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It was a sad day in La Grande, Oregon on 28 January. The family of Jadin Bell, took him off life-support and he passed. Who is Jadin Bell? Jadin was a 15-year old high-school sophomore who had tried to commit suicide on 19 January by hanging himself in the playground of Central Elementary school. What may have driven Jadin to take his life? /* */
n the United States, ~25,000 women become pregnant through rape each year. In 27 states there are no laws which protect the custodial rights guaranteed to the mother of the resulting child. /* */
This morning, I, like so many others across the globe, sit with tears streaming down my face and into my lap as I think about the 26 souls who are now in Heaven on a direct path from the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. I can not possibly imagine the angst the families ... /* */
As we roll into this holiday season please take a moment and think about the children who are orphans and/or foster children. These children are in a state of flux. Those of us who haven’t experienced being a child in the house of a foster parent can only speculate on the mental gymnastics required to ... /* */
News
Liberty County prosecutors described Jared Len Cruse as one of a “pack of dogs” who gang-raped an 11-year-old Cleveland girl, while the defense likened the girl to a “spider” who lured men into her web. /* */
Those who are unfamiliar with the terms “sex trafficking” or “human trafficking” I hope will envision children being bought and sold, for the use of others – child slavery would also be an apropos term. This isn’t isolated to some poor unfortunates in a far away land. Look around and you will see it; look around and understand. The year is now 2012 and we continue to see an ever increasing number of fellow humans being trafficked and enslaved. In fact, the number of persons believed to be enslaved in 2012 is at its greatest level in the history of mankind. /* */
Safer Internet Day 2012 (SID2012) serves as great opportunity to remind ourselves of the need to exercise a bit of caution as we traverse the wired side of life. What impresses me the most is the multi-lingual, multi-topic approach taken to spread the message of how to stay safe online. /* */
In David Schwimmer’s TRUST, bad things happen to Annie, a good child. She is by all appearances a typical teenager – totally wired, online and available, 24/7/365. In the physical world, parents see with whom their child interacts. As the parents witness this interaction they are able to help guide and influence their child’s choices. The number one rule for every family: “The child must not engage in any personal meetings with an individual whom they have only met online without explicit parental permission.” /* */
Kudos to the American Bar Association (ABA) for amending and adopting their resolution 107A which urges “… federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local officials, to prevent and remediate the existence and dangers of bullying, including cyberbullying and youth-to-youth sexual and physical harassment.” In my view this is very much a step in the right direction… /* */
Today, February 8, 2011 is Safer Internet Day. It’s more than a game, its your life. One can’t over emphasize how important it is to pay attention when you and your family are online. The internet is integral to our daily lives. Online is where we live and we need to stay safe online. Here are a eleven tips to achieve that goal: /* */
If we are able to collectively work together, we can save a life, we can save many lives and in doing so we will demonstrate to the children, every day is worth living. /* */
… in 2010, by my count, 30 children ranging in age from 9-19 took their own lives as they were unable to cope with the bullying which they were being subjected. These families who lost their child … /* */
A question which every parent should be asking themselves, “How does my child access the internet?” “With whom is my child engaging?” The array of answers may startle you. So make no assumptions. Why does it matter? Knowing how your child accesses the internet and with whom they are engaging are the first steps in crafting an online safety plan for your child. I have said it before and will repeat, our family is our responsibility. /* */
…nearly 17 million children in America—that’s almost one in four—face hunger. And it’s likely that these children will endure lifelong consequences as a result of having limited access to nutritious foods. In fact, they’re more likely to suffer… /* */
Let us give thanks 85 percent of the households in the United States are food secure Let us give thanks our family is not amongst the remaining 15 percent, which equates to more than 50+ million persons who are food insecure. Let us give thanks our children are not amongst the one in one in ... /* */
No doubt you are aware of the tragic loss of life which occurred in Cooperstown, North Dakota late last week, when 16 year old Cassidy Joy Andel, posted a disquieting message upon her Facebook page, “My time has come, and so I’m gone. To a better place, far beyond,” and then took her life, she ... /* */
Were you aware that hunger, food insecurity is one of the root causes of individuals finding themselves victimized by Human Traffickers? You might be asking yourself how is this possible. In urban and rural situations both within the United States and abroad the number of families living under the poverty level continue to increase. In the United ... /* */
Breakfast is the meal which energizes us for the day. Unfortunately, not all in the United States have the means to provide their families with this all important meal. One in six families are food insecure in the United States – 300,000,000+ is our population, that means 50,000,000 citizens worry about their breakfast. Did you ... /* */
Hunger, NewsI recently spoke at an event in Seattle on the security aspects of Social Media, both from the business and personal perspective. One question which I fielded surrounded whether or not there is risk to children via the various social media networks (i.e., Facebook) or should one accept that if someone really wants to hurt ... /* */
News, Online Safety, Safety & SecurityMontana Lance was a nine-year old fourth grader when he took his life in the nurses station restroom at Stewart Creek elementary school in The Colony, Texas in January 2010. /* */
BullyingAuthor, Speaker, Humanitarian, Leader, Senior Security Advisor
My focus is on Safety, Security, Intelligence, Intellectual Property and Humanitarian issues.
I place particular emphasis on the protection of both the young and the elderly of our society.
You may contact me directly via:
Christopher@BurgessCT.com
