KidsFirst

Witnessing domestic violence similar to child abuse trauma

Many Americans may not realize how widespread domestic violence has become. An estimated 10 million children witness assaults against a parent each year. Frequently the assault is performed by a husband or intimate partner. This violence crosses all socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and sexual orientation boundaries.  Read More....

SAMHSA Launches New Homelessness Resource Center Web Site

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has launched a new Homelessness Resource Center Web site.    The Web site is designed to support individuals working to improve the lives of people affected by homelessness who have mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and histories of trauma.

Pope meets with victims of clergy sex abuse

Pope Benedict XVI prayed with tearful victims of clergy sex abuse in a chapel Thursday, an extraordinary gesture from a pontiff who has made atoning for the great shame of the U.S. church the cornerstone of his first papal trip to America.  Full story on msnbc.com

Child Maltreatment Surveillance: Uniform Definitions for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements

Child maltreatment is a significant social and public health problem in the United States (U.S.).  In 2006, child protective services confirmed that approximately 905,000 children in the U.S. were victims of maltreatment and 1,530 died from abuse or neglect.  Unfortunately, these numbers likely underestimate the magnitude of the problem in this country. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is pleased to announce the publication of Child Maltreatment Surveillance: Uniform Definitions for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements.  This document provides conceptual definitions of child maltreatment, presents associated terms, and recommends data elements for voluntary use by the public health community in the development of surveillance systems.   Hard copies of the publication can be ordered on-line at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/pubs/ncipc.aspx.   An electronic copy is available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/CMP/CMP-Surveillance.htm.

Gene Variant Predicts PTSD After Childhood Abuse

A new study reports that the development of adult post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can involve a significant interaction between childhood abuse and variants of FKBP5, a gene that regulates glucocorticoid activity.  The study found no significant interactions between the FKBP5 variants and trauma other than child abuse.  Full report at The Journal of the American Medical Association

Organizing the Prom Closet

Lauren McDonald sits in a pile of prom dresses at her house on Feb. 28. Lauren has been collecting since November and, so far, she has 115 dresses that she'll be putting on sale right before the prom for girls who can't afford full-price dresses.  Full story at Columbia Missourian

Spanking children can lead to problems later in life

Parents who teach "tough love" by disciplining their children with spankings could be making them more likely to have sexual problems as teenagers and adults, a leading researcher said.  Full story at Reuters

Some progress, but still tears

"It's time we stop it," Vieth said at a February 2007 conference. He acknowledged, though, that none in his audience of prosecutors, child welfare workers and community advocates would live to see the effort's conclusion.  Full story at News-Leader.com

The Behavioral Health Money Trail

The National Center for Children in Poverty has followed the money trail in children’s behavioral health and found that it leads to strange and unexpected places.  Read Towards Better Behavioral Health for Children, Youth and their Families: Financing that Supports Knowledge

The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is please to announce the availability of The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan.  This publication summarizes the research on childhood stress and its implications for adult health and well-being. This free publication is available for ordering in hard copy, for viewing online, or for downloading.