Tag Archives: Darkness to Light

Vickroy: Help the helpers stop child sexual abuse

Heather Randazzo, Program Coordinator for the Child Abuse Prevention Program, stands outside a therapy room at the Childhood Trauma Treatment Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois, Thursday, April 4, 2013. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media Here are some alarming numbers: 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused during childhood. The average age of the victims: 9. “This is a social epidemic and a real tragedy,” said Heather Randazzo, program coordinator for the Childhood Trauma Treatment Program run by Advocate Health Care. …

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Polk Women Working to Stop Child Sex Abuse

Kim Alvarez, with Darkness to Light Stewards of Children, leads a training session teaching how to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse on Saturday at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office East Region Command in Winter Haven. About 30 people attended the session, at left, asking questions and commenting during a break in the training video. PAUL CRATE | LEDGER MEDIA GROUP PHOTOS By Gary White THE LEDGER Published: Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 9:35 p.m. Last Modified: Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 9:35 p.m. WINTER HAVEN | …

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Child Advocacy Center holds official opening – Carroll County, Georgia

The Carroll County Child Advocacy Center has been in operation about two months now, but center leaders and local municipal officials on Thursday made the opening official. Board members and their children and grandchildren lined up near the center’s outdoor sign to cut the traditional ribbon, while camera shutters clicked and officials offered their praises. The center is located at 306 Bradley St., Carrollton, in the old mill building which also houses the Southeastern Quilt and Textile Center. “I thank each of you for your …

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Training to prevent child sexual abuse in Foxborough, Massachusetts

To commemorate April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Hockomock Area YMCA will hold a child sexual abuse-prevention training in Foxborough April 29 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Public Safety Building, 8 Chestnut St. The educational program has already been extended to all town employees. Registration is required at least 24 hours in advance. Space is limited. To sign up, contact Tony Calcia, one of the YMCA’s trainers, at 508-643-5226, or send an e-mail to tonyc@hockymca.org.

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What’s in a Name? A Welcome to Pope Francis

Smoke was a big topic of conversation at Darkness to Light HQ yesterday afternoon: specifically, the color of the smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel. As gray smoke turned to white, the D2L team gathered together to watch Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina become the first Pope Francis. According to news sources, the name Francis is an interesting and possibly telling choice. St. Francis of Assisi is revered as a champion of the poor, one of the people – a man called to repair a …

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Teaching my first “Stewards of Children” class

On Thursday, February 28th, I facilitated my first Stewards of Children training for the staff of Central Bucks Family YMCA. Stewards of Children is an awareness program for adults that teaches them to recognize, prevent and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. As I setup for the training, I was very much aware that with the statistic of “1 in 4 girls” and “1 in 6 boys” having been sexually abused before age 18, I could possibly have staff in the training who have had some experience with child …

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New Homepage for Darkness to Light

Darkness to Light is excited to unveil its new homepage! The new page provides a user-friendly interface, allowing visitors to explore more ways to become involved. There is also a new Join the Movement with new calls to action. Visit www.d2l.org and let us know what you think!

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Stamford, CT JCC Paves Prevention Path!

Guest Blogger, Susan Komisar Hausman (Certified Instructor of Stewards of Children) I am beyond PROUD to announce that the Stamford, Connecticut JCC (Jewish Community Center) is the first JCC in the U.S. to attain the Partner In Prevention designation from Darkness To Light! It is also the first, and only, organization in Connecticut to have attained the designation! Partner In Prevention status is earned by an organization when at least 90% of its staff have been trained in D2L’s Stewards of Children child sexual abuse …

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5th Annual Bivona Summit on Child Abuse in Rochester, NY

Please join The Bivona Child Advocacy Center for their 5th Annual Bivona Summit on Child Abuse, a multidisciplinary training  conference for professionals who work with children. The Summit offers a comprehensive program at an affordable price, presented by experts in their field, including national and international speakers. When: April 23 & 24, 2013 Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday Networking: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Where: Hyatt Regency Rochester 125 E Main Street Rochester, NY 14604 Who Should Attend: • Social Workers • Law Enforcement • …

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No Such Thing as Luck

In the last 10 years, the issue of child sexual abuse has been thrust into the spotlight. From the Catholic Church scandal to the Penn State debacle, it’s become obvious that no child is free from the risk of harm. Moreover, in over 90% of sexual abuse cases, the abuser is a known and trusted family member or friend. This number, to me, is staggering. How can a person violate a trust that is so implicit, so sacred? Most people know that children should be …

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