Child Safety and Parenting

Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.)

The term "Bikers" evokes graphic - and negative - images for most of us; and BACA uses that perception to the advantage of abused children. BACA members become involved only when officials -and the parents of the children - request their help; and phenomenal help it is. Quoted from their website:

Bikers Against Child Abuse is the brainchild of J.P. Lilly, a licensed psychotherapist who works mostly with children in Utah County. Lilly also owns a Harley. ``I thought we had to do something to help these kids,'' Lilly said. ``I got the idea of letting these kids know they had some pretty big, bad friends . . . so they could tell the truth and not be afraid.''

BACA members are carefully screened, and conscientiously work with local officials and police - This is not only a website well worth visiting, but is also a group worth supporting.

Child Abuse Yellow Pages

This site is literally reader-built; a form is provided to enable you to submit resources for inclusion in the site. Complimenting this is a search engine, an alphabetical index, and a message forum.

Children's Rights of America (CRA)

Kathy Rosenthal's CRA is the "last chance" resource for rescuing a missing/abused child, desperately in trouble, from an impossible situation where all other avenues have failed. Regarded as one of the most efficient and professional agencies in the field, Children's Rights Of America has been recognized by two Presidential Administrations.

The CRA site is comprehensive, providing information for recognizing signs of abuse, what to do to protect your own child and what you can do to help, and much more. This is a site well-worth reading.

Children Who Abuse

Cold hard statistics reveal that the majority of abused children have been abused by a family member - a brother, sister, uncle, mother, father, etc.

In the three years I have surfed, I have found only two sites that deal with the anguish and trials parents and their children endure when it is the children who are the abusers - and the victims.

Take the time to read both accounts - they are heart-wrenching, and reveal a side of our society and legal system that is rarely shown.

Elfheart - Educated, Loving Families Helping Each other Achieve Responsible Teens

Elfheart provides news about trends, fads, fashion, music, drugs, crime, and many other issues affecting our children; and also provides research services, help and crisis hotline information, an editorial, and human interest stories.

Enough is Enough

Enough is Enough is a national non-profit organization dedicated to dispelling the myths of pornography and to eliminating the sexual exploitation of children, women, and men by pornographers. This sight provides legal definitions of pornography, safeguards for keeping your home and children safe, a summary of methods used by pornographers, and much more.

LostDove - Out of the Darkness

She could be your child, a friend's child, a neighbors child... If you have ever known an abused child, and wanted somehow to know, really know what the child was feeling and thinking so that you could better understand and help - then this is the journal to read...

Out of the Darkness is the gut-wrenching story of the abuse of a child, seen through the child's eyes, sharing her confusion, pain, and bewilderment at what was being done...

Love and Safety Club

This is a delightful website; Duncan's words describe it best:

"The Love and Safety Club was created by the 1996 ECMA Children's Artist of the Year, Duncan Wells. The Club is designed to educate children on a variety of safety topics including buckling up, looking both ways before crossing the street, water, fire and bicycle safety, dealing with strangers, the bullies on the school ground, keeping bad secrets, and more. It also offers parents and educators with a viable alternative to other less effective methods of safety education for their children and students."

National Court Appointed Special Advocates

In 1976, Judge David Soukup, then Presiding Judge of King County Superior Court in Seattle, Washington, began to look for alternative ways to make sure the child's best interests would be consistently presented to the court. Few court-appointed attorneys had the time or the training to conduct the thorough investigation needed to provide the court with necessary information. Judge Soukup decided to use trained community volunteers individuals who would be asked to make a commitment for the life of a child's case. His idea became a full-fledged program in 1977 and word of its success spread quickly. Encouraged by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, new CASA programs began to develop around the country.

In 1982, the National CASA Association was formed to unify the movement and provide leadership, as well as training and assistance to starting and expanding programs. In 1990, the U.S. Congress passed the Victims of Child Abuse Act, which allocated federal funds to start and expand CASA programs. Today there are 641 CASA programs nationwide, with 38,000 women and men speaking up for abused and neglected children as CASA volunteers.

Safeguarding Our Children - United Mothers

This is, in their own words: "a non-profit organization dedicated to public awareness, prevention of child abuse, and a resource to those that have been wounded by childhood abuse. A child's innocence can never be replaced."

They've understated what they are and what they provide. Definitions of abuse, symptoms of abuse, resources, articles by Dr. Nancy Faulkner that are very eye-opening, new material by Pam Church, author of "Good Touch/Bad Touch" - and much more.

If you visit only one child-safety site - make it this one.

Victoria Elizabeth

This is a heart-wrenching site that I feel all parents should visit. Household things we would never suspect can take our children away.