Blog Feed: Child Safety Fredericksburg

CSF to Cease Operations Effective 6/9/2011

Published on 2011-06-08 21:25:00

We regret to announce that Child Safety Fredericksburg will cease operations effective Thursday, 6/9/2011. Our Facebook page and Twitter account have already been closed down. Our RSS feed will shut down within a few hours of this post. The CSF

On-Line Predator Convicted in Louisa County

Published on 2011-06-04 19:13:00

Shakir Aundre Moore (Source: Free Lance-Star) The Free Lance-Star is reporting the conviction of an on-line predator who believed he was soliciting sex from a 13-year-old girl. The "girl" was really a Louisa County sheriff's deputy. The arrest of Sha

Short Bursts 5/30/2011: National and Regional Child Safety News

Published on 2011-05-31 00:00:00

Short Bursts: National and Regional Child Safety News King George Middle School Wins Online Surfing Internet Challenge King George Middle School students took home the eighth grade trophy in April's edition of the FBI's Online Surfing Internet Challe

Teen's Rape Highlights Social Media Risks

Published on 2011-05-28 18:19:00

(Source: Photobucket) From KTLA in Los Angeles comes this news story:Police are searching for a suspect who allegedly kidnapped and raped a 14-year-old girl over the weekend. Detectives from the Newton Police Department say the victim met the suspect

Anti-Bullying Awareness Video

Published on 2011-05-26 00:00:00

The video embedded below is an anti-bullying awareness video from CinemaFirst Productions. It's only about a minute long, but it sends a deep message. Please share this with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. We need to spread

Short Bursts 5/24/2011: National and Regional Child Safety News

Published on 2011-05-24 00:00:00

Short Bursts: National and Regional Child Safety News Louisiana House Rejects Anti-Bullying Bill The Louisiana House of Representatives rejected House Bill 112, which would have expanded the state's schools anti-bullying law to ban bullying based on

Plastic Surgery: Antidote for Bullying?

Published on 2011-05-21 00:00:00

As a parent, you'd do anything to protect your children from the negative effects of bullying. But would you make your child undergo plastic surgery? According to the CBS News report below, more and more parents are taking this option. If your child

FBI Video on Cyber Safety

Published on 2011-05-19 00:00:00

The video embedded below is a public service announcement from the FBI regarding the dangers posed by on-line predators, how parents can keep their kids safe, and what the FBI is doing to combat predatory internet activity. Video frame broken? Clic

Short Bursts 5/17/2011: National and Regional Child Safety News

Published on 2011-05-17 00:00:00

Short Bursts: National and Regional Child Safety News Colorado Governor Signs Expanded Anti-Bullying Law CO Governor John Hickenlooper signed an anti-bullying bill into law on 5/13. The new law expands the definition of bullying to cover electronic a

Recent Technical Issues Resolved

Published on 2011-05-14 10:28:00

On Thursday and Friday, there was some strange behavior at Child Safety Fredericksburg. Articles were appearing and disappearing, and changing order on the home page. Also, our RSS subscribers received multiple copies of some posts from earlier in th

Fox News Report on Bullying

Published on 2011-05-14 00:00:00

The attached video is an interesting take on the bullying epidemic. According to the video, 13 percent of students in Minnesota public schools are bullied at least once per week. In actual numbers, that's around 100,000 children. One expert interview

URGENT: NC Abduction Suspects Still On the Loose

Published on 2011-05-13 16:09:00

Earlier this week, we reported on a man and a woman who are suspects in two attempted child abductions in Surry County NC. As of today (5/13/2011), the suspects have yet to be caught. Surry County law enforcement is on alert, and thanks to news media

URGENT: Violent Sex Offender At Large

Published on 2011-05-13 15:39:00

Last night, wtop.com reported that Anthony Dellmore Norris, 27, of Leesburg has failed to re-register as a violent sex offender and appears to be evading authorities. Norris is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs about 225 pounds. He has been seen the S

Texas Pedophile Gets Life Plus 100 Years

Published on 2011-05-12 00:00:00

Schaefer (Source: statesman.com) Wesley Wayne Schaefer of San Marcos TX was found guilty this past week of one count of continuous sexual abuse (repeated abuse over a period of time) and 127 counts of possession of child pornography. He received life

Short Bursts 5/10/2011: National and Regional Child Safety News

Published on 2011-05-10 00:00:00

Short Bursts: National and Regional Child Safety News Developments in Earl Bradley Molestation Case Former Delaware pediatrician Earl Bradley, accused of molesting dozens of former patients, waived his right to a jury trial, and his defense team anno

Justice Not Served in Phoebe Prince Case

Published on 2011-05-07 00:00:00

Phoebe Prince Word comes from Massachusetts that the five teens who bullied Phoebe Prince into suicide received probation and community service. This amounts to little more than a wrist slap for actions that led to a 15-year-old girl's suicide. Is th

New Hampshire Bullying Legislation Defeated in State Senate

Published on 2011-05-05 00:00:00

Source: CampusSafety In 2010, New Hampshire broadened its anti-bullying legislation to give school districts more freedom to deal with school-related bullying taking place off campus. The previous legislation, which dates from the early 2000s, was up

Short Bursts: Bullying in the News

Published on 2011-05-03 00:00:00

Phoebe Prince Plea Agreement Rumored in Phoebe Prince Prosecutions It appears that five of the six defendants in the Phoebe Prince case would be allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of criminal endangerment, a misdemeanor, under a plea agreemen

CSF on Temporary Hiatus

Published on 2011-04-25 08:22:00

Child Safety Fredericksburg is on temporary hiatus due to the editor's extended illness. Articles will resume on Tuesday, 5/3/2011. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

Child Safety at the Doctor's Office

Published on 2011-04-21 22:55:00

As parents, we trust our doctor's expertise when it comes to treating our kids' illnesses and keeping them healthy and growing. It's important that our children learn to trust them, as well. The overwhelming majority of medical providers are worthy

Ineffective Anti-Bullying Program? Here's the Result

Published on 2011-04-19 00:00:00

Seven-year-old Jasmine Rorrer of Chantilly was choked with a piece of rope. Her attacker then dragged her by the neck to some playground equipment, where he tied her up and left her to fend for herself. Was Jasmine the victim of some sadistic adult w

Anti-Bullying Programs: Two Conflicting Approaches

Published on 2011-04-14 00:00:00

Over the past few months, we at CSF have urged local school districts, especially Spotsylvania County, to adopt a formal anti-bullying program as the first step to stem the tide of bullying in our schools. The program we recommend is the Olweus Bully

The Olweus Institute Partners with Martial Arts Schools

Published on 2011-04-12 00:00:00

A recent article on The Olweus Institute's web site profiled their partnership with the American Taekwondo Association in the development of the Kidz 'N' Power (KNP) anti-bullying curriculum: The American Taekwondo Association [ATA] is partnering wit

What to Do if Your Child is a Bully

Published on 2011-04-09 00:00:00

For every bullying victim, there is a bully. According to The Olweus Institute, many children have filled both roles at least once. The following warning signs suggest your child may be engaging in bullying behavior: Engages in aggressive, intimidati

How to Tell if Your Child is Being Bullied

Published on 2011-04-07 00:00:00

How do you tell if your child is a victim of bullying? First, remember that not all bullying is physical in nature. Verbal bullying (insults, abuse, or threats) or relational bullying (influencing others to exclude the victim socially) can do just a

"CyberBullying" (Trend Micro Video Contest Entry)

Published on 2011-04-05 00:00:00

Each year, web security company Trend Micro sponsors a contest to determine the best short-form educational video in the areas of on-line citizenship, responsible mobile phone use, and on-line privacy. Attached is an entry in the area of on-line citi

Mark Haas: Bullying Victim No More

Published on 2011-04-02 00:00:00

Click the picture to watch the WCNC video and read the accompanying article in a new window The big bullying story of the week was middle-schooler Alye Pollock's YouTube video. While the media's was attention drawn toward Connecticut, a North Caroli

Alye Pollock's Cry for Help

Published on 2011-03-31 00:00:00

Click the image to watch the CBS report on Alye in a new window The words hurt too much. So 13-year-old Alye Pollock made a video and posted it to YouTube. It was a poignant cry for help. Alye's video certainly got attention. As of 3/30/2011, it had

Funny "Stranger Danger" Video

Published on 2011-03-29 00:00:00

Click the picture to play the video in a new window. Since we've been posting a lot of serious material on CSF lately, I thought I'd lighten the mood a little bit with an amusing video of children discussing the definition of the word "stranger." It

Are There Sex Offenders in Your Neighborhood?

Published on 2011-03-26 00:00:00

Click the picture to play the NBC15 Madison news report in a new window. On March 13 in Madison WI, two girls ages 9 and 12 were waiting for a bus, when a man drove up. Insisting he knew them, the man offered to give them a ride to their destination.

Tips for Identifying a Potential Child Predator

Published on 2011-03-24 00:00:07

Patty Fitzgerald of ModernMom.com discusses red flags that identify potential child predators. Click on the picture to play the video. Recently, a Stafford County man was indicted by a grand jury on charges of aggravated sexual battery, carnal knowle

Internet Predators: An International Threat

Published on 2011-03-22 00:00:02

One of over 100 people arrested for possession of child porn in the UK. Click on the picture to play Sky News' report on the arrests. This past week, a European task force identified 670 child pornographers in multiple countries, including the U.

Casey Heynes: A Victim of Bullying Fights Back

Published on 2011-03-19 00:00:02

If you've been paying attention to the news this past week, you've seen or read about the story of Casey Heynes, the Australian bullying victim who fought back against his attacker. The video of the encounter has gone viral, and has provoked worldwid

CSF Announces Partner: Fredericksburg Parent & Family

Published on 2011-03-17 00:00:02

Child Safety Fredericksburg is proud to announce our new partnership with Fredericksburg Parent & Family magazine. Fredericksburg Parent is an outstanding resource for parents in our area. The monthly print magazine and the associated web s

National Poison Prevention Week: 3/20-26/2011

Published on 2011-03-15 00:00:04

For today, we take a break from our usual focus on bullying and child abduction to focus on a different form of child safety: poison prevention. March 20-26 is National Poison Prevention Week. That's a great time to take a pass through your home and

Presidential Summit on Bullying: Results or Rhetoric?

Published on 2011-03-12 00:00:03

As various states like New Jersey and Virginia pass laws to deal with bullying, word comes that the President is jumping on the bandwagon by hosting a recent White House summit on bullying. It's a start, but it's not enough. All the laws and rules an

Strangers With Puppies: Is Your Child an Abduction Risk?

Published on 2011-03-08 00:00:04

What would your child do if a stranger approached them? How about a stranger with a cute puppy? Amazingly, children who would otherwise run to their parents become far more trusting of a stranger with a cute animal. But just because a person ha

Stafford County Adopts Olweus Institute Anti-Bully Program

Published on 2011-03-05 00:00:04

According to the Free Lance-Star, Stafford County Public Schools are using the Olweus Institute's Bully Prevention Program at two elementary schools and five middle schools under a pilot program started this school year. If funding becomes avai

Child Abduction: The Threat is Real!

Published on 2011-03-01 00:00:15

One out of every four abducted children is taken by someone they don't know. It happens daily. Here's a news report about an incident that took place in Maine within the past month. The mode of operation was all too common: a frien

Hero in the Hallway

Published on 2011-02-26 00:00:01

To counter the effects of bullying in our schools, it's not enough simply to impose rules and structure. We need to get the kids to buy in, as well. Anti-bullying education helps. It's even better when the students partner in that educati

Holding Bullies Legally Accountable

Published on 2011-02-24 00:00:14

Finally, the legal system is starting to treat bullying seriously. In a recent Upper Darby, PA case, a 13-year-old boy was assaulted by six other teens while a seventh recorded the entire incident on camera. Instead of looking the other way and sayin

Bullycide: The New Teen Epidemic

Published on 2011-02-22 00:00:12

Phoebe Prince Think bullying only affects younger children? Think again. Bullying affects teens as well. However, when a teen is bullied, the results can be tragic. The recent case of Phoebe Prince was a high profile example.

Kidz 'N' Power Safety Tip: "Good" vs "Bad" Strangers

Published on 2011-02-19 00:00:03

Check out this video clip on how to tell "good" from "bad" strangers, featuring Sgt. Safety: At Spotsylvania Martial Arts, Fredericksburg's Kidz 'N' Power affiliate, effective child safety is an essential part of the children's curriculum.

Kidz 'N' Power Safety Tip: Using 9-1-1

Published on 2011-02-17 00:00:01

Here's a video clip on using 9-1-1, featuring Sgt. Safety: At Spotsylvania Martial Arts, Fredericksburg's Kidz 'N' Power affiliate, effective child safety is an essential part of the children's curriculum. In every class period, kids take pa

Overcoming Bullying, Part 3: Tell an Adult

Published on 2011-02-15 00:00:03

Children who are bullied resist telling adults because they think reporting the incidents will make things worse. However, research shows that the most effective way of ending bullying behavior is to get an adult involved, preferably one with a

Overcoming Bullying, Part 2: Verbal Self Defense

Published on 2011-02-12 00:00:07

As we saw in the previous post, if your child is confronted by a bully, the first steps they need to take are to control their emotions and decide a course of action. In this post, we deal with the actual tactics of interacting with a bully. If

Overcoming Bullying, Part 1: Think Before Reacting

Published on 2011-02-10 00:00:05

When your child is confronted by a bully, it's no different any other self-defense situation. The most important thing your child can do is to keep control of his/her emotions and think through their response. The first thing your child should

Straight Talk about the "P" Word (Price)

Published on 2011-02-08 00:00:09

Typically, quality martial arts programs aren't cheap. Because of this, before you decide to commit to a training program, you need to know up front how much (in both time and money) it's going to cost you to reach your martial arts goals. 

Poster of the Week

Published on 2011-02-06 21:29:52

Three Keys to Preventing a Bully Encounter

Published on 2011-02-05 00:00:08

When it comes to dealing with bullies, the old proverb that "an ounce of prevention saves a pound of cure" certainly applies. Here are three areas where you can help prepare your child to deal with bullying before it happens: Think Ahead. 

Kidz 'N' Power Safety Tip: Dealing With Strangers

Published on 2011-02-03 00:00:01

Here's a video clip on dealing with strangers, featuring Sgt. Safety: At Spotsylvania Martial Arts, Fredericksburg's Kidz 'N' Power affiliate, effective child safety is an essential part of the children's curriculum. In every class period,

Anti-Bully Training: Kill the (Marketing) Hype

Published on 2011-02-01 00:00:08

In the martial arts industry, hype is the rule when it comes to marketing. If you believe some studios' ad copy, every child who enrolls gets better grades, becomes more confident and outgoing, wins championships, is cured of attention deficit

Martial Arts and Bullied Children

Published on 2011-01-29 00:00:00

Can martial arts help your child deal with being bullied? The answer may surprise you: not necessarily. It's true that martial arts training can make a kid more confident. However, for a child facing a bully, it's not enough simply to be

Keep Kids Safe With Kidz 'N' Power!

Published on 2011-01-27 00:00:04

The Kidz 'N' Power Program, featuring Sgt. Safety: At Spotsylvania Martial Arts, Fredericksburg's Kidz 'N' Power affiliate, effective child safety is an essential part of the children's curriculum. In every class period, kids take part in a

Effective Self Defense for Kids

Published on 2011-01-25 00:00:03

The reasons parents enroll their children in martial arts training are many. For some parents, self defense is the primary reason they sign their children up for lessons, while for many others self defense is not the main factor. Regardle

Bullying: Myth vs Reality

Published on 2011-01-21 07:42:01

If your child is a victim of bullying, what do you do? What advice do you give them on how to deal with the situation? Recent research shows what you think you know about bullying may be wrong. To better equip parents of bullied child