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Inside the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, children lived in a world of fear. Even babies were not immune: cult leader David Koresh believed that the wills of infants—some just eight months old—needed to be broken with strict physical discipline if they were to stay "in the light." Koresh was mercurial: one moment kind, attentive and nurturing, and the next, a prophet of rage. The Davidians, as the members of the Mount Carmel religious community were called, became exquisitely...

In 2014, following a series of student suicides and an increase in the number of students experiencing suicidal ideation and hospitalization, Stamford Public Schools recognized an urgent need to better identify students with mental health concerns and connect them to services. School personnel were reporting a higher number of students who had experienced trauma, including among refugee students. Prior to 2014, Stamford developed various strategies and initiatives designed to improve mental...

When I worked in juvenile probation there were times youth were labeled with the diagnosis BAD. They were just bad kids. There are even maximum security juvenile detention centers for kids with the BAD diagnosis. Kids who seem to have been born evil. As a criminal justice academician, I have read details of some of the most hideous crimes ever committed. I have a PhD in criminal justice. Currently I teach criminal justice to undergraduate students eager to begin their careers in...

Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center invites you to submit a speaker proposal for the Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Summit, Feb. 28 - March 2, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. This event appeals to professionals who work in the field of violence intervention and prevention, including: Child protection services, law enforcement, forensic interviewing, legal, victim advocacy and youth-serving organizations. We cover a wide variety of topics related to adverse childhood...

Tomorrow (July 26), Building Community Resilience will co-host a briefing on childhood trauma-- The Need to Address Childhood Trauma: Implications for Child Welfare and Education-- at the U.S. House of Representatives. Honorary Co-Hosts are Rep. Danny K. Davis (IL-7) and the Congressional Foster Youth Caucus. Featured speakers include Wendy Ellis , Milken Scholar, doctoral candidate and BCR Project Director, Olga Price , Director of the National Center for Health and Health Care in Schools.

It’s always a thrill for this former inner city teacher to attend early education conferences. Conversations with early educators bring back memories of the values that inspired me as a young student, and the priciples we in public education celebrated when I entered the classroom. As usual, the Potts Family Foundation Oklahoma Early Childhood Coalition Business Summit achieved a balance between science-driven, businesslike analyses along with a loving commitment to our children. The keynote...

A gift to yourself The idea of forgiveness makes many people shout, Never!! Indeed, resentment, blame, recrimination and desire for revenge seem so much more natural than forgiveness. Is there anything to be gained by forgiving an offender? Formerly associated only with spiritual wellbeing, it is now known that it also enhances emotional, mental and physical health. Releasing resentment, hatred and bitterness breaks the troubling connection with the offender. No longer consumed by what was...

Relentless news about the nation’s opioid epidemic makes it seem like doctors are so willing to prescribe these drugs, which help reduce pain but also can be abused in deadly ways, that they’re practically installing dispensers in their waiting rooms. [For more of this story, written by Paul Sisson, go to http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/sd-me-opioid-prescriptions-20170724-story.html]

This article was originally published by Everyday Feminism . It has been edited for YES! Magazine. If you checked out the Jose Antonio Vargas documentary about White people, aptly titled White People , you’ll know that many White people struggle to discuss race (not that some of you needed a documentary to confirm this fact). Throw “White Privilege” into the discussion, and the awkwardness—and defensiveness—can multiply astronomically. What is White Privilege ? The reality that a White...

Inside a community space in downtown Oakland, Kori Chen learned that a tampon can be used to staunch the blood from a gunshot entrance wound. He also learned about the rights he had at his disposal in case ICE ever tried to conduct a raid inside Red Bay Coffee, the café where Chen works as a director. This past May, Chen and other owners and employees of five local businesses attended a community safety training to learn how to handle everything from a medical emergency to an immigration...

Early-stage but promising programs seeking to show that they improve outcomes for children and families often face a daunting hurdle: how can they develop systematic processes and data that will help them measure their success? Established four years ago, the Casey Foundation’s Expanding Evidence portfolio aims to strengthen the capacity of emerging programs for families of color to hone their service, their identity and the processes that make them successful at what they do so they can...

No pressure, teachers, but as an academic instructor, you’ve not only taken on students’ learning development, but also their social and emotional development. The role teachers play in child development is a vital one, but playing it can be emotionally draining, asserts Alex Shevrin, a teacher at Center Point School in Winooski, Vt. Shevrin was recently recognized as one of SmartBrief’s Editor’s Choice Content Award winners for her blog post, “ A mindset shift to continue supporting the...