One in Ten National Children's Alliance

In the U.S., there are at least 1.2 million immigrants from Middle Eastern and North African countries, and close to 4 million descendants from prior waves of immigration. Yet there’s very little research on the experiences of those families with the U.S. child welfare system. What do we need to know to deliver relevant and culturally appropriate services? Are we affected by assumptions or stereotypes? Do we understand these families’ unique challenges and strengths? Dr. Marina Bassili joined us to help us explore the topic.
Topics in this episode:
Origin story (1:53)What are MENA families? (4:25)Families’ trauma history (9:15)Myths, stereotypes, biases (12:31)Cultural specifics to pay attention to (18:20)Corporal punishment (20:42)Advice for child abuse professionals (23:14)A cup of tea (31:42)Three takeaways (33:38)Good intentions don’t stop racism (39:05)For more information (40:46)Links:
Marina Bassili, PsyD, licensed psychologist and adjunct faculty, Pepperdine University
Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody
Gimel Rogers, PsyD, ABPP
“Cultural Considerations for Families Involved in the Child Welfare System: A Focus on Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Families,” Marina Bassili, PsyD; Gimel Rogers, PsyD, ABPP; APSAC Advisor, 2023 Number 2
International Organization for Migration
 
For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.
Support the showDid you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

To truly address child physical abuse, we have to understand the scope of the problem and how the use of corporal punishment can escalate to the point in which children are harmed. What Dr. Amy Slep and her team did was to set up their research in such a way that it was truly anonymous, and parents could feel very safe to be completely honest about their use of corporal punishment and even their own self-identified physical abuse of their own children. As you will hear, parents admit—and to a shocking degree—physically disciplining infants, an unsafe practice that warrants help and support immediately. They admit a range of behaviors far beyond the spanking with an open hand that some of us might remember from childhood. And a heartbreaking number admit to physically disciplining—to the point of physical abuse—their own children, whether because of corporal punishment taken too far or out of frustration or anger. 
Topics in this episode:
Origin story (02:49)What are corporal punishment and physical abuse? (05:31)How the study encouraged honesty (11:28)Studying military families (15:51)Family size and physical abuse (21:39)Physically disciplining infants (24:18)Public policy implications (31:57)What’s next in research? (35:34)For more information (39:53) Links:
Amy M. Smith Slep, Ph.D., professor, Family Translational Research Group, New York University
DSM – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
ICD – International Classification of Diseases
“Glimpsing the Iceberg: Parent-Child Physical Aggression and Abuse,” Amy M. Smith Slep, Kimberly A. Rhoades, Michael F. Lorber, Richard E. Heyman (2022). Child Maltreatment, 0(0). DOI: 10.1177/10775595221112921
Child Maltreatment report series from the Administration for Children and Families has the most recent official statistics
National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence, Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire
Family Advocacy Program
“Know the Signs: Physical Abuse,” Alaska Department of Family and Community Services, Office of Children’s Services
For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.
Support the showDid you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

If you listened to the last episode, you learned a lot about effective, evidence-based treatment—specifically, TF-CBT. But what do you do if, as a clinician and researcher, you see that a population of kids is not, perhaps, receiving the full benefit of that treatment? What Dr. Isha Metzger did in recognizing that TF-CBT could be shaped into an even more effective treatment for Black children and youth is groundbreaking work.
This work in identifying racial stressors and racial traumas as compounding other forms of trauma has led to more tailored treatment. And her work identifying the inherent strength of Black families has been life-affirming and led to better engagement with treatment. Intrigued? Take a listen.
Topics in this episode:
Origin story (1:29)Racial stressors (5:06)The potential impact on kids (9:05)Racial socialization (12:05)A new application of TF-CBT (15:49)What clinicians worry about (22:51)Building clients’ trust (27:05)Examples (34:51)Hope for the future (43:25)For more information (48:36)Links:
Isha W. Metzger, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist, founder and director of The EMPOWER Lab, and assistant professor at Georgia State University
Dr. Metzger previously appeared in “The Meaning of Healing for Black Kids and Families,” (Season 2, Episode 16; August 20, 2020)
TF-CBT, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
TF-CBT and Racial Socialization implementation manual

More resources
National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center
Michael A. de Arellano, Ph.D.
Esther Deblinger, Ph.D., Judith A. Cohen, MD, and Anthony P. Mannarino, Ph.D.
“TF-CBT: Helping Kids Get Better,” with Anthony Mannarino (Season 5, Episode 16; October 16; 2023)
SAMHSA
John Lewis
PMR—progressive muscle relaxation
The C.A.R.E. Package for Racial Healing
For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.
Support the showDid you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

In the mid-90s, little was known about how to effectively treat trauma, especially that trauma that can arise from child sexual abuse. Victims often languished in treatment for years with symptoms that might—or might not—ever improve. Then more research emerged on evidence-based treatments. These effective treatments—with Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) at the fore—were brief, reducing symptoms for many clients swiftly, and therefore swiftly getting kids back to their job of being kids. This has meant reduced suffering and improved healing for kids.
The most exciting part of TF-CBT has been its ongoing evolution as applications have been developed for many different populations. What’s next for TF-CBT? Take a listen to our conversation with Dr. Tony Mannarino, renowned expert in child trauma and one of the co-developers of TF-CBT.
Topics in this episode:
Origin story (1:41)The impact of TF-CBT (4:51)Evolving different applications of TF-CBT (9:38)The most used applications (12:16)Up next: Parental substance abuse (20:06)The development process (25:32)Kids fill in the blanks (31:43)See kids as resilient, not broken (36:47)Ukrainian therapists (42:25)For more information (45:04)Links:
Anthony P. Mannarino, Ph.D., professor and chair; director, Center for Traumatic Stress In Children and Adolescents, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Institute, Allegheny Health Network, Drexel University College of Medicine 
TF-CBT.org
Esther Deblinger, Ph.D.
Judith A. Cohen, MD
TF-CBT implementation manuals
Center for Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents
Isha W. Metzger, Ph.D., has previously been a guest on One in Ten (“The Meaning of Healing for Black Kids and Families”) and will join us on our next episode to discuss the new TF-CBT adaptation    
Ashley Dandridge, PsyD.
TF-CBT and Racial Socialization Implementation Manual


For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.
Support the showDid you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

One of the most compelling problems in child sexual abuse prevention has been how to describe to parents, caregivers, and the general public exactly what signs to look for to identify concerns. Frankly, much of the discussion has been so general because, what might, with hindsight, have been a sign of abuse, might well in another setting be of no concern at all. Describing what grooming behaviors are has up until now been fraught and difficult.
Now enter researcher Elizabeth Jeglic from John Jay College, whose research looks at which behaviors are most clearly linked to child sexual abuse. And even more importantly, it identifies red flag behaviors that any mandatory reporter, parent, or professional can recognize to sound the alarm. This research has the potential to revolutionize both mandatory reporter training and the prevention education we conduct with kids in schools. And wait until you hear the implications for investigators and prosecutors as well. This is a seminal piece of research, and one we are all going to be citing and referring back to for years to come. Please take a listen.

This interview was originally published on March 24, 2023.


Topics in this episode:
Origin story (1:48)What is grooming? (4:12)The hindsight bias (7:20)High-risk grooming behaviors (8:56)The kids abusers target (12:05)Favoritism and trust development (17:34)Post-abuse maintenance (24:33)Implications for prevention (27:35)Implications for investigation (32:24)For more information (38:21)Links:
Elizabeth Jeglic, Ph.D., is a researcher and professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is the co-director of the Sex Offender Research Lab at college. The co-author of two books, Sexual Violence: Evidence Based Policy and Prevention and Protecting Your Child from Sexual Abuse, she also blogs for Psychology Today

 Georgia Winters, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Psychology and Counseling at Fairleigh Dickinson University
The research paper we’re discussing today is “Identification of red flag child sexual grooming behaviors,” by Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Georgia M. Winters, and  Benjamin N. Johnson. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105998 This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC_ND license.
Sexual Grooming Model
Level of Concern Guide
Post-abuse maintenance chart
Megan’s Law
Jenna’s Law
 
For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at On
Support the showDid you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Research shows that about 75% of physical abuse starts as physical discipline gone terribly awry. We have years of data showing spanking is ineffective—and, in fact, harmful to kids. But often the topic is treated as a third rail by many child abuse professionals: avoided and ignored.
We spoke to Stacie LeBlanc, CEO of The UP Institute and a champion of No Hit Zones. Why is it so difficult for child abuse professionals to discuss spanking with parents? How do we get past the culture wars on this topic? And how can we open a respectful conversation that moves beyond “Well, I turned out fine”? How can No Hit Zones help?
This episode was originally published on May 7, 2020.
Topics in this episode:Concerns for kids during the pandemic (1:17)Connection between spanking and physical abuse (2:53)The research (4:15)Poly-victimization and adverse childhood experiences (6:03)A common problem that’s hard to talk about (8:05)Handling parents’ objections (13:17)A respectful approach (21:00)Banning spanking, changing social norms (23:48)How to start a no-hit zone (26:23)For more information (34:06)Links:
Stacie Schrieffer LeBlanc, MEd, JD, CEO of The UP Institute
No Hit Zone Toolkit
The No Hit Zone concept was created in 2005 by Dr. Lolita McDavid at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio
Elizabeth Gershoff, Ph.D.
Painless Parenting
National No Hit Zone Committee
Stop Spanking
U.S. Alliance to End the Hitting of Children has a list of organizations with policy statements on this topic
American Academy of Pediatrics put out a policy statement in November 2018
Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children has a map of global progress on the issue
JHACO (“Jayco”) refers to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
 For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.
Support the showDid you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.