Products -- Safe from the Start Newsletter Archives

SFTS NEWS

This month SFTS is highlighting two counties that are working to reduce children’s exposure to violence. If you want SFTS to highlight efforts in your county, contact us at sfts@doj.ca.gov

Orange - The Orange County Superintendent of Schools Office, in collaboration with the local SFTS group, is developing an Orange County SFTS Toolkit for distribution to youth and family-serving agencies in the county. The toolkit will include the AG's SFTS videos and materials (now available on DVD and CD) and local community, school, governmental resource material on children exposed to violence. The toolkit will be available by late September. Additionally, the NCCD evaluation of the Westminster Police Department's SHIELD Program (a SFTS promising strategy) will be complete in December 2005.

Sacramento - The Sacramento Domestic Violence Collaborative meets regularly to share information about domestic violence, children and families. SFTS has been a major partner in their two training conferences (April 2004 and upcoming on October 17, 2005).

Check out their new Web site at www.SacDomVio.org.

SCHOOL READINESS INFORMATION

Gestures Affect Learning
Those teachers who wave their hands around as they talk during class might be onto something. Hand gestures play a significant role in the learning process, according to Spencer Kelly, assistant professor psychology at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. Kelly’s work aims to identify a more concrete neurological link between words and body language that may one day shed light on how children and adults learn, as well as predict individual differences in learning.

To view the full study, check out http://www.benjamins.nl/jbp/series/GEST/4-1/art/0002a.pdf.

RELATED RESEARCH

Pregnant Women and the Use of Illicit Drugs and Alcohol
According to new data released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the "National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, 2002 and 2003," revealed that an alarming number of pregnant women used illicit drugs. The data also showed that over four percent of pregnant women reported binge alcohol use and 18 percent reported smoking cigarettes.

For more information, the full report is available at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k2/PregDU/pregDU.cfm.
For more information on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, check out http://fascenter.samhsa.gov/.

Cyber Bullying: No Muscles Needed
Bullying involves a power play—trying to make someone else feel weak and helpless, while inflating your own value. Online bullying is particularly tempting, since anyone with access to a computer can play. Adolescent impulses frequently find release through computers, multi-use cell phones and PDAs. Often, there’s no time for reflection and questionable messages go rocketing off to as many names as you can cram into a contact list.

For more information, check out http://www.connectforkids.org/node/3116.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Study Website
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is an ongoing collaborative study between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente. The study examines the possible effects that adverse childhood experiences, such as child maltreatment, can have on numerous public health, social, and individual medical problems across the lifespan. Findings suggest that these experiences are major risk factors for the leading causes of illness and death, as well as poor quality of life in the U.S. The study's Website summarizes major findings, contains links to ACE Study publications, and provides access to study questionnaires.

For more information, check out http://www.cdc.gov/NCCDPHP/ACE/.

RELATED RESOURCES

The Forum for Youth Investment
The Forum is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping communities and the nation make sure all young people are Ready by 21™ - ready for college, work and life. The Forum provides youth and adult leaders with the information, technical assistance, training, network support and partnership opportunities needed to increase the quality and quantity of youth investment and youth involvement.

For more information, check out http://www.forumfyi.org.

The Developing Brain
“The Developing Brain,” an online training course from BrainConnection Professional Development, explores the fundamental concepts of brain development. You will learn how the growing brain can help prepare a child for new experiences at different stages. Brain development is a two-way street, and you will also learn how a child's behavior and experiences can actually impact the physical structure of the brain and how it grows.

For more information, check out http://www.brainconnection.com/go/home/bcpdhome.php3/bcpd.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Explore Grassroots Fundraising
Want to raise money from individuals or groups in your community? Check out the Foundation Center’s Learning Lab to learn how you can find local sources of support, including people who live in the neighborhood served by your organization or who receive your agency's services. Grassroots fundraising activities include membership drives, auctions, benefits, and a range of other endeavors.

For more information about grassroots fundraising, visit the Learning Lab at http://fdncenter.org/learn/classroom/index.jhtml.

UPCOMING TRAINING AND CONFERENCES

10th International Conference on Family Violence
The Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute, Children's Institute International & Alliant International University are hosting the 10th International Conference on Family Violence September 18-21 in addition to related training institutes September 16-17 in San Diego. This conference is a unique forum for people from all disciplines and philosophies to gather together to exchange current information on what we know and do not yet know in the area of family violence.

For more information, check out http://www.fvsai.org/Conference/10th%20Conference/10thInfo.htm.

19th Annual Children’s Network Conference
The annual conference of the Children's Network of San Bernardino, “Young Children, Adolescents, and Adults: The At-Risk Chain Reaction" will be held September 21-22, in Ontario, CA. The keynote speaker is Jerry Moe, National Director of Programs, Betty Ford Center. Workshop topics include: health and safety, law enforcement/family violence, counseling/intervention strategies, and more.

For more information, check out http://www.sbcounty.gov/childnet/2005_Conference.htm.

UPCOMING SFTS TRAINING AND CONFERENCES

Sacramento County | October 17, 2005
Sacramento Domestic Violence Collaborative Second Annual Conference on Children, Families and Domestic Violence
Location: Radisson Hotel Sacramento
Contact: Sgt. Dave Cropp, Sacramento Police Department
DCROPP@pd.cityofsacramento.org or go to http://www.sacdomvio.org