal services in Washington State can have some faith in the integrity of those listed on the WSBA's member pages.


• Continued work on Missing Children's Week. This will be a week of prevention education in observance of Missing Children's Day. We're working with a rapidly growing number of organizations across Washington State to bring some amount of prevention education to every single child and care-giver in the state, in the hopes of reducing the horrifying number of children preyed upon each year.


• We still need help! The offers of encouragement are wonderful, and very appreciated, but all of this work costs a bit of money, and takes a lot of time. $12 pays for the website for a month, and you can donate it by buying a couple of items from our store! Or, if you'd like to work on a project, please contact us and let us know - a few hours of your time is a wonderful way to help.


• April 3 is "Blog Against Sexual Violence" day. You can participate over at www.wash-cap.org/blog. We're going to start a few topics, and you can come on over and participate. What topics would you like to see discussed? Let us know, and we'll get them up.

Thank you for your continued support. We started off the year with a lot of enthusiasm, and we're continuing with dedication and tenacity.

We have a very full agenda, we have a detailed plan of action, and we are moving forward.

-Bethan & Paula
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