Grant Helps States Respond to Juvenile Delinquency

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The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)  is offering the State Juvenile Justice Formula and Block Grants Training and Technical Assistance Program. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act allow OJJDP to offer this grant. The programs goals are to provide training and technical assistance to state and local juvenile justice systems and some non profits to respond to juvenile delinquency. It will do this by helping the grantees to plan, establish, operate, coordinate and evaluate delinquency prevention. It also will help fund projects to improve juvenile justice.

Child Abuse Prevention Month Begins with SafePath Kick-Off Event

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Cobb County, Ga.’s SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center wasted no time getting started on April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month activities, holding a kick-off event Friday morning.  Attended by a large crowd of parents, police officials, and politicians braving the cold spring weather, the event shone a light on the importance of preventing child abuse. The Walker School’s Lower School Chorus warmed up the crowd with a song before turning it over to a succession of speakers, including WSB-TV anchor Linda Stouffer and state Rep. Stacey Evans (D-Smyrna). SafePath Board President Ed Lee spoke first, reminding the audience that child abuse prevention is an “active process.”

It’s important to keep our eyes open and watch for signs of abuse, he said, a message that Rep. Evans reiterated. “We need to talk to our friends and colleagues about getting involved,” Rep. Evans said. Child abuse is often a self-perpetuating cycle, Evans said.  Thirty percent of abused children will grow up to abuse their own children, so it is even more important to stop the violence now.

Karen Worthington: If you Want to Prevent Crime, Work to Prevent Child Abuse

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Downtown Atlanta workers may not see pinwheels in the parks this April. The brightly colored children’s toys have twirled in the wind for many Aprils, each representing one of the thousands of children who are abused in Georgia each year. Just two weeks before the start of Child Abuse Prevention Month, Prevent Child Abuse Georgia (PCAG), an affiliate of Prevent Child Abuse America, abruptly closed its doors. The closure of PCAG presents an opportunity for Georgia to redesign and revitalize our child abuse prevention work. Child abuse prevention activities, such as public awareness, home visitation programs, parent education and early identification of risk factors, are essential components of a safe, healthy, prosperous community.

Parents Are Teen’s Best Tool for Preventing Binge Drinking, Study Says

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Parental attention is the best way to prevent teen binge drinking, according to a thesis from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.  But, boys and girls differ in what form of attention works best, says the thesis’ author, Anna-Karin Danielsson.  Girls need close, loving relationships with their parents while boys usually require parents who keep tabs on where they are and who they are with. Danielsson studied 1,200 kids ranging in age from 13 to 19, according to Science Daily.  Kids showing warning signs of risky behavior were less likely to engage in binge drinking after their parents intervened.

Live Conversation on Bullying on Facebook from the White House Today

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In conjunction with President Obama and First Lady Michelle's Conference on Bullying Prevention, Facebook DC Live will host a live conversation from the White House about "how we can all work together to make the Internet safer and promote a culture of shared responsibility and of strong digital citizenship." It starts today at 12:00pm EST. Guests Include:

Facebook Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan: Joe, a former federal prosecutor and founding member of the Justice Department's Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Units, oversees safety and security for Facebook's more than 500 million active users. Melody Barnes: Melody is the President’s Domestic Policy Advisor and the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, which coordinates the domestic policy-making process in the White House. Stephanie Cutter: Stephanie is Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior Advisor at the White House.

President to Use Bully Pulpit to Address Bullying

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President Obama and First Lady Michelle will convene an anti-bullying conference at The White House, tomorrow, Thursday, March 10. The White House says the Conference on Bullying Prevention will include top officials from the Department of Education and Health and Human Services as well as students, parents, teachers and others who are trying to address the issue from across the nation. The conference will also include breakout sessions on proven policies that prevent bullying. The White House has been eager to engage a wider and younger audience on the issue, reaching out to people through social media. The president announced the conference on his Facebook page and has encouraged people to participate in the conference via live chats.

Suburbs See Largest Increase in Teen Gang Activity

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More kids are joining gangs than ever before and reports of gang violence are on the rise.  For the first time, gang activity has been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, says a report by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Suburban areas saw the largest increase in gang activity at 22 percent followed closely by rural communities.  Part of the problem, according to the report, is the lack of gang awareness among community leaders, parents, and school. The report, “Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs,” says that many kids join gangs for protection, respect, and money, among other reasons.  Gang members exhibit common risk factors that include antisocial behavior, alcohol and drug abuse, and mental health problems.  Almost all gang members were involved in previous delinquent acts. The report also describes prevention and intervention strategies for kids at various levels of gang participation.  Kids at risk for joining gangs should be taught refusal skills while those already in gangs should join intervention programs.

Helping Kids Achieve in Acworth

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The City of Acworth, GA.,  is supporting a program called the Acworth Achievers. Five years ago, Acworth identified a concern about at-risk kids within the city limits and began developing a program. The goal of this program is to help middle and high school children make better decisions through after-school and mentoring programs.

“This will offer more opportunities and give kids better decision making skills so they can become productive adults,” Frank White, the Director of Acworth Achievers and the Recreation Coordinator for Acworth Parks and Recreation said. “It’s about inspiring kids to be the very best that they can be,” Mayor Tommy Allegood said. Click below to hear more from Mayor Allegood about the Acworth Achievers.