Portia Anderson is a former secretary and board member of the Eastside Domestic Violence Program. She reminds us that October is National Domestic Violence Month.
In 1996, I attended a fundraising luncheon for the Eastside Domestic Violence Program (EDVP). At the time, I assumed that women who were suffering abuse had little education and little financial ability. I had a lot to learn.
Of the three victims who spoke at the luncheon two had college degrees and one came from a fairly wealthy family. After this event, I became involved with the EDVP Board and learned that domestic abuse and violence affects people in all walks of life. In fact, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 54. You can read more about domestic violence and its devastating effects on our society at the EDVP website –
www.edvp.org.
My second misconception concerns Rob McKenna. When I first got involved with EDVP, there was little interest from the Attorney General's office in working on this problem. So when I joined the committee that put on the annual fundraising luncheon, I groaned when Rob was appointed chair of the committee. I felt we did not need a figurehead who did little or nothing on the committee. But I was wrong about Rob being a figurehead. He was a real asset. Rob conducted well-organized meetings, brought in many sponsors, was well-informed about the extent of domestic violence and abuse, and was dedicated to finding solutions. It is rewarding to know that as Attorney General he is adamant about working to reduce domestic abuse and violence. And it’s great to have an Attorney General who is concerned about the problem of domestic violence and is working to find ways to penalize abusers and coordinate efforts statewide to reduce the problem.
Portia Anderson
Photo: Rob and I unveiling our new plan to protect vulnerable adults at the Merrill Gardens retirement home in Lower Queen Anne.
Dan Satterberg is the King County Prosecuting Attorney
As a prosecutor, my job is to seek justice when someone is wronged. Too many heart‑wrenching cases cross my desk involving vulnerable victims who are unable to defend themselves, and the opportunities for these crimes grow every year. The population of retired persons is rapidly expanding, with the first of 77 million baby boomers just reaching retirement age. This group controls 70% of the nation’s personal wealth, but also can present new potential victims for scammers to target.
We see the headlines too often announcing another incident of neglect or abuse of vulnerable populations: An elderly person relies on a friend or relative to help manage their finances. Instead, those entrusted help themselves to their victim’s bank account. We see paid caregivers abusing and neglecting their vulnerable patients, causing death or serious injury. The actual number of cases of vulnerable adult abuse is likely far greater than the number actually reported to police. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these crimes are committed by family members. More needs to be done to protect the financial well‑being of vulnerable adults. I have worked with Rob McKenna and others to draft a set of proposals to take to the legislature and beef up our laws protecting vulnerable adults. We propose:
- Adding mandatory sentencing enhancements (with medical exceptions) for crimes against victims over age 65 or who meet the definition of a vulnerable adult in the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults Act.
- Making employees of financial institutions mandatory reporters of the financial exploitation of vulnerable adults, since many times these employees are the only witnesses to potential financial exploitation.
- Strengthening protections for vulnerable adults by clarifying definitions in the vulnerable adult statutes and by improving coordination between reporters of abuse, law enforcement and Adult Protective Services.
- Allowing for greater public disclosure of Adult Protective Services information reports about abuse, abandonment and other forms of vulnerable adult abuse or neglect so family members can better research caregivers.
- Creating a publicly searchable database of perpetrators.
These are solid proposals to protect those who can no longer protect themselves. With Rob leading the way in Olympia, I expect the legislature will agree that these changes are needed to safeguard vulnerable adults’ assets and their well-being.
Linda Criddle is an author, internet safety expert and owner of LookBothWays, an online safety consultancy firm.
Rob’s dedication to protecting and educating youth about Internet risks is evidenced by the creation and work of his Youth Internet Safety Taskforce.
This taskforce brings experts, educators, law enforcement agencies, companies and organizations together to identify ways to protect and educate youth so they can safely embrace the opportunities the Internet provides. One timely online safety message comes with the advent of a new school year.
The phrase back-to-school conjures up thoughts of trying on clothes to see what fits and what doesn’t, and purchasing the notebooks, pens, and other paraphernalia your student needs for the year ahead.
However, new to most parents is the realization that an Internet safety checkup also falls into this seasonal rhythm.
The beginning of school is an excellent time to review your current Internet safety guidelines and see if they are still a good fit for your family and your child. It may be time to expand online privileges and reinforce the added responsibilities and expectations that come with age and with any new devices your child may be using.
Here is a checklist for this change of season:
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Begin by reviewing your student’s current privileges and responsibilities. Ideally, kids should take on new privileges and responsibilities each year so they can learn to become more responsible, and eventually grow into independent adults. Is it time to increase the level of access you provide to them?
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Reinforce the basics. Internet Safety has three basic principles - protect yourself, respect the safety of others, and act responsibly by following family rules and the terms and conditions set by services.
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Address new areas of potential risk – For example, if your child is starting to use social networking, it’s time to have a discussion about which service to use, what information he or she should share, what privacy settings should be in place, and more. This type of discussion should also take place when your child starts learning to use e-mail, IM, or begin any other type of online activity.
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Review your school’s Internet usage guidelines. Permission slips for using the Internet in school are sent home during the first week of school. These require parents and students to agree to the school’s guidelines and provide another great opportunity to address acceptable online usage and actions.
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Talk to each child, tween, and teen every year about cyberbullying. Cyberbullying, online harassment, and cyber stalking are all terms for ways in which those who wish to hurt others, for whatever reason, use online tools to do so. This form of bullying is incredibly damaging, both to those who are victims and to the bullies themselves. You need to know the Six Safety Tips to Avoid or Deal with Online Bullying and What to Do if You or Your Child are Cyberbullied. It is critical that you establish an environment that makes your child feel safe when coming to you to report any problems.
The back-to-school shopping list these days often includes laptops and cell phones. The instant access and convenience that laptops and cell phones afford make them ideal for studying, socializing, and coordinating schedules. By instituting a few precautions, your student can enjoy all the benefits of Internet connectivity and make the most of a great school year.
When choosing devices, there are three Internet safety considerations to keep in mind: 1) what safety protections do the devices have in place? 2) what protections do you need to add? 3) does the device enable features that you don’t find age appropriate? If so, how do you turn off or minimize these features?
Laptop safety includes considering these points:
1. Don’t skimp on security and safety software. Install all the safety tools your child needs, such as antivirus, anti-spyware, a firewall, and age appropriate filtering tools. Remember that installing these tools is not enough – you must update security and safety software regularly to protect against new threats. Select auto-update settings to ensure the highest level of protection. Learn more
2. Leverage the safety settings within the services. Every service should have settings that allow you to limit exposure to others or to types of content. Learn more
3. Protect your student’s laptop from theft. Laptop theft comes in two forms – theft of the information on the laptop, and theft of the laptop itself.
a) To protect against information theft, help your child establish a strong login password and teach him or her to log-off (password protect) the laptop whenever the laptop is left on its own.
b) Laptops are easy to steal if left unattended for even a moment. Consider buying a laptop cable lock, so your child can physically lock it to something such as a desk. These locks typically cost between $15 and $35 dollars - far less than a replacement laptop.
4. Review the laptop’s features for safety. Of all laptop features, webcams are particularly problematic. Children often show poor judgment about the live video images they share. If the laptop you purchase has a webcam, set specific guidelines about how and when it can be used. Learn more
Cell Phones:
1. Most cell phones today are small computers. In the same way that you evaluate the online services and features your child can access on computers, you need to understand a phone’s features and the Internet services their phone can access. Learn more
2. Ensure that there are safeguards in place to protect your child. Does the phone have content filters? Can features be turned off? What additional safeguards does the carrier provide? (Don’t be shy about asking and demanding answers). Learn more
3. Choose between a prepaid versus a monthly plan. Many parents like the financial accountability that a prepaid plan provides for their teens, however these plans usually don’t provide you with information about your teen’s calling activity as monthly plans do.
4. Understand how to track phone usage problems.
a. If your student is overly tired in the mornings or is sneaking out at night, check the times of day that calls and text messages are occurring (monthly cell phone bills provide this information). If there is a problem, solve it by taking charge of the phone at bedtime and returning it in the morning.
b. Check for inappropriate use during school hours when texting and cheating can be issues. Address these behaviors directly by establishing clear consequences.
With your checklist complete, your student is positioned for a great year online.
Travis Talbot is the Executive Director of Lead on America, a community-based organization that is dedicated to educating citizens in cooperating with law enforcement in the local war against drugs.
As I dropped my daughter off for the first day of fifth grade this year, I was reminded of the challenges that face her in the coming year. She will need to be intentional about making new friends, doing what’s right instead of doing what’s easy, balancing homework and sports, violin lessons, and fifth grade fun!
What didn't cross my mind was the possible introduction of meth and other drugs to her and her friends.
Statistics indicate that elementary age students as young as 10 and 11 are being introduced to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco by their older siblings, their peers and even their parents. With events like MethFest, a Seattle music culture celebrating meth, and the introduction of Strawberry Quick, a candy-like flavored meth targeting kids, even fifth graders are no longer immune to the promotion of meth.
Many of us have been deceived in thinking that meth only affects those in the drug culture. Meth does not discriminate the lives it destroys. Honor students have been known to take meth thinking they can pull an all-nighter to study for a test without being tired the next day. Young ladies have been deceived into thinking they need to fit in an unrealistic mold society has created. Then someone comes along and tells them that they can lose the weight without dieting or exercise. Even "soccer moms" have been known to use meth, when these all American moms who give everything for their family are tired with nothing left to give by early evening. These moms hear they can take a little miracle pill that will give them all the energy they need to get them through the day. In addition, meth is having a huge impact on our law enforcement and social welfare system. Nearly 80% of all Washington State foster care cases and 70% of the criminal justice cases are related to this horrific drug.
Recent news articles seem to indicate that the meth epidemic is over in our community. There have been reports that both the manufacture and use of meth has been declined in recent months. Unfortunately, that statistic isn’t very comforting if it is your child addicted to meth… or your neighborhood infested with the criminal activity and chaos associated with drug distribution and use. It is impossible to predict if the indications of the decline of meth are true, or simply a statistical event. But we do know that meth, in any amount, is a threat we can no longer ignore.
With such a devastating drug lurking in our community, it would be easy for community members to lose hope. But don't be discouraged! There is someone is giving this community threat the attention it deserves.
Rob McKenna saw the tragic effect meth was having on our community and he took deliberate action soon after becoming Washington State's Attorney General. With his Operation: Allied Against Meth program, Rob has focused his resources in fighting meth in our communities with comprehensive and intelligent strategies. What I appreciate about Rob's approach is that he's attacking this epidemic from every angle with prevention, education and dramatic steps to increase the penalties for both manufacturing and trafficking this insidious drug.
Rob has added specialized prosecution teams to help charge and prosecute complicated meth cases. The Attorney General's Office has also focused on investigating and prosecuting meth lab cases. He has partnered with community-based associations in education programs that promote the awareness and prevention of meth use and he has implemented programs to raise awareness of what meth activities look like in the marketplace so industry leaders could be aware of suspicious activities involving over the counter medications and household chemicals.
You might be surprised what a grass-roots, nonprofit organization like Lead On America and the Washington State Attorney General can accomplish when partnered together. I have had the privilege in speaking with Rob to students, parents, and communities all over Washington State since May 2005. Together we have spoken to over 30,000 students in over 50 junior and senior high schools about the devastating effects of meth. Rob understands that partnerships, education, and prevention are the key to successfully alleviating this epidemic from our neighborhoods and communities.
With Rob’s commitment to education and drug prevention I know he is the wise choice for Washington State. His determination to make our community safer will earn him not only my vote, but he will also have my gratitude each day as I drop my 5th grader off at school, knowing her world is a bit safer because Rob McKenna cares.