Did you know that school personnel identify 52% of all identified child sexual abuse cases classified as causing harm to the child?

BALTIMORE – The state of Maryland has taken a significant step toward preventing child sexual abuse by attending evidenced-based training at its Crime Control & Prevention office. The course, taught by former Mrs. Maryland International Elizabeth Peace, is the only nationally available program scientifically proven to increase knowledge of child sex abuse. For every adult trained in the program, 10 children are estimated to be saved. Peace, now the reigning Mrs. Atlantic Sta

Growing up in the '90s with a computer in my home, I was an early adapter to email and the internet. Sometimes, I think I know so much about technology just to realize that my children have me beat! I guess that's the benefit of growing up with smartphones! But there are people who are better at the internet, smartphones and just technology in general than you and me and our kids: pedophiles. As a journalist, I covered police departments as they were trying to train their off

This op-ed originally appeared in The Baltimore Sun . Among survivors of sexual assault and abuse, there was real hope that the media attention over the sentencing of USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar , who sexually abused more than 150 children, would inspire significant change. But just a few short months later, we see no change has been made in one of the places recently spotlighted by the #MeToo movement: Hollywood. Last week, just a few months after Mr. Nassar's wi

When you  read the story  of an 11-year-old allegedly kidnapped on her way to school (and thankfully saved by a heroic teacher's aide), there are likely several things running through your mind: "That's why I don't let my children walk to school." "Why didn't her mother teach her about stranger danger?" "Why did the 11-year-old say he was 'a friend?'" I'm sure it's normal for these thoughts and questions to immediately come up, but it's not very helpful to dwell on them, and

This op-ed originally appeared on The Washington Examiner Photo by Warrant Officer Bobby Yarbrough " A nude photo scandal has shaken the entire Marine Corps," reads the headline on Marine Corps Times. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called it "degrading behavior" in a statement Monday morning. If you read the comments from current and former Marines, male and female, you'll see dozens of posts like this one: "Don't want nude photo

It happened again. A father is dead. A teenager is in custody. A six-year-old is fighting for his life. A school community is grieving, and families everywhere are once again holding their breath after another school shooting. In moments like this, public conversation often turns into noise. Arguments harden. Positions calcify. Facts get blurred. And before we can even begin to process what happened, the focus shifts to debates that feel louder than they are productive. What

Military Times recently reported on a massive security failure by military officials at several bases, including Fort Detrick, Maryland, which is home to chemical and biological research programs. In case you’re unsure what this report by the IG means, I’ll sum it up quickly: people who have no business being near this highly classified and sensitive material were given access to the base without background checks and were given access badges even after their lease ended. Tha