02-12-95 Women of Achievement and Herstory 

         This is part 2 of an article on how to recognize and prevent sexual
abuse of your child by noted authority Dr. Maxine Murdock:
         In yesterday's segment: "The statistics are shocking! Current U.S.
national studies estimate that from 10 to 30 percent of young girls are
subjected to some form of sexual abuse. And although the statistics are
lower for young boys, they are not immune from this problem.
         Dr. Murdock says there are five things parents can do to help
prevent abuse. Yesterday's note discussed the first three. We continue:
         4. Trust your feelings as a parent, and encourage your children to
trust their feelings. Any time you feel uneasy about the activity between
a child and another person, intervene. ("It's time to go home, or "Let's eat
now.') You need not explain when you feel a situation is questionable.
If a child is uncomfortable with hugs or kisses from an adult, or even
younger person, do not encourage her to put up with them for the sake
of avoiding a fuss. You might say, 'If you don't feel like hugging Uncle
John, you don't need to. A friendly handshake will be fine.' Then observe
the situation carefully in the future. If a child is uneasy about staying
with a certain babysitter or relative, find an alternative and explore with
the child the reasons for her reluctance.
         5. Use the word secret carefully. Secrecy is one of the abuser's most
effective tools. You might want to use: the word surprise when you speak
of happy secrets. ('Don't tell mother. It's a birthday surprise.')
         (An aside: How many of those who claim they are defending the
"innocence of children" by refusing to allow children to be educated about
sexual abuse are really protecting *their* right to abuse children by
keeping the child ignorant?)

Anniversaries 02-12 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

         B. 02-12-1775, Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, wife of John Quincy
Adams plagued by ill health, authored several autobiographical accounts of
life in the times and of the Adams family that graphically portrays the
restricted and boring life of an upper-class woman of the period.

         B. 02-12-1938, Judy Blume, writer of books for young people.
Probably the most banned of all modern writers as elements of the new
religious supremacists attempt to remove her realistic portrayals of modern
young people from school and public libraries.

         Event 02-12-1986, Jan Kemp, was awarded $2.5 million in a lawsuit
judgment after she was fired as an instructor at the University of Georgia
for criticizing the policy of keeping football players in school with failing
grades. The judgment was reduced to $680,000 in has become a typical
lowering of awards by appeals courts in sex discrimination cases won by
women.

         Event 02-12-1992, Sharon Kowalski, finally went home.  After an
eight-year battle to gain custody of her life partner who was badly
injured in an accident, Karen Thompson was named Sharon's guardian and
took her home.  Karen had fought for the right of guardianship claiming
Sharon's father - who would have nothing to do with her before the
accident - only gave her warehousing, custodial care on the money
awarded Sharon for her accident and insufficient medical care. Karen
showed that because of the lack of physical therapy Sharon's muscles were
shortening crippling her further. And Sharon, though brain damaged, made
it clear she wanted to go with Karen. In the decision, the Minnesota Court
of Appeals said that the women were "...a family of affinity which ought to
be respected."

(C) 1995 Irene Stuber, PO Box 6185, Hot Springs National Park, AR 71902,
irenestuber@delphi.com. Distribute verbatim copies freely with copyright
notice for non-profit use.