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June 20, 2024

By writingdiane / May 16, 2024

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A Morgantown, WV book club discussion of Everyone Was Silent.

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Are you raising kids, grandkids, or foster kids? O

Are you raising kids, grandkids, or foster kids?
Or, do you work with kids every day in child safety, sports, or as school staff?

If you answered yes, you need to know about "sibling maltreatment."
Also known as "sibling abuse."
Some experts call it the "forgotten abuse."

Sibling maltreatment can take a number of "shapes."

-Emotional
-Physical
-Sexual
-All of the above

I had the unfortunate circumstance to experience "all of the above."

So often sibling abuse is overlooked.
Because parents think it's normal.
Or they view sibling altercations as "sibling rivalry."
Some caregivers even think sibling conflict is good for the kids. That it "toughens them up."

The relationship between siblings is the longest one of all.
It lasts longer than any parent-child relationship or marriage.
And when a sibling relationship is fraught with conflict, the fall-out can last a lifetime.
Families have imploded due to one or more types of sibling abuse.
My family is one example. I know many more.

All to say, if things are tumultuous between the sibling sets you know, please do something about it.
Check out the work on sibling relationships that the @saarainitiative researchers are doing.
Or, if you know the sibling abuse is of a sexual nature, go to 5waves.org. Or siblingsexualtrauma.com.
You can also check out lots of episodes on the topic of sibling relationships at @drmeyerspod.

#siblingrelationships #siblingproblems #parentingteens #familymatters #siblingsexualabuseawareness #siblingabuse #familyviolenceprevention

Clearly, the entire world thinks the U.S. has gone

Clearly, the entire world thinks the U.S. has gone mad. They're actually holding emergency meetings to discuss what to do now that the U.S. has radically changed their global philosophy.

And yet, so many of our own citizens believe, "Everything's fine!"
Others feel what's happening to our government is good. Fantastic even.

-But what if they take away your government assistance: Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, ACA subsidies, etc.? And/or your social security? Health care for you, your kids, your parents?

-What if you lose your job? Or your family farm?

-What if you can't afford groceries for your family next week?

-What if a foreign power takes advantage of us now that we are vulnerable due to massive layoffs in the department of defense?

Wherever you stand, consider these action items:

-Go to the grocery store and stock up.
-Keep your devices charged (in case anyone messes with our electric grid).
-Plant a garden.
-Have a cash stash in the event everything goes all to heck.
-Buy batteries. Maybe a generator.
-Get (or renew) your passport, if you can afford it.
-Be kind to everyone. Because going forward, you may need them.

#togetherisbetter #unconditionallove #empathymatters #loveyourneighbor #beprepared #timetoprepare #backyardgarden #wereallinthistogether

Meet the "Core Four." We are four women on two co

Meet the "Core Four."

We are four women on two continents who each:

a) experienced sibling sexual abuse or trauma
b) wrote a memoir about our experience
c) work in the field of education and prevention of SSA

We are:

Alice Perle,--author of @Resolve
@MariaSocolofauthor--author of "The Invisible Key"
Jane Epstein, Author--author of "I Feel Real Guilty"
@writingdianet--author of "Everyone Wa Silent: A memoir"

All of our books are available on Amazon.com.

And if you're interested in learning more on the topic of SSA, consider attending one of our Conversation Cafes.
Mine will be happening in April.

#teamworkmakesthedreamwork #memoirist #siblingsexualabuseawareness #bookpromo #bethechangeyouwanttosee #believesurvivors #supportsurvivors

Not with Russia. Not with Putin. Not (with) my p

Not with Russia.
Not with Putin.
Not (with) my president.
Not with the muskrat.
Not with the little dodgies.

#teamukraine

Let's bust some myths, shall we? #1: My child wil

Let's bust some myths, shall we?

#1: My child will never be sexually abused. Research tells us that 1 in 10 kids WILL be sexually abused by their 18th birthday.

#2: If my child was sexually abused, they would tell me. Statistics say only 38% of CSA victims disclose that they've been sexually abused (@d2lorg).

#3: If my child was sexually abused, I would know. This isn't always the case. In peer survivor groups, other survivors have shared how even when they acted out multiple times on account of their abuse, their parents never "saw the signs."

#4: Everyone in our family is a safe adult. Statistics from the National Children's Alliance (2023) tell us that more than 50% of alleged offenders are family members.

#5: Only adults can sexually abuse a child. Child safety professionals are alarmed at the increasing rate of child-on-child-sexual-abuse (COCSA). It is now estimated that COCSA accounts for 40-70% of all CSA incidents.

#6: Child sexual abuse only happens in poor families. CSA is no respecter of socioeconomic class. My family is proof of that. We were solidly middle class with my mother being a registered nurse and my father a university professor.

#7: If the child "enjoys" it, it isn't harmful. Bodies were created to respond positively to touch. When a child experiences sexual pleasure (aka "arousal non-concordance), it can actually intensify their trauma. Later in life they may experience deep shame for having "liked" their experience.

#8: Body safety education gives kids inappropriate ideas. Body safety education actually helps children IDENTIFY inappropriate ideas. When I speak at body safety assemblies with @shieldwv, we always tell children, "No one should look at, touch, or take photos/videos of their 'bathing suit body parts.'" This is a simple way to help a child recognize when someone does something inappropriate to them.

For more information on child sexual abuse and how to prevent it, check out the blog on my website, dianetarantini.com.
In addition, I have lot of child safety reels down below.

#bodysafety #bodysafetyeducation #childsafety #preventionispossible #stopchildabuse #keepkidssafe #protectyourkids #parentingtips

I have been speaking at body safety assemblies for

I have been speaking at body safety assemblies for over five years now, and it never gets old.

To be on a team of good humans that teach kids what's okay and what's not okay when it comes to their "bathing suit body parts" is my honor and joy.

Doing this work makes lemonade from the bitter lemons of my childhood.
It's my redemption.

A few weeks back, my presentation partner and I--and a volunteer "listener"--did FOUR assemblies at this school,and honestly, it may have been my best BSA experience yet. Here's why:

-Since we had to be at the school at 7 am, our rooms the night before were paid for.
-They brought in so many concerned community members to observe: law enforcement, prosecuting attorneys, child advocacy center staff, family advocates, etc..
-They fed us lunch. Really great local pepperoni rolls.😍
-And, the school has the sweetest, cutest therapy dog ever--Clara--a super chill golden retriever.🐕

I'm forever grateful to @shieldwv for giving me a start in doing this work.
When a student comes up to me after a presentation and whispers, "Ma'am, can I ask you a question?" I about explode with gratitude.

If you think you might like to do this kind of work, check out my blogpost titled, "How to become a body safety educator," at dianetarantini.com.

#bodysafetyeducation #childsafety #preventionispossible #onelinesafetyforkids #keepkidssafe #safeadultsmatter

Diane Tarantini

Author of The Brave Knight
Child Safety Educator
Lover of cats, coffee, and sassy outfits

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Home
About
My Books
- Everyone Was Silent
- The Brave Knight
Speaking
Blog
Resources
Shop
Contact

Home
About
My Books
- Everyone Was Silent
- The Brave Knight
Speaking
Blog
Resources
Shop
Contact

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