TCC

Trauma passes from one generation to the next through genetics and experiences, and can result in neurological and physiological changes. In child abuse cases, these changes not only impact how a child experiences their victimization, but also how a non-offending parent with a personal history of trauma responds to his/her child when they disclose maltreatment.
This session will address how trauma can be transmitted to future generations, and will identify how these parental dynamics may present in child abuse investigations. Tips for parental interactions will be discussed.

Law Enforcement investigation sensitivity towards the needs of both victims and caregivers is a topic not taught in traditional Basic Investigation training.
What does being victim-sensitive and trauma-informed mean, and what is the significance for us in our Law Enforcement investigations? The answer is simple: there is direct bearing on our investigative mission to secure objective, factual, detailed information, and the subsequent investigative corroboration. An investigator’s knowledge and sensitivity toward the child victim and non-offending parent has a direct bearing on an investigator’s ability to better assess and subsequently investigate the information gained.

Specific training issues to be presented include the stages of victimization, secondary victimization, the Child Abuse Accommodation Syndrome, sexual abuse traumagenics, and PTSD behaviors. Common defense mechanisms and dissociative disorders exhibited by sexually abused, exploited and trafficked children will be discussed from a Law Enforcement perspective. Best Practice tips on recognition, documentation and practical ways to respond to these issues will also be reviewed.

This session will provide participants with detailed examples and ways for individuals working in the child welfare system to support gender diverse youth through a trauma informed and culturally responsive lens. This session will review unique experiences that the child welfare system(s) encounter with LGBTQIA+ diverse youth and specific ways to support LGBTQIA+ youth in navigating the cisgender and heteronormative systems within our society and the child welfare system.
This session will be highlighting the intricate experiences of gender dysphoria and how this mental health struggle manifests through youth behavior and can be seen within the child welfare system as a whole. The impact of gender dysphoria on the brain, body, and behavior will be analyzed. All participants will learn how to support LGBTQIA+ youth in navigating the court and welfare systems.

This presentation examines the relationship between confession rates and sex offender characteristics (ie., offender age, relationship to victim, personality type, offense history and prior experience with the criminal justice system). In addition, several studies that investigated the effectiveness of various interviewer styles (investigator demeanor and approach) will be reviewed. Lastly, the presenter will provide anecdotal comments (from 121 admitting adult male sex offenders) related to the thoughts and concerns they had while they were initially being interviewed by detectives. Comments focus on the reason they declined to be interviewed, lied about their behavior or confessed. Video clips will be used to illustrate some of the specific skills used by police to enable offenders to confess, along with recommendations for specific interview comment/questions from 26 veteran child abuse detectives from 10 law enforcement agencies in Oregon.
This presentation examines the relationship between confession rates and sex offender characteristics (ie., offender age, relationship to victim, personality type, offense history and prior experience with the criminal justice system). In addition, several studies that investigated the effectiveness of various interviewer styles (investigator demeanor and approach) will be reviewed. Lastly, the presenter will provide anecdotal comments (from 121 admitting adult male sex offenders) related to the thoughts and concerns they had while they were initially being interviewed by detectives. Comments focus on the reason they declined to be interviewed, lied about their behavior or confessed. Video clips will be used to illustrate some of the specific skills used by police to enable offenders to confess, along with recommendations for specific interview comment/questions from 26 veteran child abuse detectives from 10 law enforcement agencies in Oregon.

This presentation will guide the participant though the neuroscience of early relationships and how they can impact child wellbeing. We will conduct a deep dive into how relationships between adults and children develop and how relationships can provide the necessary ingredients for meeting a child’s core need to feel safe and secure. When these core needs are met the child is set on a trajectory of positive emotional, social, and physical health, when these core needs are not met the children begin to struggle in multiple areas of life. It is through relationships with adults, that are attuned and responsive to the child’s need for security, that enable a child to grow and develop in healthy ways. We will explore how those working in the child welfare system can support parents and caregivers in meeting children’s social and emotional needs.

Sports are an American pastime, and one that can offer a variety of physical, mental, and social benefits for those who take part (Logan & Cuff, 2019; Eime et al., 2013; Doré et al., 2018; Lastuka & Cottingham, 2015; Lechner, 2009). However, it has become clear that sexual, emotional, and physical abuse occur in the context of sport at higher rates than previously understood or acknowledged (Ford et al., 2020; Mountjoy, 2019).
The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 named the U.S. Center for SafeSport (“Center”), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, as the nation’s safe sport organization. The Act codified the Center’s scope and authority to resolve abuse and misconduct allegations for more than 11 million individuals throughout the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement (“Movement”).

The Center’s core mission seeks to address this problem and, end the of abuse of all Participants, including minors, in sport. Considering its exclusive jurisdiction, the Center’s primary focus is to assess and investigate allegations of sexual misconduct. After finding a violation occurred, the Center imposes sanctions up to a lifetime ban from involvement in the Movement.

To accomplish its mission, the Center often works with individuals who have been abused and are impacted by the trauma of that abuse. As a result, Center staff frequently coordinate and collaborate with Law Enforcement agencies, Child Advocacy Centers, and Prosecutorial Offices.

In this session, we will discuss the Center’s creation and its current work which involves Education, Prevention, and Organizational and Individual Accountability. We will also talk through the current Response & Resolution process of receiving and investigating allegations of misconduct and abuse. Finally, we will utilize specific case studies involving sexual abuse of minors to discuss the ways in which the Center collaborates with organizations across the country to obtain the best outcomes in matters that involve abuse and the Movement.