Terrorism in American Families
By: Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD
In his traditional “Urbi et Orbi”message (”to the city and to the world”) the Pope said, “Today my thoughts go to all the children of the world: so many, too many, are children condemned from birth to suffer through no fault of their own the effects of cruel conflicts. Let us save the children, in order to save the hope of humanity.”
Although, the pontiff made no direct reference to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks or to the U.S. bombings in Afghanistan,he said, “The new millennium began with much hope, but is now threatened by dark clouds of violence and war.”
There is a form of terrorism that we CAN do something about: Child Verbal, Sexual and Physical [a.k.a Corporal Punishment (spanking)] Abuse, The trauma to its victims can be even more severe than that resulting from witnessing horrendous targeted terrorist attacks. [New York Times, September 18, 2001: “Stress From Attacks Will Chase Some Into the Depths of Their Minds, and Stay” By Eric Goode: “One large survey of American’s mental health agencies found that of those who said they had been exposed to trauma, about 25 percent developed the hallmarks of post-traumatic stress disorder……researchers, including Dr. Edna Foa of the University of Pennsylvania, have come up with higher numbers for the victims of rape….”]
No one is born a child molester/sex offender or child abuser (a.k.a corporal punishment/paddling or spanking), yet crimes of this nature tend to be self-perpetuating. Victims become perpetrators.
Finally, there is a way to Prevent Child Abuse, not merely to cope with its aftermath:
In fostering the Pope’s message, Strategies for Prevention were introduced as a part of “Domestic Violence Awareness Month”—and formally released in connection with the 108th Annual IACP Conference: Law Enforcement Educationand Technology Exposition, held in Toronto October 27th through 31st, 2001. [IACP,i.e.,The International Association of Chiefs of Police, sponsoring organization of the Conference, is the world’s oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization of police executives, with over 19,000 members in over 100 different countries.]
The strategies for abuse prevention were endorsed by Durham, North Carolina, Former Chief of Police, Teresa C. Chambers, former highly decorated New York City Police Officer and current advisor to CBS crime news, Paul Ragonese, Brad Parker, Director, Defend University and Self-Defense ExpertGuide,and Roman Paur, Executive Director, Interfaith Sexual Trauma Institute (ISTI), www.csbsju.edu/isti - Founder Faith Community Learning Resource (FCLR) www.csbsju.edu/fclr
Protection strategies are projected to decrease Sexual Abuse crimes by as much as 50% within the next generation. It has been embraced by parents, guardians, caretakers and a wide variety of professional practitioners for its straightforward approach to circumventing the perpetuation of America’s greatest unacknowledged scourge.
In troubled times, it is important to remember that Peace Begins At Home.
Dorothy Neddermeyer, author, If I’d Only Known… Sexual Abuse in or out of the Family: A Guide to Prevention is known for her pioneering work in very, physical and sexual abuse recovery. http://www.gen-assist.com/book.asp [Reference: New York Times Cover Article, September 10, 2001 (the day before the Terrorist Attacks on the US: “Children’s Sexual Exploitation Underestimated, Study Finds” By Raymond Hernandez].