Blog

Two years ago, I was hired as a campaign coordinator for a community initiative in South L.A. I got the job because I’d been an organizer for labor unions, and I was eager and thrilled. I’d be coordinating The Belong Campaign, part of a nonprofit funded by government entities as well as large foundations. My cubicle was in the heart of The Children’s Bureau. What they said I was doing — what the foundations were paying us to do, what I thought I was doing — was working to prevent of child...

For years, few questioned how doctors treated the emotional trauma of California’s abused and neglected children — and nobody monitored how often they handed out psychiatric drugs that can turn fragile childhoods into battles with obesity and bouts of stupor. Now, a Bay Area News Group investigation into the prescribing habits of the state’s foster care doctors reveals for the first time how a fraction of those physicians has been fueling the medicating of California’s most vulnerable kids.

At 11 on a cool Friday morning in spring, Cindy Rivera opened the door to her preschool room and greeted 13 children by name as they rushed in, pulling a parent or grandparent by the hand behind them. “Good morning, Siena,” said Rivera in a lilting voice. “Are you going to sign your name in all by yourself?” As the children sat cross-legged on a large round rug decorated with illustrations of kids from around the world wearing traditional clothing, Rivera led them in their good morning song,...

As research emerges about the impact of trauma on a child’s developing brain, state leaders are grappling with the thorny problem of how to balance science with justice when dealing with violent and criminal teens. The development issues are commonly referred to as “adverse childhood experiences” – and they impact just about every public entity that encounters children – from public schools to the Department of Children’s Services to hospitals and the criminal justice system. Lawmakers this...

Let’s begin with a short quiz. Who advises the president and Congress about matters of juvenile justice policy? My guess is that “lobbyists” is the first answer that comes to mind and, of course, that answer is correct but incomplete. There is a legislatively created committee of citizens to render such advice; it is the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice —usually called FACJJ. Where does this committee reside? Most readers of JJIE will guess the Office of Juvenile Justice and...

Did you know having a family member in jail is an Adverse Childhood Experience and could result in lifelong problems for the child? Fact: "Children of incarcerated parents are six times more likely to land in prison themselves! Sadly, teens with an incarcerated parent are three times more likely than their peers to drop out of high school and engage in delinquent behavior. An overwhelming majority of kids who have an incarcerated parent use drugs daily to cope." (...

The neighborhood surrounding Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church on Herman Street in North Nashville was plagued with a string of gun violence. The church had enough. What could be done to stem the tide? How could the church play its part in helping push for solutions? "Crisis always calls us as a faith community to respond,” said the Rev. Charles L. White Jr. , Gordon Memorial's pastor. So in 2014, the church became the host site for one of Nashville's three Freedom Schools , a summer...

At a movie theater recently, an older man came up to the manager, someone I have talked to on a casual basis. The manager recognizes me and is always friendly when I visit their theater. He is always courteous to patrons, and is a military veteran. We have lots of veterans here in Alaska. The older man was angry, and complaining about a $5 issue. He was using profanity profusely, and apparently was also a veteran. His voice was loud and he was politely asked if he could stop using profanity.

As the only one-stop destination for families of juvenile victims of physical or sexual abuse, Newark-based Wynona’s House is centering end-of-summer efforts on sending kids back to classes with the supplies — and frame of mind — they need to succeed. School, backpack, back artisteer, ThinkStock “They know when they’re here, they’re safe,” said Carol Berger, Wynona’s House chief program officer. “They’re with other families that have come through the system, and through our center.” The...

American women seem more satisfied with their weight now than they were 30 years ago, preliminary new research indicates. After reviewing more than 250 studies that included a total of over 100,000 participants, researchers found that women's dissatisfaction with their thinness levels significantly declined between 1981 and 2012. "In the past few years, we've seen more and more of the idea of body acceptance . . . and more media awareness [of this issue] growing from societal influences,"...

A dozen years ago, former Wall Street Journal columnist Thomas Frank wrote an unlikely best-seller, “ What’s the Matter With Kansas ?” It examined why that state’s once moderate voters had swung hard right in their political leanings, and why less affluent Kansans were consistently voting for ultraconservatives advocating sweeping policy changes that conflicted with these voters’ economic interests. Frank’s book did not focus on juvenile justice. But while Kansas politics have continued to...

Mindfulness-based teachings have shown benefits in everything from inflammatory disorders to central nervous system dysfunction and even cancer. Now, researchers are studying how cognitive therapy utilizing mindfulness techniques can serve as a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals for people with anxiety disorders. Mindfulness is “the intentional, accepting and non-judgemental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment”, which can be...