Violence Ages Children's DNA

USA Today reports that a new study suggests that exposure to violence - domestic violence, experiencing child abuse, or bullying - can alter the DNA of children exposed, resulting in increased risk of diseases associated with aging, seven to 10 years earlier than children who do not have that type of exposure.  You can find the article at http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-04-24/violence-cellular-mark/54493338/1.

Resources for Child Abuse Prevention Month

In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the National Criminal Justice Reference Services (NCJRS) has put together resources for professionals to better understand the incidence and impact of child abuse.  You can find these at:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/childabuse/additional.htmle Prevention Month, the

HIPAA and Child Abuse

It is not uncommon for us to hear that HIPAA creates problems in terms of child abuse investigations.  Often, that is the result of a lack of awareness or understanding of the child abuse provisions in the Act.  Here are links to two papers, one from the National District Attorney's Association (NDAA) and another from the American Academy of Pediatrics, that provide clarification regarding those sections of the Act that apply to child abuse. 
http://www.ndaa.org/ncpca_update_v16_no4.html
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/1/197.full

Attend the NCCAN conference from your desk!

A few of the challenges associated with attending conferences include travel costs and time away from the office.  The sponsors of the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, to be held next week in Washington, D.C., recognize that not everyone has the time or resources to attend their conference so they are offering some virtual sessions - you can attend from your desk!  Several workshops as well as plenary sessions are included in the webinar series.  To find out more, go to:
http://www.pal-tech.com/web/OCAN/webinars.cfm?p=38

It's time for the annual Washington Post Peeps Show

Even if you can't quite bring yourself to eat Peeps, you can enjoy the fanciful ways people use them to create dioramas.   Follow this link to see the winners of this year's Washington Post Peeps Show  http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/peeps-show-vi/2012/03/27/gIQAswMmfS_gallery.html#photo=51 including OccuPeep DC.

What's the average age of kids entering human trafficking? Twelve - Fourteen

See what Oakland, CA is doing to help the estimated 100 children in their community who are being victimized each day.  You can find it at http://www.youthlaw.org/publications/yln/2012/jan_mar_2012/stopping_victimization_of_vulnerable_children_in_california/

What are those other CACs up to?

Want to see what other Children's Advocacy Centers are up to?  If you sign up for Google Alerts and enter Children's Advocacy Centers or other key words (Children's Justice Centers, for example) you can get a list of what's in the news including events being held (a new fundraising idea!), grant awards, editorials, interesting case decisions, etc.  You can set the frequency of your emails from Google and stop any time.  For more information, go to http://www.google.com/alerts and try it out. 

Tips for Cross Examining a Defendent or Defense Witness

The most recent newsletter of National District Attorney Association (NDAA) includes an article entitled:  When Sparks Fly In Defense of ChildVictims: Tips for Cross Examining a Defendant or DefenseWitness.

You can find it at: http://www.ndaa.org/pdf/UpdateV23N6.pdf