by Kathy Butler, The truth of what child sex abuse is and what it looks like has been missed because the packaging of this crime has been neatly wrapped and presented in a false light. Whether this is done intentionally by some or subconsciously by others, I am not sure. But, I am clear on one thing...it has to stop! If we are ever going to make a dent in the crusade to end … [Read more...]
Middle School Teacher Faces Criminal Charges for Giving Student Lap Dance
Felicia Smith, a 42-year-old Texas middle school teacher, faces a felony charge for giving a student in her classroom a lap dance in class for his birthday on February 26th. The lap dance, lasting almost four minutes, was a full contact experience that took place in front of the other students in the classroom. At the end of the lap dance she hugs the student and tells him, … [Read more...]
School Counselor Faces Charges For Not Reporting Child Abuse Quickly Enough
Cynthia Stamps-Jones, a school counselor at an elementary school in Clayton county Georgia, faces charges for allegedly not taking the appropriate steps to report the abuse of a 5-year-old student. Reportedly, Stamps-Jones made several attempts to contact the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) but was never able to reach someone because the phone was never … [Read more...]
Death at the Hands of a Boyfriend: 3 Things I Did to Keep My Kids Safe While Dating
Last week, the world was crushed to learn of the tragic death of Minnesota Viking’s running back Adrian Peterson’s two-year-old son at the hands of his mother’s boyfriend. Joseph Robert Patterson, 27, allegedly caused injuries that lead to the child’s death while the mother left the child with Patterson for a short period of time. The child’s mother had recently begun dating … [Read more...]
Child Abuse Prevention: Dying To Keep A Secret?
by Kathy Butler I was listening to Natalie Lamb, Life Coach and Founder of It's Your Choice, on the radio recently and she made the statement that "We are all as sick as our secrets." I've heard her say this before, but on this day, these words resonated within me and caused an array of flashing lights to go off in my head! It was like I was standing on the edge of … [Read more...]
April Is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is a time for all of us to recognize to that we each have a job to do - and that's paying extra special attention to the social and emotional well-being of our children. They are blessings...not burdens. Why? To you this may not even mean anything, because it's just not an issue for you and your family. … [Read more...]
The Children Are Our Future, So Why Don’t We Protect Them?
by Kathy Butler I was lying in bed and began to contemplate the idea that the children are our future. As the thought lingered, I became saddened by the fact that we, as a society, don’t seem to consider what this really means. After all, we take precautions like purchasing car seats, child proofing the house, and feeding our children green leafy vegetables so they … [Read more...]