One in Ten

We have two guests for you: one offering insights into research on the impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on mental health, and the other giving us the perspective from the field. First up is Rabah Kamal, a senior policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation. Before COVID-19, about one in five adults in the U.S. reported being worried, anxious, or depressed on a regular basis. Among teenagers, about 12% reported anxiety or depression. And that was before a global pandemic hit. What impact is the pandemic having on mental health? What factors raise the risk of problems? What helps? 

Then you’ll hear from Carole Campbell Swiecicki at Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in South Carolina about the mental health impact of the pandemic on her CAC’s clients, her staff, and the CAC’s multidisciplinary team partners.

Topics in this episode:

• Prevalence of mental health issues in the U.S. (1:52)
• Impact of COVID-19 on mental health (4:29)
• Innovation and the future (26:45)
• Health care workers and first responders (36:48)
• What families are facing (40:36)
• Essential vs. non-essential workers (44:19)
• Impact on kids, and how we can help them (49:27)
• Going back to work (1:01:15)

Links:

Rabah Kamal is a senior policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) which is not related to any health insurance organizations

KFF’s “The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use”

The National Survey of Children’s Health

Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam

World Health Organization

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Coping with Stress

Carole Campbell Swiecicki, Ph.D., is executive director of Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center and a clinical assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Video diaries appeared in a CBS News story in May 2020

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: COVID-19 Behavioral Health Resources; Mental Health and Coping links for individuals; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) COVID-19 resources

Our own COVID-19 resource page is publicly available

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.

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Before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19, professors at Central Michigan University and Montclair State University were examining whether forensic interviewers could use telehealth technology to connect with children in remote or rural service areas in cases where child abuse was suspected. It was interesting research but not particularly urgent, because whatever their findings, most forensic interviews would still be conducted face-to-face. Then the pandemic hit.

Forensic interviews are conducted by specially trained individuals who must talk to children about abuse allegations in ways that are unbiased, fact-finding, legally sound, and not traumatizing. With communities across the country shutting down, we needed to know: Are teleforensic interviews as accurate and effective as face-to-face interviews? And are children OK with them? We talked to professors Debra Poole and Jason Dickinson to find out what they’ve learned.

Topics in this episode:

• Why research teleforensic interviewing? (1:43)
• The reaction (before the pandemic) (6:46)
• A matter of equity; and, what the study found (9:48)
• Unanswered questions (17:50)
• Interviewer discomfort (25:03)
• Building psychological safety (33:12)
• What additional training will interviewers need? (38:40)
• What’s next to study? (44:50)
• Our next episode (49:00)

Links:

Jason Dickinson, Ph.D., acting chairperson, Social Work and Child Advocacy, Montclair State University (New Jersey)

Debra Poole, Ph.D., experimental faculty, Department of Psychology, Central Michigan University 

Martine Powell, Ph.D., professor, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University (Brisbane, Australia)

National Science Foundation

Crimson Barocca, LCSW-C, forensic interview program supervisor, Baltimore Child Advocacy Center (Baltimore, Maryland)

Leyla Sandler, MSW, LICSW, forensic services director, Safe Shores, the D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center

TF-CBT, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Mister Rogers

Nicole Lytle, Ph.D., assistant professor, Social Work and Child Advocacy, Montclair State University

“Montclair Researchers Aid Child Witnesses With Tele-Forensic Interviewing,” Patch, March 27, 2020

Additional information on teleforensic interviewing at Children’s Advocacy Centers can be found on the COVID-19 resource page on NCA's website.

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org. And you can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/OneinTenPodcast.

 

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Today’s episode is a bit of bonus content for you. Adverse childhood experiences—also known as ACEs—can have lifelong effects. But does that mean we should screen everyone for ACEs? Recently, we spoke to Dr. David Finkelhor, from the Crimes Against Children Research Center and the University of New Hampshire, about the change in rates of abuse and neglect over time. If you listened to that episode, “Bad News Is a Story; Good News Is a Statistic,” what you didn’t hear was the conversation we had about the idea of universal screening for ACEs. Would such screening actually help? If not, what would? We spoke for just a few minutes on the topic, but we think you’ll find it interesting.

Topics in this episode:

• When screening works best (1:28)
• Our under-resourced behavioral health system (7:23)
• Our next episode (11:01)

Links:

David Finkelhor, Ph.D., sociology professor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, and co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire

“Bad News Is a Story, Good News Is a Statistic” 

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org. And visit One in Ten on Facebook at facebook.com/OneinTenPodcast

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Research shows that about 75% of physical abuse starts as physical discipline gone terribly awry. We have years of data showing spanking is ineffective—and in fact, harmful to kids. But often the topic is treated as a third rail by many child abuse professionals: avoided and ignored.

We spoke to Stacie LeBlanc, CEO of The UP Institute and a champion of no-hit zones. Why is it so difficult for child abuse professionals to discuss spanking with parents? How do we get past the culture wars on this topic? And how can we open a respectful conversation that moves beyond “Well, I turned out fine”? How can no-hit zones help?

This episode was recorded over Zoom, and there are some minor sound quality issues.

Topics in this episode:

·         Concerns for kids during the pandemic (1:17)

·         Connection between spanking and physical abuse (2:53)

·         The research (4:15)

·         Poyvictimization and adverse childhood experiences (6:03)

·         A common problem that’s hard to talk about (8:05)

·         Handling parents’ objections (13:17)

·         A respectful approach (21:00)

·         Banning spanking, changing social norms (2:48)

·         How to start a no-hit zone (26:23)

·         Our next episode (34:06)

Links:

Stacie LeBlanc, CEO of The UP Institute

No Hit Zone Toolkit

The No Hit Zone concept was created in 2005 by Dr. Lolita McDavid at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio

Elizabeth Gershoff, Ph.D.

Painless Parenting

National No Hit Zone Committee

Stop Spanking

U.S. Alliance to End the Hitting of Children has a list of organizations with policy statements on this topic

American Academy of Pediatrics, put out a policy statement in November 2018

Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children has a map of global progress on the issue

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org.

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Child protection professionals have tough jobs on any day. Add in a pandemic, and you’re piling stress on top of stress. We talked to Françoise Mathieu, executive director of TEND, an academy in Canada offering resources and training to address the needs of workers in high-stress, trauma-exposed workplaces like Children’s Advocacy Centers and their partner agencies. 

Françoise is a globally recognized expert on addressing burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma in these high-stress workplaces. Naturally, she’s a great person to talk to about how to cope with the added stress and fear of a pandemic while working in fields that already have their share of these issues on the best of days. What’s a healthy response? Why should we stop saying, “Well, when things go back to normal …”? How do we deal with the ever-present feeling that we’re not doing enough? And how do we care for ourselves and our colleagues while keeping our distance? This interview was recorded on Zoom, and there are minor fluctuations in sound quality.

Topics in this episode:

·         Reacting to the pandemic: denial first (1:28)

·         Feeling guilty that you’re not doing enough (8:23)

·         Grief and the new normal (19:11)

·         Caring for yourself and others (31:34)

·         A sense of moral injury (38:40)

·         Healthy habits to get you through the crisis (43:21)

·         Free resources (50:50)

·         Our next episode (53:58)

Links:

Françoise Mathieu, executive director of TEND

“This Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint: Strategies to Address Wear & Tear in Helping Professionals During COVID-19”

Black swan theory 

NCAC

Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink

Linda Cordisco Steele

“Leaders Are People Too: Staying Well During COVID-19,” interview with Dr. Patricia Fisher 

Karen Hangartner

TEND’s COVID-19 resources.“Feet on the Floor.” The Three Minute Breathing Space. Staying Well During COVID-19.

Secondary Traumatic Stress Consortium COVID-19 Resources

NCA’s COVID-19 response page

Stephen Covey’s Circles of Concern and Influence (video)

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org.

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Prof. David Finkelhor joined us to discuss a recent one-year uptick in rates of child sexual abuse in the U.S.—and the longer-term reduction in rates of abuse and neglect (down more than 60% since 1992). What might have caused the uptick? And why are we so quick to spot bad news when the bigger news of a substantial decrease gets so little attention? Does child abuse prevention education in schools work? And what do we need to do to keep driving rates of abuse down?

Topics in this episode:

·         An uptick in child sexual abuse? Should we be concerned? (1:34)

·         Rates of abuse and neglect in the U.S. have gone down more than 60% since 1992 (4:49)

·         Could our success make people take the issue less seriously? (13:34)

·         Prevention education (18:20)

·         Interesting research questions (23:40)

·         Learning from COVID-19 responses and innovation (26:44)

·         Our next episode—if you like the podcast, please share it! (31:15)

Links:

David Finkelhor, Ph.D., sociology professor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, and co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire

Children’s Bureau (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System

Minnesota Student Survey

National Crime Victimization Survey (U.S. Department of Justice)

Steven Pinker’s Better Angels of Our Nature and Enlightenment Now

Erin’s Law

NCA’s COVID-19 resources page is publicly available and includes telemental health resources

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org.

Support the show

Did you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Prosecutor Mat Heck is our guest today. Amid a pandemic, public health experts are urging us to stay home and stay away from each other to avoid spreading the deadly virus. At National Children’s Alliance, our entire staff is teleworking—and in fact, you’ll hear that this interview was conducted over the internet. Our criminal justice system, however, is built around in‑person interactions. Now, virtually overnight, many aspects of the system had to start operating remotely. What still needs to be done in person, and how do we proceed when public health and public safety are at odds?

As the elected prosecutor for Montgomery County, Ohio, Mat is dealing with this issue directly. How has the pandemic impacted his work? How can victim advocates and forensic interviewers at Children’s Advocacy Centers do their jobs under these difficult conditions? Should we expect a rise in child abuse and other crimes? And how is Mat helping his own staff deal with the added stress of a pandemic on top of an already difficult job?

Topics in this episode:

·         The challenge for law enforcement and prosecutors 

·         Essential vs. nonessential work

·         Victim advocacy during a pandemic

·         Making sure children are protected: Children’s Advocacy Centers and the forensic interview

·         Child protective services checking in on families

·         Will we see a rise in crimes like domestic violence and child abuse?

·         Helping our workforce deal with the added stress

·         Our next episode: Dr. David Finkelhor and changes in rates of child abuse and neglect over time

Links:

NCA’s coronavirus resource page for CACs, partners, and caregivers

Mat Heck, Jr., is the elected prosecutor for Montgomery County, Ohio

Victim/Witness Division and Child Abuse Bureau of the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office

CARE House Child Advocacy Center

Webinar on CAC triage plans: COVID-19 and CACs

Montgomery County Children Services

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org.

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Two guests join us to discuss the overwhelming number of images of child sexual abuse online. First, we spoke to Lieutenant Veto Mentzell with the Harford County (Md.) Sheriff’s Office. How has technology changed producing and distributing these images? What’s the impact on survivors? Who are these predators in our midst? We discussed the role of Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces and how well-intentioned efforts to update legislation can criminalize children’s behavior.

Then, you’ll hear from Emily Cashman Kirstein at Thorn, a nonprofit that builds technology to defend children from abuse. What do we need tech companies to do—or do more of—to protect children? Why are we failing to keep up with the growth of abusive materials online? We talked about the threat posed by end-to-end encryption and what Thorn is doing on the issue of self-generated content.

Topics (Veto Mentzell):

• Who produces and shares abusive imagery? (2:14)
• Technology now is a common part of abuse cases (5:53)
• Self-produced images: the risk for kids (9:58)
• The impact on kids and families—and investigators (14:04)
• What policy makers need to know (22:24)
• The best advice for Children’s Advocacy Centers (31:37)

Topics (Emily Cashman Kirstein):

• An audacious goal: eradicating child abuse from the internet (34:21)
• The prevalence of this material and what’s driving the growth (35:51)
• The role of nonprofits and of policy makers (42:46)
• Holding tech companies accountable (48:45)
• Encryption, digital privacy, and child protection (51:15)
• What else is promising? (55:48)

Links:

New York Times articles “The Internet Is Overrun with Images of Child Sexual Abuse. What Went Wrong?,” “How Laws Against Child Sexual Abuse Imagery Can Make It Harder to Detect,” and “Tech Companies Detect a Surge in Online Videos of Child Sexual Abuse”

Harford County Child Advocacy Center

Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Maryland ICAC

“Digital Safety” episode of Public Health Matters

The State Chapter is Maryland Children’s Alliance

Thorn’s TED Talk: “How we can eliminate child sexual abuse material from the internet”

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)

Safer

Telegraph article: “Tech companies should pay for child abuse epidemic ‘like oil spills’, ex-Government child safety Czar says”

Safety by Design, Australia

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit nationalchildrensalliance.org.

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Episode 204, “Mending the Tears of Violence.”  Adversity and violence are common in kid's lives. The cumulative burden creates a lifelong vulnerability to physical and psychological issues. So how do we help kids thrive? What strengths are most important in overcoming adversity? Sherry Hamby, research professor of psychology at the University of the South, discussed trauma's cumulative impact and how teachers, parents, and child advocates can help kids.

Topics:

• Adversity and violence in children's lives (1:39)
• Poly-victimization and the dose response (6:58)
• Resilience (12:06)
• Poly-strengths (16:11)
• Symptom relief is not well-being (20:16)
• The most important strengths (22:46)
• Teacher engagement; how to help kids (35:09)
• How to help kids (39:34))
• Our next episode (47:13)

Links:

Sherry Hamby, Ph.D.,  Life Paths Research Center director and ResilienceCon founder

ACE study

David Finkelhor, Heather A. Turner

National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence 

“Polyvictimization: Children’s Exposure to Multiple Types of Violence, Crime, and Abuse”

Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire

Ann S. Masten, Ordinary Magic: Resilience in Development

“Sense of Purpose—The Most Important Strength?”

“From Poly-Victimization to Poly-Strengths: Understanding the Web of Violence Can Transform Research on Youth Violence and Illuminate the Path to Prevention and Resilience” 

“Poly-victimization, Trauma, and Resilience: Exploring Strengths That Promote Thriving After Adversity” (article in press at interview time)

“Health-related quality of life among adolescents as a function of victimization, other adversities, and strengths”

MMPI

“Developmental Stage of Onset, Poly-Victimization, and Persistence of Childhood Victimization: Impact on Adult Well-Being in a Rural Community–Based Study” 

Two-by-Ten 

James Pennebaker

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit nationalchildrensalliance.org.

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Episode 203, “The Child-Trafficking-to-Adult-Prostitution Pipeline.”  Multiple states and jurisdictions are considering full decriminalization of adult prostitution. On the surface, it seems like a way to help an exploited population. But the potential for harm is real—especially for children. January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and we spoke to Yasmin Vafa of Rights4Girls about the connections between child sexual abuse and sex trafficking and the adult sex trade. What are supporters of full decriminalization missing? And what would a truly survivor-focused approach look like?

Topics in this episode:

·         The sexual-abuse-to-prison pipeline, a domestic crisis (1:30)

·         No such thing as a child prostitute (4:27)

·         State statutes; child sex trafficking is a form of child abuse (6:15)

·         The connection between sex trafficking and the rest of the sex trade (9:30)

·         Defeating a full decriminalization bill in Washington, D.C. (17:40)

·         Other states considering decriminalization (20:43)

·         Advice to child advocates (24:11)

Links:

Yasmin Vafa, co-founder and executive director of Rights4Girls (originally known as Human Rights Project for Girls)

“The Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline: The Girls’ Story”

The No Such Thing Campaign featured Withelma “T” Ortiz Walker Pettigrew, whose viral petition helped persuade the Associated Press to stop using terms such as “child prostitute.”

Human trafficking state laws 

National Center for Homeless Education (U.S. Department of Education) resources on trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children, Youth and Families “Guidance to States and Services on Addressing Human Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States”

“Vermont bill would decriminalize adult prostitution,” January 12, 2020, Associated Press

Current status of H.569, “An act relating to prostitution,” in the Vermont General Assembly

The equality model or Swedish model (partial decriminalization)

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). If you suspect an incident of child sex trafficking, call the NCMEC hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Don’t ask, “what if I’m wrong?” Ask, “what if I’m right?”

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org.

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