Nov
30
Another Awesome Youth Activist!
Tags: ableism, activism, social justice, youth
Filed Under Motivating Moments | By Melissa Heald | 1 Comment
Eleven-year-old Abigail of Thomaston, CT, has a passion for working with service dogs. She volunteers at East Coast Assistance Dogs training dogs to be service animals. When she heard about the discrimination and abuse that Luis Montalvan faced because of his disability and his use of a service dog, she was enraged!
Montalvan was turned away from a Brooklyn McDonald’s because of his “pet.” Later, he says he was severely beaten by two McDonald’s employees as he took photos of the store’s “service animals welcome” sign.
In response to this fiasco, Abigail is boycotting McDonald’s and encouraging her friends and family to do the same. She’s also organizing a letter writing campaign and getting her friends and family to write McDonald’s to express their outrage at the treatment Montalvan received.
This girl is only 11; can you imagine how she’ll be changing the world as an adult??
Nov
18
Spam Emails and the Real Messages They Send
Tags: rape culture
Filed Under Uncategorized | By Annette Burrhus-Clay | 1 Comment
*WARNING: This post contains graphic references to sexual violence.
I’ve always received a massive amount of junk email at work, regardless of what spam filter we are using. I also notice that at least 75% of the ads are sexual in nature and just assumed this is a result of us having the word “sexual” in the name of our agency. I literally get thousands of sex aid advertisements a month. What really concerns me much more than the volume of these ads I’m receiving is the progression from benign and juvenile to obscene and violent.
This latest wave of ads began hitting my mailbox in early October. The subject line usually said something to the effect of “leave her begging for more” or “don’t let your love-making embarrass you any longer.” There was a day or so when they vied for the attention of the potential customer with a little humor and borderline copyright infringement, i.e. “quicker pecker picker upper.” Then I noticed a serious shift in advertising strategies which often came in 3-4 day waves and frankly none of these strategies take the high road. They move beyond preying on men’s insecurities to degrading and objectifying women, using violent imagery, getting increasingly vulgar and promoting sex with underaged girls. Read more
Nov
12
Virus Can Paint You as a Predator
Tags: child pornography, technology
Filed Under News | By Melissa Heald | 1 Comment
This sounds like something straight out of an urban legend, but apparently, it’s true. The Huffington Post reports that a computer virus exists that can clandestinely download child porn onto someone’s computer. Apparently, this virus can be implemented by someone trying to play a malicious prank, frame someone for a crime they didn’t commit, or even by actual pedophiles who use others’ computers to store their porn so that they don’t have to worry about getting caught.
Pretty frightening, no doubt, but Phil Malone, director of the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, compares this defense to “old `dog ate my homework’ excuse,” though he does concede that, “sometimes the dog does eat your homework.”
How widespread is this virus? Who knows, and the article doesn’t attempt to explain. Luckily, though there are a lot of ways for investigators to try and find out whether someone was framed or if they’re an actual predator. “Even careful child porn collectors tend to leave incriminating e-mails, DVDs or other clues. Virus defenses are no match for such evidence, says Damon King, trial attorney for the U.S. Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.”
I guess this is just one more reminder of why it’s so important to invest in a reliable virus scanner and use it regularly!
Nov
10
Child Advocacy Center Conference Offers New Insight
Tags: child sexual assault, sex offenders
Filed Under Uncategorized | By Rose Luna | Leave a Comment
Child sexual assault is a concern shared across political, racial and socioeconomic boundaries. I attended the Children’s Advocacy Center of Texas annual conference in Austin last week and was overwhelmed (in a positive way) by the information.
I walked away with a deep appreciation for the delicate process of a forensic interview and child forensic interviewers. Child sexual assault issues have received much legislative attention the past two sessions. The Texas tough penalties are in effect, however the muddled dynamics of child sexual assault remain the same. Societal (potential jury members’) expectations rely on definitive physical and DNA evidence, however most confirmed cases of child sexual assault presented at emergency rooms across the country are found inconclusive. This highly-charged atmosphere places a huge burden on all agencies involved in these cases, specifically child forensic interviewers and prosecutors.
I attended a session by Chris Newlin, executive director of the National Children’s Advocacy Center, in which a prosecutor in the audience raised two concerns: first, the lack of specific information (date, time, place, type of assaults, etc.) obtained from the interview process and, second, the lack of knowledge of child sexual assault statutes amongst interviewers. Mr. Newlin countered with a methodical explanation of child sexual assault disclosure as a process rather than an event.
The concerns, although valid, are very cut and dry, whereas the dynamics surrounding child sexual assault are not. Therein lies the impediment to justice for child victims and society as a whole.
The burden on child victims and forensic interviewers are great and with the stiff penalties of Jessica’s Law the stakes are high for prosecutors. The responsibility of keeping children safe lies unduly on child victims, agencies obtaining evidence and prosecutors putting away the bad guys. The community must recognize its role in creating an environment conducive for the safety of all its members. Until then… hats off to those in the trenches.
Nov
4
Unfair Practice or Good Policy?
Tags: social justice
Filed Under Uncategorized | By Rose Luna | 5 Comments
I am in the process of switching duplex units (upgrading). I called the utility company to have both units in my name for a week to progressively move my items. I was informed that I needed to physically present myself, a copy of the lease and a valid photo I.D. in order to get the services. This is a new policy that went into effect August 2009. I think it is ludicrous!
Is the purpose of the new policy to reduce identity theft as I was told or is it as I suspect – a back door attempt to further marginalize certain communities? Whatever the intention of the policy change, the impact will mostly affect disadvantaged communities. Not to mention the implications of this new policy on victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. I would love to hear your thoughts. Sound off!