One in Ten

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Small Brave Moves for a Life-Changing Field May 19, 2023

Show notes

In our culture, when we think of examples of leadership bravery, we often think of huge risk and very heroic images. Hollywood reinforces this with movies like Sully, about a pilot that landed his plane on the Hudson River, or war movies—really, too many to even name. And business TED Talks and articles likewise focus on turnaround artists or grandiose start-ups.

Once we set aside the fictionalized accounts of gutsy leadership, how do we know what bravery in leadership really looks like? Our guest today, leadership coach and author Nicole Bianchi, argues for something more real and within the reach of every single leader: the next small brave move.

What could that look like for us as child abuse professionals? For our organizations? And for our multidisciplinary teams? And how might we change ourselves and our agencies and the system for kids by making successive small brave moves?
Topics in this episode:

Origin story (1:34)
Bravery is an acquired behavior (3:19)
The top three fears (5:22)
Examples of small brave moves (9:15)
The process (15:16)
When a small brave move doesn't go well (25:30)
The table read (prepare!) (27:16)
Working with teams (37:13)
What's next for Nicole (40:28)
Nicole at NCA's Leadership Conference (43:32)

Links:

Nicole Bianchi is a founding partner at Bravium HD, where she is a professional speaker, facilitator, and master coach designing and facilitating transformational workshops in leadership, team alignment, and culture-building

Nicole’s book is Small Brave Moves: Learn Why Little Acts of Bravery Are the Key to Life-Changing Leadership; her second book, about leaders learning to have tough conversations, will be released in August 2023

She will give the closing keynote speech at the 2023 NCA Leadership Conference, June 5-7, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

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

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Best of the Best: Gender Bias and the Myth of Parental Alienation May 05, 2023

Show notes

Everyone’s heard of the vengeful ex-wife who accuses her ex-husband of child abuse just to get back at him during a divorce. There’s even a scientific-sounding term for it: parental alienation. But is parental alienation real? And are judges taking allegations of abuse seriously enough? In this rebroadcast of one of our earliest shows, we speak to Prof. Joan Meier from George Washington University Law School who has some frankly startling data on the subject. How does alleging abuse affect custody decisions? Is there scientific proof that alienation exists? And what can we do to persuade the courts to do a better job of investigating abuse?

Topics in this episode:

Realizing children aren’t being protected (1:30)
Junk science: parental alienation syndrome (2:47)
The myth of the vengeful ex-wife (7:57)
Women are not considered as credible as men (13:15)
Effects on custody decisions (20:54)
What should the courts be doing? (23:54)
Reaction by judges (29:52)
Advice for child abuse professionals (32:54)
For more information (36:20)

Links:

This episode originally aired on January 5, 2020

Joan S. Meier, professor of clinical law and director of the National Family Violence Law Center at the George Washington University Law School

The study referred to in this episode, “Child Custody Outcomes in Cases Involving Parental Alienation and Abuse Allegations,” and other research by Professor Meier are available on the law school’s website

“‘A gendered trap’: When mothers allege child abuse by fathers, the others often lose custody, study shows,” is a Washington Post article about the study.

Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project (DV LEAP) provides pro bono appellate representation in compelling domestic violence cases and trains attorneys and courts around the country

DV LEAP’s Legal Resource Library include briefs and court opinions, training materials, publications, links to domestic violence organizations, case digests, and custody resources
For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at One in Ten podcast. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.

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Best of the Best: Beyond ACEs Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

In 1998, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study showed that traumatic events in childhood were common and could have lasting effects—on everything from SAT scores while we’re in school to long-term physical health issues as adults. But are all ACEs created equal? In this rebroadcast of an intriguing interview from our first season, we invite Dr. Lisa Amaya-Jackson from the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress to discuss the benefits—and the limitations—of keeping score. Have we oversimplified the way in which we talk about ACEs? What’s the role of the community in developing resilience? (And why does she think “resilience” is both a beautiful word and a burden?) What do we need to know to help survivors heal?

Topics in this episode:

Defining trauma (1:34)
All ACEs were not created equal (5:29)
The problem with oversimplification (8:58)
How an ACEs assessment fits into the CAC rubric (20:23)
Advice for child abuse professionals (26:20)
Resilience and helping kids recover (29:43)
What’s coming up at NCTSN (40:53)

Links:

The original Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study

National Child Traumatic Stress Network

National Center for Child Traumatic Stress

Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope(2016 documentary)

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, at TEDMED 2014, “How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime”

Prevent Child Abuse America

Core Curriculum on Childhood Trauma, including The 12 Core Concepts: Concepts for Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses in Children and Families

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

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Growing Up Online: Addressing Child Sextortion Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

Online exploitation of children is sadly not a new phenomenon or topic. But what is new is the dramatic growth of sextortion cases. In “Growing Up Online: Addressing Child Sextortion,” we speak with Katie Connell. Katie is unit chief of the Child Victim Services Unit at the FBI.

These cases—whether fueled by financial, sexual, or revenge motives—trade on children and youth’s fear that nude or sexual images of them will be shared if they don’t meet offenders’ demands for money or more images. Tragically, the fear, shame, and stigma that victims feel has resulted in isolation, further exploitation, and even suicide.

How do we prevent sextortion from happening in the first place? And if it does happen, what can we do to respond effectively and with compassion?

Topics in this episode:

Origin story (1:21)
Types of cases FBI sees (3:40)
What is sextortion? (5:15)
What is fueling the growth in cases? (9:43)
Who are the offenders? (13:00)
How are children targeted? (15:54)
Preventing and responding to cases (19:19)
Public policy implications (30:47)
Advice for child abuse professionals (34:58)
For more information (38:53)

Links and mentions:

Katie Connell, MSW (Catherine S. Connell), unit chief, Child Victim Services Unit, FBI; child/adolescent forensic interview specialist in the FBI’s Macomb County, Michigan Resident Agency

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

APSAC, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children

Kimberly Poyer, section chief, FBI

Martha J. Finnegan, MSW, child/adolescent forensic interview specialist, FBI

TFO, task force officer

Innocent Images

CAFI, child and adolescent forensic interviewer

FBI-NCA MOU (memorandum of understanding) began in 2015 and was updated in 2022; it ensures our law enforcement partners have access to CAC services needed to investigate and prosecute federal child abuse cases

NCMEC, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Thorn

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The Real Red Flags of Grooming Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

One of the most compelling problems in child sexual abuse prevention has been how to describe to parents, caregivers, and the general public exactly what signs to look for to identify concerns. Frankly, much of the discussion has been so general because, what might, with hindsight, have been a sign of abuse, might well in another setting be of no concern at all. Describing what grooming behaviors are has up until now been fraught and difficult.

Now enter researcher Elizabeth Jeglic from John Jay College, whose research looks at which behaviors are most clearly linked to child sexual abuse. And even more importantly, it identifies red flag behaviors that any mandatory reporter, parent, or professional can recognize to sound the alarm. This research has the potential to revolutionize both mandatory reporter training and the prevention education we conduct with kids in schools. And wait until you hear the implications for investigators and prosecutors as well. This is a seminal piece of research, and one we are all going to be citing and referring back to for years to come. Please take a listen.

Topics in this episode:

Origin story (1:48)
What is grooming? (4:12)
The hindsight bias (7:20)
High-risk grooming behaviors (8:56)
The kids abusers target (12:05)
Favoritism and trust development (17:34)
Post-abuse maintenance (24:33)
Implications for prevention (27:35)
Implications for investigation (32:24)
For more information (38:21)

Links:

Elizabeth Jeglic, Ph.D., is a researcher and professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is the co-director of the Sex Offender Research Lab at college. The co-author of two books, Sexual Violence: Evidence Based Policy and Prevention and Protecting Your Child from Sexual Abuse, she also blogs for Psychology Today

Georgia Winters, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Psychology and Counseling at Fairleigh Dickinson University

The research paper we’re discussing today is “Identification of red flag child sexual grooming behaviors,” by Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Georgia M. Winters, and Benjamin N. Johnson. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105998 This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC_ND license.

Sexual Grooming Model

Level of Concern Guide

Post-abuse maintenance chart

Megan’s Law

Jenna’s Law

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Practical Magic: Understanding Lived Experience Through Data Mar 12, 2023

Show notes

One of the most vexing questions in child abuse intervention is: How do we know that the work we do makes a difference? We can count the number of kids we serve and the services we provide, but how do we know this actually makes a meaningful difference in the quality of the multidisciplinary team response and to the children and families we serve every single day?

We speak with Seth Boughton, director of data and innovative techniques at the Ohio Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, about how we measure the impact of our work. Our Outcome Measurement System, started a decade ago by the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas includes caregiver feedback surveys, multidisciplinary team surveys, and youth feedback surveys. In the wake of our recent report, Healing, Justice, and Trust, we take stock of what we know about children’s and families’ outcomes, and further areas to explore.

Topics in this episode:

Origin story (2:02)
Practical uses for data (3:45)
Outcome Measurement System (6:39)
Turning our assumptions on their heads (10:54)
Benchmarks and their uses (15:29)
ChildSafe (18:05)
Using data with partner agencies (25:38)
Future research needed (30:02)
For more information (45:31)

Links:

Seth Boughton, MSW, is director of data and innovative techniques at the Ohio Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers. He previously served as a research intern at National Children’s Alliance and still consults with NCA from time to time, including on the 2022 edition of our Healing, Justice, and Trust report.

Healing, Justice, and Trust 2022, a public version of the 2022 report. is available on our website; NCA members can access the member version with detailed data on NCA Engage; an Engage account is required.

Outcome Measurement System

Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas

CAC Census; some materials are for members and partners only

E3 program, Enhance Early Engagement

TF-CBT, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

EMDR, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

CACs and MDTs, Children’s Advocacy Centers and multidisciplinary teams

ChildSafe San Antonio story from NCA’s 2021 Annual Report

MSW programs, master of social work

NIJ, National Institute of Justice

NCMEC, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Eyes Up Appalachia

SACWIS, Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System

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PTSD Interrupted? Feb 17, 2023

Show notes

We’ve learned so much about the trauma experienced by children who’ve been abused. We know about their clinical symptoms. We know how these affect their functioning at home and at school. And we know about the lifelong impacts of leaving these trauma symptoms untreated. We’re grateful that not only child abuse professionals but your average citizen is now aware that victims of child abuse can develop PTSD at rates and severity to those of soldiers who’ve been to war.

But is that cycle of abuse, trauma symptoms, and PTSD development inevitable? Is it possible to interrupt that cycle in such a way that symptoms reduce and PTSD never develops in the first place? CFTSI—the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention—is an evidence-based intervention that can do just that for some kids. We speak with Carrie Epstein, co-director of the Yale Center for Traumatic Stress and Recovery and co-developer of CFTSI about how this brief, early intervention can help reduce symptoms in children and caregivers.

Topics in this episode:

Origin story (1:30)
The development of CFTSI (5:42)
What is CFTSI? (12:25)
Different perceptions of symptoms: child and caregiver (19:18)
The benefit to caregivers (21:40)
Really? A short-term treatment? (29:15)
Recent study of how CFTSI helps different groups (40:31)
What’s up next in research (47:30)
For more information (53:33)

Links:

Carrie Epstein, LCSW-R, is the co-director of the Yale Center for Traumatic Stress and Recovery, an assistant professor at the Yale Child Study Center, and co-developer of the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI)

Safe Horizon (NY)

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

Steven Marans, MSW, Ph.D., is the co-developer of CFTSI with Epstein

“Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) reduces parental posttraumatic stress symptoms: A multi-site meta-analysis; Hilary Hahn, Karen Putnam, Carrie Epstein, Steven Marans, and Frank Putnam; Child Abuse & Neglect, June 2019; doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.03.010

“The Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention: Factors associated with symptom reduction for children receiving treatment”; Carla Smith Stover, Hilary Hahn, Kaitlin R. Maciejewski, Carrie Epstein, Steven Marans; Child Abuse & Neglect, December 2022; doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105886

Youth mental health: Current priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General

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When Abuse Strikes Twice Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

What causes revictimization? How can we prevent it? There are common factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect that may affect any family: job stress, food insecurity, and intimate partner violence, to name just a few. But military families face additional stressors. Miranda Kaye, Ph.D., associate research professor at Penn State’s Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness, and her colleagues set out to examine what, at the individual, family, and community levels, contributed to revictimization. And the findings about community were perhaps some of the most surprising.

Topics in this episode:

Stressors on military families (2:13)
Individual risk factors (7:13)
Intimate partner violence and child maltreatment (11:28)
Community risk factors (12:33)
Families with high levels of support (19:56)
Advice for child abuse professionals (24:04)
Public policy (26:37)
More research needed (28:04)
Social isolation; making friends (31:11)
More resources (35:11)

Links:

Miranda P. Kaye, Ph.D., is the director of the Survey Research Center and an associate research professor at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at The Pennsylvania State University

“Factors Predicting Family Violence Revictimization Among Army Families With Child Maltreatment,” Miranda P. Kaye, Keith R. Aronson, and Daniel F. Perkins, Child Maltreatment, 2022, Vol. 27(3) 423-433. DOI: 10.1177/10775595211008997

Family Advocacy Program

U.S. Army Family Advocacy Program

The Thrive Initiative at Penn State, and Take Root Home Visitation

Parents as Teachers program Heroes at Home program

A previous One in Ten episode about community risk factors: “Is Abuse Contagious?” with Dr. Dyann Daley (October 8, 2020)

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Giving Kids Their Futures Back During the Holidays and All the Rest of the Year Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

When we think of the holidays, we often think of the sheer joy of it: Spending time with loved ones, eating favorite treats, and reflecting on bygone holidays full of those we love and traditions we love. But for many children and youth, the holidays are fraught, painful reminders of those missing from the holiday table, unexpected trauma triggers, and memories—not of sugarplums and nutcrackers, but of betrayal of trust and sexual violence.

As child abuse professionals, how do we help survivors cope with both the highs and lows that the season can bring? How do we help kids heal from trauma and find renewal and peace not only in the holiday season, but all the rest of the year, too? And most of all, how do we help kids get back to being kids? We spoke with Michelle Miller, director of mental health programs here at National Children’s Alliance, to learn how we can give kids their futures back during the holidays—and all the rest of the year.
This is our last episode this year. Join us again in January for season 5 of One in Ten.

Topics in this episode:

Origin story (1:21)
Why the holidays can be difficult for kids (2:40)
Watch for these red flag behaviors (5:13)
Be proactive to help caregivers and kids (8:45)
How to handle your own concerns 13:38)
Mental health crisis and a clinician shortage (17:04)
Evidence-based treatments (25:06)
Graduating from treatment (30:56)
See you again in January! (35:36)

Links:

Michelle Miller, Ph.D., LCSW, is director of mental health programs at National Children’s Alliance

Learn more about evidence-based treatments and trauma-informed care at Children’s Advocacy Centers

U.S. Surgeon General information and resources on youth mental health

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CTFSI)

Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)

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What Really Matters in Team Effectiveness? Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs), have been growing in the U.S. and around the world as the gold standard response in child abuse intervention for the last 40 years. Central to a CAC is its multidisciplinary team, made up of different professional disciplines, work for different partner agencies, have differing laws that regulate their work, different mandates, and different professional cultures. Those differences can be a source of strength in applying the professional expertise of the group in a holistic way to kids and to the cases that come in. But they can also be a source of tension and conflict. So the key question becomes: What really contributes to team effectiveness? Is it getting along with one’s peers, hanging out and having happy hours? Is it having trust and mutual respect? Is it one’s own perception of team performance? While all those things help, it may surprise you to find that it’s something else entirely. Join us in our conversation with Elizabeth McGuier, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh.

Topics in this episode:

Origin story (1:50)
Team functioning (5:43)
Perceptions of caregivers vs. team performance (10:03)
The key to team effectiveness (12:33)
What are appropriate outcomes to assess? (21:01)
Implications of the study (23:02)
Youth Feedback Survey (28:40)
A team-focused approach (31:03)
Burnout and vicarious trauma
For more information

Links:

Elizabeth A. McGuier, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh

“Team Functioning and Performance in Child Advocacy Center Multidisciplinary Teams,” McGuier, E. A.; Rothenberger, S. D.; Campbell, K. A.; Keeshin, B.; Weingart, L. R.; & Kolko, D. J. (2022). Child Maltreatment, 0(0). DOI 10.1177/10775595221118933

NCA members receive research-to-practice briefs every Monday morning as a benefit of membership. “Team Functioning and Performance in Child Advocacy Center Multidisciplinary Teams” was the subject of the message on September 12, 2022.

Care Process Model for Pediatric Traumatic Stress, developed through a collaboration of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah and the Center for Safe and Healthy Families at Intermountain Healthcare’s Primary Children’s Hospital

Outcome Measurement System (OMS) currently has four surveys that CACs can administer: Youth Feedback Survey, Caregiver Initial Visit Survey, Caregiver Follow-Up Survey, Multidisciplinary Team

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