Lessons I Would Teach Every Girl Right Now
We teach children to look both ways before crossing the street because prevention is valuable. We don't tell them to wait until a car hits them before [...]
Five More Places Where Girls Pay for What Others Get to Keep
Pay attention to who gets called selfish when a girl asks for a little more of her own life.
She wants to go home when the work is done. She wants to [...]
Safe People Don’t Need Endless Convincing to Respect a Boundary
Why do some people need endless explanations before they’ll respect a reasonable boundary? You explain calmly, reassure them, and answer their questio [...]
“Not All Adults” Is Not a Child Safety Policy: Why Safeguarding Matters
Safeguarding means putting protections in place before someone gets hurt. We recognize that children depend on adults, that adults hold power, and tha [...]
For the Love of Eryk: A Father’s Fight to Protect His Son and the Tragedy of Parental Alienation
Have you ever heard about a child custody case and wondered how so many adults could be involved, so m [...]
The Value of Young Black Lives Doesn’t End at Birth
Society has gotten mighty comfortable hounding women about their reproductive choices. Everybody has an opinion about what a woman should do, what she [...]
There Was Nothing in That Walmart Worth That Baby’s Life. America Has to Stop Treating Children as Disposable.
I've learned to respect the limitations of the human body the hardheaded way. And one of the things I've learned about myself is that it takes me a li [...]
Did the U.S. Justice Department Remove Child Sex Trafficking Information? What Parents and Advocates Should Know
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice removed information about child sex trafficking from a public webpage. The removal was real. But did it mean t [...]
The Children Are in the Philippines. The Men Paying for Their Sexual Abuse Are in America. CNN Investigates.
Why are we still discussing these crimes as though the abuse is primarily a problem in the countries where children are victimized, rather than also i [...]
When Your College Student Is in Trouble: Build More Than One Layer of Support
Remembering Lauren McCluskey
Before we continue, I want to remember Lauren McCluskey.Lauren was 21 years old, an honors student and accomplished [...]
The Sleepover Dilemma That Comes with Parenting a Black Child
It was one of the most difficult parts of parenting. I am an introvert, but the child we raised wasn't. I grew up with extended family as my primary p [...]
Some of Us Remember Surya Bonaly’s Face. That Is Why We Are Watching the Girls Now.
People played in her face and we will never forget it.There was a time when you could lose me for hours to women’s figure skating.I mean hours [...]
Why Are Kids Going Hungry at School? The Truth About School Lunch Debt
You require the children to attend school. Ok. But then you don't feed them? AND they can incur debt if they can't afford to eat? You call that "socia [...]
Children Don’t Lose the Right to Safety When They Misbehave: The Bridgette Chocoteco Story
Fourteen-year-old Bridgette Chocoteco said something after being badly burned at Bakersfield High School that every adult who cares for children ought [...]
Before You Call a Child Difficult: What Poverty, Disability, Trauma and Fear Can Look Like in Children
A scene at a Children's Hospital.....Aunt Renee knew her nephew.She knew the boy who carried groceries without being asked, who gave up hi [...]
Stop Asking Which Group Is Worse: 7 Ways Tribal Loyalty Gets in the Way of Protecting Children
A child tells the truth.For one brief moment, everyone seems horrified by what happened. Then somebody learns who the accused person is, and almos [...]