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Rettew doesn't talk about her past very much because it isn't about her - it's about what's going on in the other households right now. She explains that, as a child, she was surrounded by family violence. Yet she always felt there was someone protecting her; she always felt she would survive because there was a higher purpose for her. As executive director and victim services coordinator at Promise Place, formerly known as Community Coalition Against Family Violence (CCAFV), in New Bern, NC, Rettew has found her higher calling.
Promise Place is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing aid and relief to victims of family abuse and their families. The agency was born thirty years ago next February as an advisory body on the status of women in Craven County, NC. That advisory body later became the Sexual Assault Resource Center, serving victims of rape and sexual assault, and eventually became the CCAFV in 2003. It was at this time that the organization expanded its purview to include all forms of family abuse. Now, Promise Place locally serves 3 counties, but its services are sought nationally as well.
"To say there's not a normal day for me is an understatement"
Rettew wears many hats for Promise Place. As executive director, she oversees the day-to-day agency operations, writes grant proposals, establishes protocol at the local level, and handles community and media relations. As victim services coordinator, she is on call at all times as a first responder to reports of child or adult sexual abuse. She also serves as case manager for people seeking assistance and resources from Promise Place.
Rettew has had quite an eclectic career background, which has only added to the number of hats she already wears. She has been an optician's assistant, a mechanic, a graphic designer, and an artist representative for country music performers. In her early 20s, she started her own PR firm that grew into graphic design. "I hated computers in school," she says. "But it came naturally to me. I don't consider myself a graphic designer because I can't do it on demand. The inspiration comes when it comes."
In her early 30s, while Rettew was representing country music artists, a tragedy changed the course of her life. She had just lost twins at 4 1/2 months pregnant and began to wonder, "Is this what I want to be doing when I'm 80?" Realizing that she did not, Rettew entered college at 35. She earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology and triple-minored in criminal justice, sociology, and religious studies. There was no program for working with sexual abuse victims, so her focus was taking as many classes as possible that dealt with child sexual abuse and prevention.
"I felt I needed the background to prepare me to be a better advocate, not knowing I already was an advocate," she explains.
She has also spent the past 10 years certifying herself in all sorts of areas that relate to sexual abuse and prevention. On top of that, she is currently studying for a master's degree in Human Services and Public Administration.
"A lot of advocates look at children as victims, but I don't want that to be their defining moment"
Rettew holds an expanded view of child advocacy that includes not just prevention but a realistic evaluation of what will best benefit the victim. "Of course you need passion and access to the victims," she says, "but you also need the willingness to look at what's best for them in the long run."
Her favorite part of her job is the moment when she knows that a child won't be abused again, but she also loves working with the victims to make the initial disclosure and what follows as painless as possible. The satisfaction of seeing a perpetrator behind bars is a close third.
"I truly want to end child abuse. I envision that so I can come to work every day."
In the communities she serves, Rettew tries to encourage people to spot the signs of abuse, identify them, and to not turn away from these situations. "It's hardest for people to intervene in adult and teen cases," she says. "If you don't break the cycle, that cycle of abuse will continue through their children."
Rettew sees ending that pattern of abused children growing into abusers as an integral part of stopping child abuse. "By breaking the cycle," she explains, "you create less [sic] victims in the future." Rettew understands that intervention is important and that it is an area in which society desperately needs improvement.
"I don't think everyone can be saved," she points out, "but they should all have help offered to them."
"She puts her heart and soul into this place."
Kathy Reinhardt, a colleague of Rettew at CCAFV for the last four years, says that she admires Rettew's passion and dedication the most. Rettew lives an hour away from the office, Reinhardt explains, but if she gets a call she returns immediately no matter the hour. "If there's a victim at 6:30 PM who needs services," Reinhardt says, "Sheri turns around in her car and responds."
Rettew has put her Web and graphic design skills to good use at Promise Place. She designed its Web site, www.theresnoexcuse.com. She also redesigned the Web site for one of the two state boards she participates in. Calls come in from all over the country due to the agency's Web exposure. For that reason, Rettew also spends time researching the laws and procedures in other jurisdictions. Because so many calls come in from other states, she needs to know this information in order to coordinate and facilitate both support for the victim and an active investigation.
Rettew likes being able to say Promise Place is a full service agency. She often tells clients to call no matter what they need assistance with - even car trouble. Because of Rettew's diverse background, she just might be able to help out.
Rettew says she can manage the work hours, which often reach 70 to 80 hours a week, because she's in a small community. Her clients and peers tell her she isn't the typical victim advocate, though, and it appears that even Rettew herself is beginning to realize that her efforts go above the call of duty.
Each month, G.W. Medical Publishing honors a child advocate in our newsletter. If you would like to nominate someone for this accolade, please email us with your suggestions.
Dr. Perry is co-editing G.W. Medical's forthcoming library title on mental health issues and child maltreatment. This volume will present the current state of knowledge regarding the multiple complex manifestations of developmental trauma and interpersonal violence. Examining this issue from an interdisciplinary viewpoint, this book will provide the most current findings on the emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social and physical health consequences of childhood trauma. Practical discussions of assessment and intervention for children of different ages and in various systems (e.g., school, child welfare, juvenile justice) will be provided. The overall developmental perspective of this volume allows the reader to gain insights into the often confusing and evolving clinical manifestations of children growing up following trauma and exposure to violence.
Forthcoming curricula will address issues on child sexual abuse and assault, mental health issues, investigation and prosecution, prevention, and adult sexual assault and intimate partner violence. Each curriculum will be assembled from G.W. Medical’s Science of Intervention Library, which contains the knowledge of more than 500 medical, legal, law enforcement, and social service professionals.
There is a great need for professional development in identifying, interpreting, and preventing child maltreatment, so these training curricula are designed to educate front-line workers who provide services to victims of child abuse and neglect. As G.W. Medical continues on its mission of education and prevention, it looks forward to providing accredited lifelong learning opportunities for child protection professionals.
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The field of social services and the idea of helping people had always interested her. Although she held a degree in religious studies, an adviser encouraged her to apply for the North Dakota Merit System test for social workers.
The state’s response contained a typo that mistakenly granted her permission to take the test. According to state regulations at the time, only people with the appropriate academic background could take the social work exam.
Even though she didn’t have the background to qualify her for the test, she did have the knowledge to pass it. In 1979, she became an official North Dakota social worker. The state later realized its mistake but couldn’t repeal the certification it had already granted.
Sexton-Brown served in several North Dakota counties during her career, but she spent the last 7 years in Barnes County. Her commute was 106 miles round trip each day. She admitted it would have been easier to move closer to work, but she couldn’t break a promise to her 2 adopted sons that they would never have to change schools again.
She and her husband Terry, also a social worker, adopted their sons in 1997. Justin is now 22, Philip 24. An adopted child herself, Sexton-Brown said her childhood experiences partly led to her interest in social work.
In June 2007, Sexton-Brown retired after 27 years as a child protective services (CPS) worker in North Dakota. Considering the series of events that allowed her to become a social worker, she can’t imagine there wasn’t a master plan in place for her.
“Coincidence is God working anonymously,” she said.
Sexton-Brown welcomed retirement after many years of hard work and dedication. If she had a motto, it would be that “there’s no higher calling than the protection of children.” But her responsibilities as a CPS worker were starting to wear her down. According to her, most CPS workers make it an average of 2.5 years before burning out. She spent 27 years, as she described it, “helping the hurt go away.”
Approaching retirement, she started to have regular tremors. Her family physician diagnosed her with an onset of Parkinson’s disease. Shortly thereafter, she retired and the tremors came more infrequently. She saw a neurologist who said the tremors were likely stress-related; her career had started to take a dangerous toll on her health.
Sexton-Brown joyfully declared she hasn’t done much since June and joked that her husband marks the calendar on days she changes out of her pajamas. She said her plan is to remain involved with child advocacy, but to do it on her own terms. Directly after retirement, she took on a guardian ad litem case. She will continue, she said, to work as a lay guardian ad litem and custody investigator. But, she admitted, the opportunities that interest her most are public speaking and training. She would like to make a difference reaching one social worker at a time.
“Maybe we really can do this,” she said. “Maybe we really can end child abuse.”
A training workshop she attended toward the end of her career started her thinking about ways to improve social services. The speaker discussed the need for social workers to stop reinventing themselves – to better prepare their successors for the work. Sexton-Brown whole-heartedly embraced the idea.
She started looking for her replacement long before her expected retirement date. She wanted the opportunity to share her knowledge and experiences. The mistakes she had made in her career would not have to be repeated by someone else in that position.
Sexton-Brown eventually found a candidate with the background, personality, and maturity for the job. That’s how she explained she could leave her work after 27 years of service. She knew there was someone in her place continuing to help the children of Barnes County.
Thank God for Jeanne
Sexton-Brown observed many changes during her 27-year career – both in the social service field and in the lives of the families she worked with. When she became a social worker in the late 1970s, she said parental rights were supreme. Judges couldn’t punish parents for abuse and neglect.
One of her earliest and most memorable cases involved 4 siblings who were all showing developmental delays. The children were taken into custody to help advance their development. But when their development improved, the social workers had to return the children to their parents.
Upon the children’s return, the parents took the children out of state. Sexton-Brown used a variety of resources – U-Haul personnel, utility records, and law enforcement – to track the 4 children to Oklahoma. When local police officers found the children were being abused, Sexton-Brown met the 4 children in Tulsa to take them back to North Dakota.
Parental rights were eventually terminated in the case, and all 4 children were adopted into one family. When one of the children was 23 years old, she contacted Sexton-Brown. The young woman explained that she had thanked God for Jeanne every day of her life and she finally needed to thank her in person.
“You could live a long time on a comment like that,” Sexton-Brown said.
Another notable case she worked on was that of Ron Smith, a junior high school teacher in Ellendale, North Dakota who was suspected of sexually abusing boys in the school. She was involved in interviewing possible victims.
In the end, 46 victims emerged to tell their stories. Smith had been sexually abusing boys from 1986 to 1994, when he was arrested. He was sentenced to 54 years in prison, the longest sentence at the time for any convicted sex offender in North Dakota.
“My supervisor told me that this kind of case comes along once in a career and you hope to never have one like it again,” she said. “And that’s exactly how I felt.”
During her career, Sexton-Brown witnessed and helped stop many abusive acts against children. But she said that encouraging positive interactions between parents and children was just as important.
“There are enough critics,” she said. “What we need are more ’atta boy and ’atta girl moments to let people know they’re doing a good job.”
Each month, G.W. Medical Publishing honors a child advocate in our newsletter. If you would like to nominate someone for this accolade, please email us with your suggestions.
One of our new titles will address issues concerning missing, abducted, and exploited persons. This book will contain both scientific and experiential chapters, cover domestic and international issues, and address primary and secondary issues across the lifespan. It will not only be an invaluable tool for legal, medical, and social services professionals, but also lawmakers, educators, and parents. The book’s editors are Sharon Cooper, MD; Patty Wetterling; Mary Graw Leary, JD; and Dan Broughton, MD.
Another forthcoming title will explore the investigation of child abuse. Contents include information on investigations of child abuse fatalities, investigative interviewing, and comparisons of international procedures. The book provides general investigative approaches as well as approaches specific for certain types of maltreatment. Editors are Randy Alexander, MD, PhD; Philip Wheeler, Scotland Yard detective inspector; and Bill Walsh, retired lieutenant in the Dallas Police Department.
We look forward to adding these titles to our existing library. With the continuous efforts of our editors and contributors, we are able to uphold our mission to heighten awareness of and provide information on issues relating to child maltreatment, sexual assault, and domestic violence.
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As an assistant prosecutor for Ohio County, West Virginia, Paula Silver is responsible for prosecuting all cases of child abuse and neglect. The position is part time, meaning she is supposed to work about 20 hours each week. Silver regularly puts in more than 50 hours each week, which doesn’t include the work she takes home to complete.
“What are you going to do – a child is involved,” Silver said. “It’s not a 9 to 5 job. I want to make sure I’m doing everything possible for that child, even putting myself second.”
But her commitment goes beyond long hours. In November 2006, Silver learned that she needed immediate surgery. She refused to have the surgery until one of the prosecution cases she was handling was wrapped up. In the end, she prolonged the surgery for 3 months and put herself at risk for major health complications. But Silver brushed off the dangerous choice she made.
“If there’s no one to take your place, you don’t want that child lost,” she explained.
Silver has always put children first in her life. Her career as an attorney began 25 years ago. She spent many of those years as a guardian ad litem for children in several West Virginia counties. A guardian ad litem is an attorney appointed by a judge to represent a child’s best interests in court. Silver also served as a child advocate in several West Virginia counties. For the past 6 years, she has worked as an assistant prosecutor in child abuse and neglect cases.
Silver said she is fortunate to have the perspective of seeing child abuse and neglect cases from all angles. She has even served as legal representation for the parents and custodians accused of abuse and neglect.
“It’s difficult, but they should have representation too,” Silver said.
As a prosecutor, her responsibility is to file petitions against parents or custodians after a report of child maltreatment has been investigated and substantiated. She then participates in a series of hearings regarding the case.
She said the primary goal in all cases is to reunite the family safely. A multidisciplinary team is organized to discuss ways to make this goal happen. The process usually brings together many of the people who are involved in the child’s life, including service providers, foster parents, and parents or custodians.
Despite best efforts, Silver said families are rarely reunited. The paramount issue is the health, safety, and welfare of the child. Most of the cases that arrive in the prosecutor’s office, Silver said, are beyond repair of the family.
Silver enjoys her role as assistant prosecutor, but the most treasured time during her career was spent as a guardian ad litem. In this role, Silver had much personal contact with children victims. As a prosecutor, she only gets to know the children through notes, reports, photos, and discussions with foster parents.
Even without this direct interaction with child victims, Silver is still amazed by the instances and extent of abuse in her prosecution cases. This aspect of the job can be overwhelming and depressing. During these times, Silver turns to a quote she keeps in her wallet. It reads: “One hundred years from now the future may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”
That quote reminds her of why she’s in the business of helping children.
“It’s a lot of work but you can see you’re making a difference,” Silver said. “It’s about making the life of a child a little better – giving them more of a chance.”
Sharon Parker, the Victim/Witness Coordinator in the Ohio County Prosecutor’s Office, has worked with Silver for 5 years. She said she has learned much from Silver both personally and professionally. Silver’s compassionate nature, willingness to help, and involvement in the community model the traits of a child advocate. Even though the work can be frustrating and exhausting, Parker said Silver maintains a positive, never-give-up attitude.
“She fights diligently for the kids but never expects anything in return,” Parker said. “Without her, there would be a lot of children out there without a voice.”
There is no doubt Silver’s voice is an important one for the children of Ohio County. Although it seems impossible that Silver could put in more hours, her caseload is consistently growing. She explained that there are only a few ways a case is closed. A case can be dismissed if the family is reunited. Or a case will go off the docket once a child turns 18 or is adopted. Thus, a case is likely to span many years of a child’s life – and the careers of the professionals associated with that case.
In addition, Silver estimated that the prosecutor’s office sees about 80 new cases each year. Considering that most of the previous years’ cases are not dismissed but carried over, there is little wonder that Silver feels the need to work 50 hours each week.
“It’s addicting,” she said. “You put in so many hours but you could really put in so many more.”
Silver said it is her hope to slow down on the job. But the amount of work to be done, combined with her dedication to child advocacy, makes this an unlikely accomplishment.
“It’s like a magnet that sucks you in,” she said. “You want to do everything you can to make these children’s lives better. I have all of the intentions of slowing down, but I’m into it as much now as I was before.”
Each month, G.W. Medical Publishing honors a child advocate in our newsletter. If you would like to nominate someone for this accolade, please email us with your suggestions.
Since I started publishing reference materials on child maltreatment 15 years ago, public awareness of child abuse has improved dramatically. Lawmakers, media, and an overall increased presence of advocacy organizations have all contributed to making child maltreatment a vital social issue. I can remember a time when physicians were hesitant to get involved in identifying and treating child abuse, but things have changed for the better. Pioneering efforts by individuals such as David Chadwick, Robert Reece, and James Monteleone, and more recent efforts by Randell Alexander, Mary Case, Sharon Cooper, Lori Frasier, Angelo Giardino, Eileen Giardino, Rich Kaplan, and Linda Ledray have led the way. More than 700 other lead authors and contributors to our projects are also doing their part.
As a result, many professionals are now actively seeking out the information, technology, and training needed to provide quality and comprehensive services to victims of child maltreatment. I am proud that G.W. Medical has been able to publish work by such dedicated individuals. Together we are committed to creating greater awareness of child maltreatment and family violence issues.
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“I spent more time at the bassinet than at the labor delivery table,” Dr. Buetow explained.
That choice has made all the difference for the children and families Dr. Buetow has helped as a pioneer and expert in the field of child sexual abuse examinations and forensic interviews.
After becoming a staff member at Baltimore City Hospital and then obtaining her doctorate in public health from Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Buetow began working as a pediatric physician at Carle Clinic Association in Urbana, Illinois, in 1965. She explained that early in her career, child sexual abuse wasn’t even acknowledged.
Then in the early 1980s, she said, it was apparent there were instances of sexual abuse but no one in the medical field seemed to know how to handle them. Dr. Buetow learned about child sexual abuse exams and interviews by attending conferences and meetings on the subject.
Dr. Buetow pioneered efforts for better knowledge and application of child sexual abuse evaluations in Carle Clinic Association’s pediatrics department. She said networking with social service agencies made obtaining this progress possible. But there were obstacles.
“The early mindset (on child sexual abuse) was if you didn’t find anything, nothing had happened,” Dr. Buetow said. “That is no longer a valid viewpoint.”
Because there are usually no physical findings in cases of child sexual abuse, Dr. Buetow said, the modern approach is to obtain accurate histories to substantiate abuse. The goal is a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates such professionals as social workers, physicians, nurses, police officers, states' attorneys, and victim advocates.
Nancy Mings, Pediatric Clinical Social Worker at Carle Clinic Association, has worked with Dr. Buetow for 17 years. She primarily assists with the forensic interviews of children aged 7 years and younger. She takes great pleasure in having the opportunity to learn from Dr. Buetow as they work together.
Mings compared the interview process with victims of abuse to finding the right key to unlock a door. Dr. Buetow’s creativity and rapport with children make her very adept at finding the right key.
“A child might have a hard time communicating,” Mings said. “There is such a short time to establish a bond, but sometimes it connects and the child is able to tell a story they were never able to tell before. All of a sudden, doors of understanding are opened.”
Obtaining information, however, is always second to the safety of the child. Dr. Buetow places a high priority on gaining the trust of children victims, protecting children from retraumatization during the exam and interview processes, and assisting family members in dealing with sensitive, complicated issues.
During interviews, Dr. Buetow said she tries to relate to the child with techniques like sitting on the floor, using dolls or similar objects, and communicating in a language familiar to the child. The goal is to give the child an adequate chance to express what happened.
Dr. Buetow explained that, during her career, one of the biggest improvements in child sexual abuse cases is the speed and quality of services now offered to victims and their families.
“Children who make allegations are now taken very seriously,” Dr. Buetow said. “Great efforts are being made to get stories heard and to complete evaluations thoroughly.”
Leading by example
Dr. Buetow has a reputation as a mentor, team player, and expert in the area of child abuse and neglect. She has dedicated her career to improving services for children and families in sexual abuse cases using a multidisciplinary approach.
One example of this leadership is Dr. Buetow’s assistance in the development of a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) program at Carle Foundation Hospital. SANEs are registered nurses who have advanced education in providing comprehensive care to patients who are sexually victimized. They complete medical and forensic examinations, make necessary referrals, and provide expert testimony in court.
In 2000, Carle Foundation Hospital was chosen as 1 of 4 sites for the SANE Pilot Program in Illinois. Patty Metzler, SANE Coordinator at Carle Foundation Hospital, said that Dr. Buetow’s mentoring and support helped the SANE program develop into a stable, evidence-based, research-driven program.
“She keeps us on that track,” Metzler added. “She has been a godsend for the program.”
Carle Foundation Hospital currently has 7 SANEs on staff, 3 of whom are certified as pediatric SANEs. Metzler said that 56% of the patients seen by SANEs at Carle Foundation Hospital are pediatric patients.
In the nearly 30 years that Metzler has known Dr. Buetow professionally, she said Dr. Buetow’s work has always been about helping children.
“When all the other pediatricians and physicians were running away from the subject of child abuse, she did this work on her own for 25 years,” Metzler said.
In the early years of child abuse recognition, Metzler said many physicians shied away from child abuse evaluations because of their inexperience or because being called to testify in court would keep them from their practices.
The responsibility of testifying in court is something Dr. Buetow has never neglected. Mings said one of Dr. Buetow’s greatest skills on the stand is handling questions from defense attorneys that are meant to trip her up. Dr. Buetow sticks to the facts of the case, Mings explained, and knows how to work with the system to gain credibility for the child. As a physician, Dr. Buetow can also testify in place of a child. This helps alleviate further trauma for the child.
Another example of Dr. Buetow’s leadership in child advocacy is her role at the Champaign County Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC). She has served on the CAC’s board of directors since it opened in 2000.
Michael Williams, executive director of the CAC since 2001, said Dr. Buetow was an instrumental community leader in the development of the CAC. The goal of bringing a multidisciplinary approach to child abuse required a medical component, which Dr. Buetow provided through her advice and leadership. Williams said she is a valuable member of the team, and she continues to support the CAC by faithfully attending monthly leadership meetings to offer her medical opinion.
Dr. Buetow also currently serves as the head of the pediatrics department in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s School of Medicine. She has held that position since 1985. Teaching has been an integral part of Dr. Buetow’s long career. She finds it interesting to meet new people in the medical field and guide them in their career choices. She also exemplifies the importance and meaning of child advocacy.
“It’s not just filling out a piece of paper, signing my name to it, and that’s it.”
In her opinion, a good child advocate ascertains the needs of the child and the family. If they need help in certain areas, then the advocate should put forth the effort to fulfill that need.
Dr. Buetow has been fulfilling the needs of children and families as a pediatric physician for more than 50 years. And, fortunately, she plans to continue her work for many more years to come.
Each month, G.W. Medical Publishing honors a child advocate in our newsletter. If you would like to nominate someone for this accolade, please email us with your suggestions.
Unfortunately, phone and computer systems will be down for a short period of time while office equipment is being transferred. Communication delays might occur Friday afternoon or Monday morning, but I expect the interruption will be minimal. E-mail will be the most effective way to reach office staff during this time.
G.W. Medical’s phone and fax numbers will change with the move. Until Dec. 1, dialing the old phone number will prompt a recording that provides our new phone number. G.W. Medical’s toll-free number, 800-600-0330, will not change. All e-mail addresses will also remain the same.
Beginning September 17, G.W. Medical’s new address and contact information will be:
G.W. Medical Publishing, Inc.
721 Emerson Road, Suite 645
St. Louis, MO 63141
Ph: 314-993-2728
Fax: 314-993-2281
I apologize for any inconvenience this move causes and appreciate your understanding and patience during the transition. I anticipate a smooth relocation, but please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns.
Supplemented by case studies and images, this comprehensive field reference is a valuable tool in recognizing, diagnosing, and treating abusive head injuries in children. To read more about the contents of Abusive Head Trauma Quick Reference or to purchase a copy, click here.
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Although McCallum may not fit a traditional definition of child advocate, she is every bit of a child advocate in character and mission.
McCallum has volunteered with Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA) for 7 years. ASCA is an Australian nonprofit organization that offers online, phone, and face-to-face support services for adult survivors of all forms of child abuse and neglect. It was founded in 1995 and its mission emphasizes the importance of education about the effects and scope of child abuse and advocacy for survivors.
Many of the organization’s volunteers are survivors of child abuse, including McCallum. ASCA has nine offices scattered throughout Australia, with about 50 support groups meeting around the country as well as in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. McCallum joined ASCA because she felt it was a worthwhile organization to support.
“I went along to a support group,” she said. “And then gradually became more and more involved.”
But “involved” is an understatement of the extent to which McCallum works within the organization. Of the 10 possible ways to volunteer ASCA lists on its Web site, McCallum has volunteered in 8 of those ways.
Her many roles have included answering the information/support line, convening support groups, joining the Supportive Listening Network, hosting ASCA meetings in her home, fundraising, volunteering to do office work, serving on numerous committees and subcommittees, and assisting with ASCA’s newsletter. She has also served on the ASCA board of directors for 3 years.
The amount of time McCallum donates to ASCA is equivalent to a full time job. And although she admits the work can sometimes be overwhelming, she remains a tireless and selfless volunteer.
A good illustration of this commitment occurred last year, when she stepped into the role of chairperson of ASCA’s board of directors. Due to term length restrictions outlined in ASCA’s constitution, McCallum’s predecessor was forced to step down from the position of board chair. When no one else stepped forward to fill the position, McCallum accepted the responsibility.
“I didn’t feel I had the background or experience for this,” McCallum said. “But there wasn’t anyone else, so I felt obliged.”
McCallum has held the chair since October 2006, and she plans on ending her term this October. She said it hasn’t been an easy role for her, but she has had much support from other board members and ASCA’s executive officer.
Tabitha Dougall, an ASCA volunteer of 6 years, interacts with McCallum through involvement in support groups, training sessions, and numerous committees. She said that although McCallum often gets little thanks for what she does, she rarely refuses more responsibility.
“As there was no one else willing to step up, Bev took the chair,” Dougall said. “It is my belief that without Bev’s continued and devoted work with ASCA, our organization could not be in existence. She is very humble and although always carrying more load than she can bear, she perseveres on.”
Dr. Cathy Kezelman, secretary and head of strategy and policy for ASCA, agrees that McCallum shoulders much responsibility without complaint.
“Bev has done whatever was required of her, never being concerned that anything was too trivial or too lateral for her involvement,” Kezelman said. “She engenders trust in an organization in which members can find it hard to trust.”
Kezelman has been involved with ASCA for six years, serving three and a half of those on the board of directors and one as chairperson of the board. As a fellow board member, Kezelman said it is McCallum’s gentle manner and integrity that make her a respected, well-liked leader. Kezelman added that McCallum’s frequent acts of selflessness – offering her home to out-of-town guests and picking them up from the airport, for example – are a testament to her dedication and willingness to put others’ needs in front of her own.
Both Dougall and Kezelman have an abundance of adjectives to describe McCallum – patient, tolerant, understanding, calm, empathetic, committed, responsible, humble, gentle, warm, welcoming, moral, fair, loyal, compassionate, receptive, validating, and empowering. These qualities are perhaps what make McCallum so apt to do what she enjoys most at ASCA – convening self-help support groups for survivors of child abuse. She has served in and treasured this role for the majority of her 7 years volunteering with the organization.
“The most enjoyable part of working with ASCA is seeing how much survivors appreciate finding support, validation, and connection with others – as well as encouragement that it is possible to recover from the effects of child abuse,” McCallum said.
She values witnessing people of all ages and backgrounds share a place of openness and honesty in the group sessions – a place where they can share their feelings and experiences without fear of judgment or rejection.
McCallum added that the trauma children experience as a result of any form of abuse has an enormous impact on their lives – their physical and mental health, their ability to function in society, their ability to develop relationships with others, and their ability to raise their own children in a safe and nurturing environment. She said that with greater understanding of these issues more could be done to break the intergenerational patterns of child abuse and neglect.
Statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) show 252,831 reports of suspected child abuse and neglect occurred in 2004-2005. Of those, 46,154 reports (18%) were substantiated. Based on those numbers, a child is abused every 11 minutes somewhere in Australia. According to ASCA’s Web site, one in three Australian girls and one in six Australian boys will be the victim of child sexual abuse before the age of 18.
To McCallum, these numbers prove the need for more effort.
“Child abuse issues are being discussed today far more openly than 15 or 20 years ago, and a great deal of research is being conducted,” McCallum said. “Unfortunately, progress is slow. But we all have to do what we can to ensure that more progress is continually being made.”
McCallum also works part time as a librarian in a public library and has two sons. In September, she plans on visiting her eldest son in Pennsylvania. He and his wife are expecting their first child at the end of August.
When asked how long she plans to continue her volunteer work with ASCA, McCallum acknowledged that she has been taking on too much lately – as all ASCA volunteers tend to do – and she needs to “rejuice.” But then she laughed and added that she doesn’t see an end to her work with ASCA in the near future. For advocates like McCallum, there is always more work to be done.
“It is rewarding to feel that we are making a difference to some people’s lives, but this is only a drop in the ocean really,” she said. “It’s the huge need for such services, that we continually see around us in our society, that makes us persevere with this work.”
Each month, GW Medical Publishing honors a child advocate in our newsletter. If you would like to nominate someone who deserves this accolade, please email us with your suggestions.
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Forthcoming titles include Sexual Abuse and Assault, Mental Health Issues, Investigation and
Prosecution, Prevention, and Adult Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence.
As GW Medical continues on its mission of education and prevention, I look forward
to fostering our relationship with Saint Louis University and providing accredited lifelong
learning opportunities for our customers.
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During his time with the unit, Canibano treated child offenders with empathy and tenderness. It was his vision that these children should be regarded as victims rather than perpetrators. Walsh explained that Canibano’s rapport with child offenders came from personal insight.
“He saw himself in these kids,” Walsh said. “He related to them.”
Even after his official duties had been completed, Canibano was still highly involved in the lives of the children he worked with. Walsh cited a case when Canibano was conducting his usual follow-up phone calls and discovered that one girl, after returning to her high school from problems with drug abuse and prostitution, was met with cruelty and scorn from classmates. Canibano petitioned the school board to relocate the girl to a different district, giving her a new start.
“Though he could have been described as having a rough exterior, he had a soft place in his heart for troubled kids — especially kids mixed up with drugs and prostitution,” Walsh said.
Canibano retired from the Child Exploitation Unit after 16 years in the field, never exceeding the rank of corporal. His wife, Patty, explained that “he didn’t like to be a politician. He liked being the low man on the totem pole.”
Retirement, however, didn’t stop Canibano from continuing to advocate on behalf of children. He taught law enforcement for the city of Dallas. In addition, he performed training duties and acted as a consultant at Fox Valley Technical School and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Peter Banks, Director of Outreach and Training at NCMEC, spoke highly of Canibano’s involvement with the organization’s training programs. He said Canibano was known to captivate audiences with his frankness and was always helping to improve coursework.
“You certainly wanted Joe to be on your side, and he was on the side of children,” Banks said.
Canibano has left a legacy of commitment and awareness as a child advocate. His sense of duty will serve as a benchmark in the Dallas law enforcement community, and his investment in the lives of children will continue to bear distinct and positive change for the state of child welfare at large.
Canibano was slated to co-author GW Medical Publishing’s forthcoming book on the investigation of child maltreatment.
Each month, GW Medical Publishing honors a child advocate in our newsletter. If you would like to nominate someone who deserves this accolade, please email us with your suggestions.
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Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, who got their start playing the girlfriends of David and Ricky Nelson on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," left Japan, but not before they equipped an orphanage to house 101 Amerasian children turned away by established Japanese orphanages.
But their work didn't end there. In Vietnam, the two women established five orphanages, a hospital and a school under the name International Orphans Incorporated. After the US decision to pull out of Vietnam, O'Meara and Fedderson organized one of their most ambitious plans -- bringing the Vietnamese orphans to the US in a project that later came to be known as Operation Baby Lift.
O'Meara said they moved thousands of children out of the country as Vietnamese troops moved into the area. Once stateside, O'Meara and Fedderson organized volunteers to meet the children and placed them in homes.
However, the women still weren't finished. After their success overseas, they were asked by Nancy Reagan to continue their efforts in the US and address the epidemic of child abuse and neglect.
"She said it was the best kept secret in America," O'Meara said. "... We found out that the laws protected the perpetrators, not the child."
What was borne out of Nancy Regan's request eventually became known as Childhelp. O’Meara and Fedderson
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“We have decorated rooms where they are physically examined,” Fedderson said. “One room that we have decorated is underwater. The other room is like a jungle. The children really get excited about what they’re looking at, and they’re more relaxed.”
Another residential treatment center has been established in Virginia, and O’Meara and Fedderson have opened advocacy centers in Tennessee, Virginia, and Arizona, and group homes and foster care programs in California and Virginia. The two have also established the Childhelp National Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD), and recently launched a new program called the Childhelp AlertTM System.
For $18.95 a year or $9.95 for six months, users will receive a phone call up to once a month informing them if a sex offender has moved into their neighborhood. Users can receive information for up to three zip codes.
“We’re going to be able to save literally millions of children,” O’Meara said.
O'Meara and Fedderson have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for three years in a row. They have authored the book Silence Broken, and their story was dramatized in the Lifetime movie For the Love of a Child. Their dedication to helping children who have suffered from abuse and neglect hasn't wavered since they found themselves amid 11 abandoned children 48 years ago. And they have no plans to slow down any time soon.
To find out more about Childhelp, click here to visit the Web site.
We will begin by offering one book at a time available for viewing or for downloading of individual chapters. We are still in the early stages of this project and wanted to hear from you whether this would be useful to your office, hospital, library, or household and what we can do to make it even more convenient. We need your feedback!
Click here to fill out our survey, and receive 15% off any one G.W. Medical product!
G.W. Medical representatives will be in the exhibit area to display our latest publications and answer any questions.
For more information on the conference, click here to visit the Web site.
We are launching a new column as part of this monthly newsletter. In it, we will profile child advocates who have dedicated themselves to helping abused children or preventing abuse. Each of G.W. Medical's authors and contributors fall into this category, and we would like to begin this new campaign by saying thank you to all of them for their hard work and commitment to educating others and helping put an end to child maltreatment.
In this column, we will be highlighting child advocates who have been fighting for children for many years, whether in the medical, law enforcement, social service, counseling or other fields. If you know of someone who fits this description and would like to see him or her put in the spotlight, please send us an e-mail to nominate that person. The e-mail should include the person's name, profession, company or organization name, position, age and number of years in the field. Also include both yours and the nominee's contact information. We will choose one deserving advocate to interview and honor each month.
Since 1992, G.W. Medical has been helping medical, legal, social service, law enforcement and educational professionals identify, treat and prevent abuse. G.W. Medical had its origins as a graphic design and advertising firm. Through its services to publishing clients, the company developed book production and design capabilities. In 1994, the company designed, developed and published the classic work Child Maltreatment, addressing a market that had been underserved by the medical publishing community.
Through G.W. Medical’s own aggressive niche marketing efforts, Child Maltreatment, a franchise cornerstone work, became a bestseller in the medical, legal, social service and law enforcement fields, generating much acclaim in its first edition. It was produced to the highest standards in the industry and was exceptionally well-reviewed in medical and child advocacy groups.
Following this major success, G.W. Medical added a second title, Recognition of Child Abuse for the Mandated Reporter, followed by Child Abuse: Quick Reference, along with other titles. Today we have more than 25 individual products with another 25 in the pipeline to publish.
With time came additional projects aimed at putting our much-needed literature into the hands of medical and nonmedical professionals who encounter abuse throughout the world. We now have customers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Australia, Japan, India and all throughout Canada and Europe. We not only publish books, but electronic resources and multimedia packages as additional resources. We have a network of more than 600 dedicated authors made up of physicians, attorneys, nurses, medical examiners and law enforcement officers.
Our most recent initiative is providing our products in areas that need them the most, such as Africa and the Gulf Region. It is my hope that we can make our way into these regions so that this essential knowledge can be passed on to make a difference not only nationally, but globally. True change can only take place through knowledge and passion, and I trust you share that passion with me.
Let us take pause this month to consider what we can do to protect our most precious asset: our children.
Child Safety: A Pediatric Guide for Parents, Teachers, Nurses, and Caregivers and Helping Children Affected by Abuse: A Parent's and Teacher's Handbook for Increasing Awareness are geared toward the nonmedical audience and give great advice on preventing abuse and on what to do if you encounter abuse.
- Child Maltreatment, 3rd Edition
- Sexual Assault
- Child Sexual Exploitation
- Abusive Head Trauma
- Child Fatality Review
- Investigation of Child Maltreatment
- Intimate Partner Violence
Click here for information about the symposium.
Released Feb. 1, the full text of the reviews appears on JAMA’s Web site, and is accessible in pdf format here.
- The 3rd edition of Child Maltreatment should be an excellent resource for a wide range of professionals and caregivers, including those in pediatrics, family medicine, emergency medicine, psychiatry psychology, nursing, social service, law and law enforcement, education, and public health. These volumes should help 1st responders in diagnosis and management. The accompanying Photographic Reference volume is an excellent complement to the Clinical Guide and Reference volume ... more
JAMA. 2006;295:564-566. - Medical, Legal, and Social Science Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation is a daunting two-volume set. Its five editors include a professor of social science (Estes), an attorney (Vieth) and three physicians. The 52 nationally and internationally known contributors represent government, law enforcement, psychiatry, social service, research, the judiciary, psychology, forensic nursing, public education, postal inspection, service units (Child Assessment Centers), sex offender assessment, and survivors ... more
JAMA. 2006;295:566.
Look for the G.W. Medical Publishing exhibit booth.
Several G.W. authors will be in attendance and on the faculty, including Randell Alexander and Lori Frasier.
http://www.chadwickcenter.org
Look for the G.W. Medical Publishing exhibit booth at the Building on Success conference.
Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Dr. Cooper is currently a forensic pediatrician at the Southern Regional Area Health Education Center, which provides forensic pediatric services for a nine-county area in North Carolina. Bill O’Reilly and Dr. Cooper discussed topics relating to the child sex trade in Mexico, the ACLU’s support for NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association), and politics surrounding the issue.
More information about the show can be found at Fox News’ Web site. Information about Sharon Cooper is provided on G.W. Medical’s author page.
featuring G.W.’s comprehensive resources on child abuse and neglect. You can access the new catalog by clicking here, or by clicking the link from the home page.
http://www.ispcan.org/euroconf2005/
http://www.dcac.org/pages/cacc.aspx
Child Maltreatment, 3rd Edition is the eagerly awaited revision of the classic text edited by James Montelone. A new editorial staff, headed by Randell Alexander and Angelo P. Giardino, offers a completely updated and revised edition.
Medical, Legal & Social Science Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation is a detailed examination of the different aspects of child sexual exploitation, including children victimized through pornography, prostitution, cyber-enticement, sex tourism, and human trafficking. It is an exhaustive resource representing the latest research and wisdom of more than 60 international experts in crimes against children, sexual victimization, and exploitation. It promises to be the standard for multidisciplinary team members in the medical evaluation, investigation, prosecution, and protection of children and teens in the 21st century.
While it’s much easier to look the other way and ignore the stark reality of this problem, thankfully there are those among us who have carried the torch and worked to tackle this problem head-on. In an effort spearheaded by Dr. Sharon Cooper, MD, FAAP, a world-renowned expert on child sexual abuse and exploitation, we are announcing the availability of a landmark publication, Medical, Legal & Social Science Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation, A Comprehensive Review of Pornography, Prostitution, and Internet Crimes. This publication will revolutionize the way we work to eliminate this horrific problem. Through a massive effort, this exceptional publication discusses ways to build multidisciplinary efforts to demolish businesses based on child sexual exploitation. This 1st-of-a-kind publication promises to be an invaluable resource for those around the world who have devoted their lives to rescuing children and holding child exploiters accountable for their actions. There’s even a chapter about news coverage and how the media can help. We hope those in the media will pick up the gauntlet, use their considerable influence and help us end this barbaric crime.
Experts on child sexual exploitation and other crimes against children from the United States along with eight other countries (Great Britain, Ireland, France, Denmark, Mexico, Canada, Nepal and Australia) donated their time to work with Dr. Cooper for over three years to complete this publication. Other key authors are: Richard Estes, DSW, CSW, School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania; Angelo P. Giardino, MD, PhD, FAAP, Associate Chair for Pediatrics and Medical Director for Child Abuse Services at St. Christopher’s Hospital for children in Pennsylvania, PA; Nancy D. Kellogg, MD, FAAP, Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center; and Victor I. Vieth, JD, Director of APRI’s Child Abuse Centers. All key authors except Dr. Nancy Kellogg and Dr. Angelo Giardino will be participating in this news conference.
No civilized society can tolerate the abuse and sexual exploitation of children. When parents become pimps by sending nude pictures of their children to interested strangers, and when - after natural disasters like the recent tsunami - it’s a race between relief workers and child sexual predators to find and claim homeless children we’ve reached a new level of corruption and decadence. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg.
Thomas J. Charron, Executive Director of NDAA said, "The commercial, sexual exploitation of children impacts every nation and each year the U.S. alone spends $94 billion in dealing with the aftermath of child abuse along with an estimated 300,000 children who are at risk of being sexually exploited. This publication represents a courageous and noble effort and establishes achievable goals. It also challenges us all to be champions and guardians of our children."
© 2005 by NDAA
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