SHARI KARNEY SPEAKS OUT ABOUT
Comment on some of the agencies and non-profits that are engaged in educating and advocating against child abuse and molesting. You as a crusader for child rights and against child abuse take on various cases as an attorney. Is there an organization that you are connected with, too, that you will tell us about briefly?
Shari Karney: I like Child Help USA www.childhelp.org because they provide a haven for neglected and abused children. Also they are involved with education and protection. SNAP (Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests): www.snapnetwork.org is a network for those abused by Priests and Churches. The National Crime Victim Bar Association: www.victimbar.org puts a lot of energy into educating attorneys, helping crime victims with attorney referrals for civil lawsuits. National Center for Victims of Crime: www.ncvc.org helps victims of all types of crime. If you have been victimized, this is a good place to start. With their specialized DNA program, Stalking Center, and Youth Initiative program, it’s a safe place for crime victims (especially youth) to get information and support. California Protective Parents Association: www.protectiveparents.com protects and works with those who are victims of incest and family violence.
Our time needs to be spent educating caretakers, educating parents. We want to cut down on children being prey to opportunistic predators, which all child molesters are. We can’t just lay this on the parents, because it’s bigger than the parents. You can’t lock your children up 24 hours a day. Children (without being graphic), can be educated on what the rules are and what adults can and can’t do. Let’s teach our kids how to honor their gut feelings; How to stay safe, how to alert a trusted adult when something is Yucky, or doesn’t feel right. We want to empower our kids before they are in a dangerous situation. I don’t think parents should be expected to do all this on their own. We all need to pitch in and power up.
Are you working on a current case that has to do with child molesting. Is it another high profile case? Will you be telling us more about this new legal case you are taking up?
Shari Karney: Yes I am currently working on a high profile case. What happens when the protector is the perpetrator? What happens when the powerful is the perpetrator? If case development permits, I will be talking about these civil lawsuits in the future. The sums involved are millions of dollars.
Empowering our Children against Sexual Abuse (Pattie Fitzgerald) on The Intentional Parent EP#11
Uploaded by TheLipTV on Dec 15, 2011
EPISODE SYNOPSIS Today’s show is about common sense strategies and guidance to protect children from sexual predators. Despite being a tough subject to talk about, its an incredibly important one. For this reason Greg and Tina are joined by Pattie Fitzgerald, founder of Safely Ever After, to dispel some of the myths and clarify the truths surrounding childhood sexual abuse. Besides sharing the essential information all parents need to know, Pattie makes the important point that this isn’t a subject that has to be uncomfortable and avoided. The first step in preventing abuse is talking about it. This is an episode every parent should see. GUEST BIO Pattie Fitzgerald has been successfully teaching Child Predator Safety Awareness since 2001. She is the founder and creator of Safely Ever After, Inc. and provides effective, non-fearful safety workshops, seminars, and keynote speeches at schools, community organizations, churches, and corporations throughout the United States. She has trained many crime prevention educators and children’s advocacy groups with her specialized programs, curriculum, and educational materials. Pattie is a published author and has been selected by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s M.E.R.I.T. Program as an instructor to incarcerated inmates at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic, California. Pattie has also recently been named as the Safety and Prevention Advisor for the newly formed child advocacy group, PeasInTheirPods.com. Prior to the inception of Safely Ever After, Inc., Pattie previously worked as the Community Outreach Educator for the national child advocacy group, Parents For Megan’s Law. She has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN Headline News and MSNBC, as well as KCBS-2, KNBC-4 and KABC-7. Her written works have been published in numerous parenting magazines, trade journals, and newspapers throughout the United States. ADDITIONAL LINKS, ETC. http://www.youtube.com/user/safelyeverafter#p/a/u/0/6RaHgK11srk http://tiny.cc/34do2 http://safelyeverafter.com/index.html http://PeasInTheirPods.com/ https://www.meganslaw.com/ EPISODE BREAKDOWN 00:00 Intro 02:38 Tell us about what you do and about Safely Ever After. 03:30 This is a hard topic to talk about with our kids. 04:10 Contradictory lessons we teach our kids. 04:45 Statistics. 06:40 Hoping this doesn’t happen isn’t enough. What can we do to prevent abuse? 09:35 Developing enough trust with your child for them to be comfortable to come to you or someone with whatever they are dealing with. 13:26 What age are children the most vulnerable? 15:55 How should kids behave towards potential perpetrators? 18:10 Four preconditions that have to be met before a child can be sexually abused. 21:35 How often and at what age should you talk to your child about this? 24:05 Secrets vs. surprises and ‘what if’ games. 28:00 What about giving kids phrases or a code they can use if they don’t feel comfortable. 30:16 What are the effects and how do we address this with older kids who have teachers, coaches, etc. to deal with? 33:30 If your child is victimized they can still recover with help. How abuse can manifest. 37:50 Physical trauma and signs of abuse. 38:25 Abuser demographics. Who, how and when do abusers become active? 42:40 Megan’s Law. 46:15 What is the difference between a sex offender and a pedophile? 47:10 Can you talk about the motivations for sex offenders? 50:50 What should we do if something does happen? 52:40 Sandusky. 55:45 ‘This is My Body,’ Pattie’s Book. 57:05 Pattie’s Website and other resources. 57:40 Is there anything else we should address? 59:00 WRAP UP.