All are invited to attend a FREE Child Abuse Prevention Seminar on Saturday, April 14, from 9-11 a.m. at the Upper Main Line YMCA, 1416 Berwyn-Paoli Road, Berwyn, Johnson Room, Early Learning Center.
Sponsored by JUSTICE4PAKIDS the seminar features experts on keeping kids safe from sex abuse. “We all know the message of stranger danger, but in fact 90% of all sexually abused kids are abused by someone they know very well like a coach, a step father, a teacher, etc,” says Maureen Martinez, President and Co-Founder of Justice4pakids.
The line up of speakers includes:
Al Chesley, a former linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles, who will relay his experience as a victim of child sexual abuse.
Dr. Marita E. Lind M.D. FAAP, a board-certified child abuse pediatrician who treats children who have experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse and medical neglect, will discuss the severe health related ramifications of child sexual abuse. She will teach parents the tell tale signs and symptoms of abuse.
Chester County Deputy District Attorney, Elizabeth Pitts, will speak what you can do if you suspect abuse and the typical profile of a predator and how they go about “grooming” a child.
Senator Andy Dinniman will also talk about the legislation he has introduced to help protect more kids.
Catholics4Change 
I hope anyone local can come to our justice4pakids event on Saturday. I have heard some of these speakers before,very informative for all! I learn something new each time, whether it be about protecting children,signs and symptoms of abuse, or the laws in Pa.
I just posted to my facebook page. Hope you get a good turnout.
I would love to speak at one of these types of events. I think I could bring a lot of important information to the table. I could talk about a lot of things people, or non-victims, don’t understand, and I’m sure I can help parents understand when a child might be a victim right now, because I can identify with my mood changes back then, or how I avoided people, kept to myself, the nightmares I had, and my constant arguing with my Mom early in the morning that I didn’t want to go to school.
Instead of standing silently on a sidewalk in front of a Catholic building somewhere, I would actually get to talk to people and give them advice on what I think needs to be done, but I guess because my name doesn’t end in M.D., or DA, I guess nobody would look forward to Joe Smoe.
Where is Upper Main Line anyway? How far is it from Atlantic City?
Upper Main Line Y is in Berwyn,the address is in the post, it is about 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia.
Al Chesley who is speaking will bring that message in his speech. He was abused by a local policeman growing up in D.C. and his talk includes all the factors that play into what a child experiences,the shame,the fear,the silent secret. It is important to hear from the “experts” but also from a victim,that to me is what always is the most informative. I have heard Marita Lind M.D.speak and she is excellent. The most important thing she spoke of was the ‘reaction’ of parents when a child is suspected of being abused and how the parent’s reaction plays such an important role in the process. I have heard a few survivors say that when they were young and abuse was suspected, their parents “freaked out” and as a child they interpreted it as them doing something wrong, and also not wanting to upset their parents.
V4J, Have you considered writing these things, as in a book, for parents or kids? I think you communicate really well through writing, (since the only way I know you is through writing) One of the good books on the subject of protecting your children from sexual abuse (I Said No! A kid to kid guide to keeping your private parts private by Kim King and Sue Rama) was written by a boy and his mother after he had a scary experience with a friend. They weren’t doctors or educators, just people who took a bad experience and tried to help others. The book is one I have read to my children. Just a thought.
I’ve been writing book for over three years, Michelle. The only problem is that I can’t to edit the over 70,000 pages of words I have written since my coming forward in Feb. 2009. I find it hard to stay on one certain subject when I write, because the words just come pouring out of me and one thought leads me to countless other thoughts. You wouldn’t believe how many people have told me to write a book, including Vicky and my therapist, and over 500 email recipients I write short, non-fictional stories, stories about my life and about the abuse on a daily basis. (Though it’s been awhile since I’ve written anything, because when my Mom was sick, I just couldn’t ever get the personal time to turn the radio up loud and write my penance.) When people stopped receiving my letter or two a week, they started sending me emails worrying about me, and asking if they could expect anything anytime soon. People have always said that somehow I manage to put into words exactly how they feel and that’s why they appreciate my emails. Initionally, when I started doing that in November 2009, I did it for purely theraputic reasons. I thought it was a good way to share my story, and lift the weight off my shoulders by giving it to other people. It was always much easier to sit with a keyboard and a blank word processor than I found it to sit in a support meeting with other victims of childhood sexual abuse. When I write, I feel like I can just let it all go, and my computer isn’t going to look at me cross eyed, or tell me I’m wrong, or judge me in any way.
I don’t know where I would be today if I didn’t have that outlet. I ALWAYS kept journals, and I ALWAYS wrote personal notes about myself, what was going on around me, even the abuse I was enduring.
So yes, I have thought about writing a book, if I can ever figure out where to begin, or more importantly, “where to end.”
There’s a lot of misspelled words and grammatical errors in my writing lately. Unfortunately, it’s because I have difficult concentrating with certain medications I’m on right now to combat my extreme back pain. I’m looking forward to surgery on the 27th to once and for all “no pain.”
I’m looking forward to the day when I don’t need a pills, or a patch, or a cream or gel to get to sleep and stay asleep at night. Oddly enough, it wasn’t too long ago that I was saying the same thing about all the psychiatric meds I was on, and as if it couldn’t be bad timing, I got hurt at work just a month or so before I stopped taking all of my meds that my shrink prescribed to help me sleep at night, less night terrors, keep from panic attacks coming on, and to basically cut in half my level of anxiety and depression. I can’t wait until the day comes when I can sleep like normal people.
V4J, both yours and Vicki’s life stories are so compelling and worthy of being shared and heard. Maybe you should commiserate on a book…..just a thought. And I don’t think anyone here ever notices your misspellings or grammatical errors. We’re too busy focusing on the importance of your message:)
oops…I think I actually meant to say collaborate on a book….though you certainly would be commiserating as well as you were writing it…see, V4J, you’re not the only one who makes errors in your posts!
A friend of mine, Rhett Hacket did this interview about “removing the shame” from victims who are sexually assaulted. The article is here:
http://galloway.patch.com/articles/removing-shame-and-fear-from-reporting-sexual-assault-8b6f73ea
So long as the lines do not become blurred.
THere’s a lot more ramifications if the perpetator is a clergyman, without deflecting from others.
If not when young, when it’s the parents who feel the deeper betrayal, but definately during adolescents, when their sexuality and spirituality, really kicks in.
Reid, I am sorry that I didn’t have a chance to meet to you after the meeting. Thank you so much for sharing that important info during the Q&A.
Thank you to Justice4pakids and Maureen Martinez for organizing this very informative seminar. The speakers were excellent. I hope to see more events like this so more parents can attend. It is so important to be educated as a parent to help prevent something like this from happening to your family….. Kathy, I am sorry you were unable to meet Reid. I did have the pleasure to meet him and his wife. Reid, I enjoyed speaking to you after the meeting.
Thanks for being so passionate.
Dr. Marita E. Lind M.D. FAAP, a board-certified child abuse pediatrician who treats children who have experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse and medical neglect, will discuss the severe health related ramifications of child sexual abuse. She will teach parents the tell tale signs and symptoms of abuse.
That must be the absolute worst job on the planet! I guess somebody has to do it, just glad it’s not me!