The third annual conference on Child Abuse: Education, Prevention and Investigation will be held Wednesday and Thursday, April 15 and 16 at Missouri Western State University. A day-long Pre-Conference session on commercial sexual exploitation will be held on Tuesday, April 14. For a complete schedule and to register, visit griff.vn/child or call 816-271-5843.
The conference will feature two public presentations. Both are free and open to the public, but space is limited. Reserve a seat by calling 816-271-4117. The public presentations are:
6 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall: “Very Young Girls” documentary screening and panel discussion
“Very Young Girls” is an exposé of the commercial sexual exploitation of girls in New York City as they are sold on the streets by pimps and treated as adult criminals by police. The film follows barely adolescent girls in real time, documenting their struggles and triumphs as they seek to exit the commercial sex industry. The film also uses startling footage shot by pimps themselves, giving a rare glimpse into how the cycle of exploitation begins for many women. After the showing, a discussion will be led by Deanna Green, training and technical assistance manager at Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) in New York City. She conducts training and provides technical assistance for legal professionals, law enforcement and social service professionals on the issues of commercial sexual exploitation of children and domestic trafficking. In 2008, Deanna received her bachelor’s degree from Long Island University in chemistry. Deanna is committed to youth advocacy and urban affairs.
6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, Kemper Recital Hall: “Home Again”
Jaycee Dugard, Dr. Rebecca Bailey and Jane Dickel will speak in this session.
In 1991, Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped by two strangers from a bus stop in her hometown of Lake Tahoe. She survived years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her two assailants. She was finally reunited with her mother and family in 2009, 18 years after she was taken. Dugard has a vision of providing, supporting and ensuring the timely treatment of families that are recovering from abduction and the aftermath of other traumatic experiences. From that vision The JAYC Foundation was created.
Dr. Bailey is a clinical psychologist and forensic psychologist who specializes on complex case scenarios, including high conflict divorce and experiences of extreme trauma She is a nationally recognized expert in non-familial and familial abductions and the founder and director of Transitioning Families, an innovative and family-based program for therapeutic reunification and reintegration in California.
Jane F. Dickel is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in Napa and Sonoma, CA for over forty-five years. In 2009, she helped Dr. Bailey in founding Transitioning Families and continues there as a senior clinician. She is a clinical advisor to the Board of Directors of the JAYC Foundation, Inc. and has been instrumental in producing for them the program of Creating Protected Spaces for victims and families post trauma.
The session will offer a glimpse into the challenges facing a victim returning to family post-trauma; first-hand information regarding the numerous emotions faced by the survivor, family and community; and the importance of providing a short-term and long-term protected space. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers.
While the two evening sessions are more general, the conference will be of special interest for law enforcement officers and administrators, social workers, attorneys, educators, juvenile officers and those employed in healthcare, especially nurses. Registration fees include lunch. The cost of the conference is $125 for all three days, $90 for two days, $50 for one day, $10 per day for Missouri Western and field instructors and free for Missouri Western students (or $10 per day with lunch). CEUs, CLEs and POST credit will be available.
The conference is sponsored by the Missouri Western Law Enforcement Academy; the Western Institute; the Department of Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and Social Work; the Department of Nursing and Allied Health; and the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.