Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<keyword id="20114810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal-chief-minister" source="keywords">West Bengal Chief Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19909056" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mamata-Banerjee" source="keywords">Mamata Banerjee</keyword> has written another letter to <keyword id="19898052" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister-Narendra-Modi" source="keywords">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>, expressing concern over the lack of response to her previous communication regarding the rape and murder of a PG <keyword id="22760814" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trainee-doctor" source="keywords">trainee doctor</keyword>. In her letter, dated August 30, Banerjee emphasised the gravity of the situation and urged for prompt central intervention, highlighting the inadequacy of the reply received from the Union Minister of <keyword id="20086338" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Women-and-Child-Development" source="keywords">Women and Child Development</keyword>. The letter reads, "No reply was received from your end on such a sensitive issue. However, a reply has been received from the Minister of Women and Child Development, Government of India (vide their No. 1/RESC/HMWCD/2024 dated 25th August 2024), which barely addresses the gravity of the issue raised in my letter. I am of the view that the seriousness of the subject and its relevance to society have not been adequately appreciated in this generic reply." The letter was posted on her social media handle, X. In response to Union Minister Annapurna Devi's allegations regarding the state government's failure to implement essential safety measures for women and children, including Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), CM Mamata stated that the state government has approved 10 exclusive POCSO FTSCs, while 88 FTSCs and 62 POCSO-designated Courts are functioning with complete state funding. The letter mentioned, "Moreover, I would also refer to some of the initiatives in this area that our State has already undertaken, which appear to have been overlooked in the reply. Regarding Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), 10 exclusive POCSO Courts have been approved by the State Government. In addition to this, 88 FTSCs and 62 POCSO-designated Courts are functioning throughout the State with complete State funding. Monitoring and disposal of cases are entirely in the hands of the Courts." Highlighting the issue of appointing Presiding Officers in FTSCs, she further stated that this process requires examination and action from the Government of India, which, according to her, needs PM Modi's intervention. "As per Central Government guidelines, only retired Judicial Officers can be posted as Presiding Officers in FTSCs, but the Hon'ble High Court has observed that, in view of the severity of the cases, permanent Judicial Officers need to be appointed. This requires examination at the level of the Government of India and appropriate action thereafter, for which your intervention would be necessary. Moreover, Helpline Nos. 112 and 1098 are functioning satisfactorily in the State. Additionally, Dial 100 is also extensively used in emergency situations," the letter added. Urging for central <keyword id="20082569" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="legislation" source="keywords">legislation</keyword> and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes, the West Bengal CM expressed hope for very considered attention from PM Modi. Mamata Banerjee mentioned in her letter, "I would reiterate and earnestly request that a stringent Central legislation and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes of rape/rape and murder be considered, with a mandatory provision for the disposal of cases within a specific timeframe by the trial authorities. I hope this matter would receive very considered attention at your kind end in the interest of our society at large." On August 26, Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi criticised the West Bengal government for its failure to implement essential safety measures for women and children in the state. In a letter written to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, the Union Minister stated that 123 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) were allocated to the state, but none of them are functional yet. Earlier, on August 22, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the central government to bring in central legislation and set up fast-track courts for "sensitive" issues to ensure a speedy trial. Mamata, in the letter, mentioned that such "sensitive" issues need to be addressed comprehensively through stringent central legislation prescribing exemplary punishment against the perpetrators of such heinous crimes. The Bengal Chief Minister suggested the setting up of "fast-track special courts" to deal with such cases, which require a speedy trial. This development comes after the trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.

"No reply received, hope this matter receives considered attention": CM Mamata writes to PM Modi again on rape-murder case

A few years ago, Hallie Parker joined a WhatsApp group of millennial women who call themselves geriatric moms — almost all were close to 40 when they became parents. Half of them had two kids, including Parker, who at 33 was among the youngest. Half had only one kid, with no plans for more. But Parker was the only member in the group who is herself an only child. "If you have questions about only children," she volunteered, "you can ask me."She was flooded with queries. Were you lonely? Did you wish you had siblings? What did your parents do to normalize it?The level of anxiety in Parker's group chat made it clear that only children are still viewed as something of a demographic outlier — and a questionable one at that. Kids without siblings are seen as lonely brats who are moody and bossy and unable to play well with others. Their sense of entitlement draws everyone around them into mayhem: Just look at Harry Potter, Harriet the Spy, and Dennis the Menace. They're untethered and troubled in childhood (Drew Barrymore), in early adulthood (Tiger Woods), and especially in middle age (Elvis, Kanye). As only children become more prevalent, their alleged deficiencies have become generational shorthand: Instead of calling only children selfish, introverted, and lonely, we slap those labels on Gen Zers. No wonder we've never had an only-child president. In surveys, most Americans continue to say that the ideal family has two kids raised by married parents. Almost nobody — not even all of the mothers in Parker's group who have just one kid — aspires to have just one kid.Yet that's exactly what's happening. The only child's time has come.Back in 1978, the National Council on Family Relations published a paper titled "The One-Child Family: A New Life-Style," as if it were introducing a strange countercultural phenomenon. At the time, about 11% of American families had just one kid. By 2015, that number had doubled, to 22%. Big families, meanwhile, have become as rare as only children once were. In the early 1980s, 28% of women had four or more kids. Thirty years later, it was just 10%. Families with one child may be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/05/08/ideal-size-of-the-american-family/">the least-desired outcome</a> when Americans envision their dream lives, but in reality they're the fastest-growing family configuration in the country.It's not hard to see why sibling-free families are increasingly common. Over the past half-century, the cost of raising a child has increased far faster than the average salary. American women are having kids later in life, leaving less time to bear multiple children. And the bigger-is-better belief about families that fueled the baby boom is now confined mostly to the deeply religious and the dramatically wealthy. In some schoolrooms, it's now more noteworthy among kids to actually have a sibling than to have none.But it's harder to foresee what the rise of the only child means for our future. Will more solo kids lead to a world run by spoiled brats, devoid of empathy and unschooled in the art of collaboration? The experts, surprisingly, say no. As the ranks of only children swell, their personal idiosyncrasies, social skills, and family dynamics could prove to be the very tools we need to thrive in modern life. In an America that is more divided than ever, the only child might just be what brings us back together.No one has done more to give only children a bad rap than Granville Stanley Hall. Once described as a "Victorian Dr. Spock," Hall was America's OG psychologist — the first man to earn a doctorate in the field from Harvard. Employing a method that was more sketchy than scientific, Hall asked college professors to share stories about "peculiar and exceptional children" they had encountered. Simply because only children were mentioned more often than they occur in the general population, and he concluded that they were inherently flawed: sickly, unable to get along with others, with a deluded tendency to create imaginary companions. Being an only child, Hall declared in 1907, "is a disease in itself."In the decades that followed, scores of "experts" relying on equally dubious methods echoed Hall's spurious claims, which seeped into the wider culture. Then, in the 1980s, a social psychologist named Toni Falbo — herself an only child — set out to rigorously test Hall's ideas about her kind. Reviewing 141 studies of personality development in only children, she found that they were virtually indistinguishable from children with siblings, with one notable exception: They scored "significantly better than other groups in achievement motivation and personal adjustment." That's right: They scored better. It's a finding that has been repeated many times since. Only children are not, on the whole, any more shy, entitled, or lonely than their peers with brothers or sisters.On the contrary, surveys have suggested that only children grow up learning to entertain themselves and solve their own problems. They don't mind eating alone. They're adept at forging close friendships that feel like family. Their comfort with being on their own may make them more unwilling to accept unhealthy relationships: One study found that only children were more likely to get divorced than their peers with siblings. And they tend to be academic achievers and highly independent, with high self-esteem. Only kids are more likely than other kids to become <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/08/ceos-childhood-career/596158/">CEOs</a>. Thomas Edison, Jack Welch, Carl Icahn — all onlies. But their success may have more to do with income than inclination. Small families tend to be more educated and wealthier, which gives only children a double advantage: Their parents have more time and money to spend, and fewer kids to spend it on.<div type="image" title="A child wearing a crown as a valedictorian" height="1500" width="2000" msid="115179418" hostid="261" sizebytes="85924"></div>In her group chat, Parker tried to reassure the moms who worried about their only children. She loved being an only, she told them. Even as a child, she knew it provided her with more opportunities. She loved horseback riding, a hobby her parents never would have been able to afford if she had siblings. Her folks made sure she wasn't lonely by always allowing her to bring a friend along with them on vacation. And despite the stereotype that only children are spoiled rotten, Parker was always eager to share her snacks and toys with others. She grew up hearing stories about her mother's difficult pregnancy and so was not one to beg for a sibling.Nothing has accelerated the rise of only children more than delayed childbearing. American women in general are having children later, but the delay is most pronounced among the most educated. In fact, the single largest determinant of how many children a woman will have is her level of education: The more degrees you hold, the older you are when you start to have kids, the fewer kids you have. "It's not just people having kids later — they're starting to think about them later," says Anastasia Berg, a coauthor of "What Are Children For?"That's how it turned out for the women in Parker's group chat. Most of them started out wanting to have more than one kid — but by the time they got around to bearing the cost and physical toll of having their first, they had changed their minds. In a 2021 survey, about a quarter of parents who said they didn't expect to have more children <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/11/19/growing-share-of-childless-adults-in-u-s-dont-expect-to-ever-have-children/">cited financial reasons</a>. During the Great Depression, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/70453-case-having-only-child">23%</a> of families had just one child; it's no coincidence that the baby boom took place during an unprecedented economic boom.The average cost of raising a child in America from birth to age 18 was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2022/cost-raising-child-calculator/">$310,000</a> in 2022 — and double that if you factor in four years of full college tuition. What's more, full-time working parents are spending even more time with their children than stay-at-home parents of previous generations did, prompting the surgeon general to issue a warning about their stress levels and mental well-being. If you're already struggling to care for one kid, it's difficult to imagine having a second.But the trend toward fewer children isn't just an American phenomenon. Even in countries like Sweden and France that enjoy subsidized childcare and guaranteed parental leave, fertility rates are falling. "Trends of delay are consistent across the board," Berg says. Even religious conservatives, who are biblically motivated to be fruitful and multiply, are starting families later and more often having only one child.Corinne Lyons is someone who wants a big family. A public-school teacher in her hometown of Detroit, she grew up the only child of two only children. But unlike Parker's, her siblingless childhood wasn't entirely glorious. "I didn't grow up playing with other kids," she says. Her biggest birthday parties involved having cake and ice cream at school. She wants a different experience for her own children, but she feels like she doesn't have much time: She'll be 36 when she marries her fiancé next September."Don't get me wrong," she says. "Being an only child is amazing. It's also hard. I don't want to have to send my child to school for social interactions." Even many only children, it would seem, aren't all that into having only children. But adult onlies are subject to the same trends (like later childbearing) and pressures (ahem, finances) that other Americans are. Lyons accepts that, despite her desires, she might end up having just one.So what will the coming reign of the only child mean for America? For starters, only kids could spur us to build stronger communities and mend our divided social institutions. Without a built-in family of peers at home, only children learn to go out and build their own. Lyons, the public-school teacher, forged an extended family of friends in college, despite being a self-professed introvert. She was initiated into the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and for nearly 20 years she has held her sorority sisters tighter than many people hold their relatives. "These people aren't in my life because they have to be," she says. "They're here because they want to be. I am very intentional in building that bond." Only children could also transform America's business landscape. For starters, fewer kids means fewer heirs to take over family-run companies. In China, where the government's one-child policy created a generation of onlies, studies suggest that business founders with multiple children are significantly more likely to have an heir succeed them than founders with one child. What's more, research has found that only children, like first-born kids, tend to have a lower risk tolerance than younger siblings. China's one-child policy has contributed to a significant drop in the number of entrepreneurs — and only children who do start their own businesses tend to perform worse financially. One Chinese study found that companies run by only children generated revenue that was 30% lower than the revenue of companies run by children with siblings.Onlies are under<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/ed-magazine/10/05/one-and-only"> intense pressure</a> to succeed professionally in part because of the financial burden they're expected to bear. They may start off life getting all the extra attention and devotion from their parents — but as their parents age, they'll be left alone to return the favor. Without any siblings to help out, only children face the prospect of being the sole caregiver for their parents. Studies suggest they're more likely than adults with siblings to provide direct care for their parents, such as bathing and dressing them, cleaning the house, and paying the bills. "I feel like the whole family rests on me," Parker says.<div type="image" title="A baby in a crown as a CEO" height="1500" width="2000" msid="115179421" hostid="261" sizebytes="100030"></div>In a sense, having an only child effectively defers the costs of care by a generation. It's certainly cheaper to raise just one kid. But once that kid grows up, it's can be more expensive for them to care for two aging parents on one adult salary. And because their parents are likely to be older, many solo children are going to face elder-care questions earlier in their adulthood, while they're still trying to save up for a home or cover the costs of raising their own child. It's one of the few times that only children wind up longing for siblings. "It's true that there's infighting between siblings when a parent dies," says Lyons, who lives with and remains close to her mother. "But at least they can go through that experience together."The one-child family has long been a stand-in for the best hopes and worst outcomes for the human race. In 1968, a Stanford entomologist named Paul Ehrlich and his wife, Anne, self-published a paperback titled "The Population Bomb." The Ehrlichs, who had one child, argued that the troubling headlines of their day — the Vietnam War, for example, or starvation in India — were all rooted in overpopulation. Unless we start having fewer babies, they argued, the planet is destined for famine, environmental degradation, and economic collapse. In 1998, the journalist Bill McKibben floated a similar argument in his book "Maybe One," making an ecological case for smaller families.Fertility rates fell, and the population bomb never went off. These days, it's far more common to hear scaremongering about a population bust. America's most powerful billionaires, religious influencers, and conservative politicians are demanding we all make more babies. As <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1800318513502167246">Elon Musk</a>, a father of 12, said in June, "It should be considered a national emergency to have kids." Conservative authors publish books with titles like "What to Expect When No One's Expecting: America's Coming Demographic Disaster." Vice President-elect JD Vance issued dire warnings about "childless cat ladies."But as smaller families become the norm, the fears and stereotypes surrounding only children will inevitably subside. Just as having children is no longer seen as a required stage of adulthood, having siblings will no longer be a de facto part of childhood. Rainer Turim was raised in Manhattan as an only child who was immersed in his parents' adult world. "A lot of my friends in the neighborhood were older New Yorkers," says Turim, who's 25 and works in a restaurant. He has no idea how many of his classmates were also only children, because it never occurred to him to wonder about it. To him, it was totally unremarkable to grow up with no siblings.Many of the millions of only children in the US will grow up to care for their parents on their own, build their own bonds of kinship and community, and lead their own companies in new and exciting ways. They'll spend much of their lives alone, as all Americans increasingly do, but they won't be lonely. And maybe, once there are enough of them, they'll no longer be seen as "only." They'll just be "children."Ann Friedman is a writer who lives in Los Angeles. She is the coauthor of "Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close."

The coming reign of the only child

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jen Komaromi describes her parenting style as "free range" because she allows her kids more freedom.</li><li>The 51-year-old was happy for her son, then 15, to fly solo to France and change planes in Paris.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jen Komaromi, 51, who owns a bakery and a gift store in the Bay Area. It has been edited for length and clarity.My son, Jack, was invited to stay with his friend's family for a month in rural France, but the timing meant he couldn't travel with them.At first, I felt hesitant about sending my 15-year-old alone on two flights — he had a layover in Paris — but <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mistakes-made-on-long-flight-abroad-paris-france-traveling-2022-8">when I called Air France</a>, they almost laughed off my concerns. It was almost as if they thought I was crazy.It was perfectly legal for him to travel unaccompanied. He didn't even need a notarized letter. The customer service agent was so laid-back about it that I thought, "Why not?"My husband, Kevin, 50, and I waved him off at the airport in San Francisco in the summer of 2021. Eleven hours later, Jack texted to say he'd landed at Charles de Gaulle and was waiting at the gate to transfer to Lyon.It went smoothly. He returned safe and sound — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/british-family-raise-independent-children-japan-2024-2">proud of his independence </a>and our trust in him.<h2 id="efa5c9b7-1957-4fb1-b90b-6c124be7f406">I didn't want to be fearful in raising my kids</h2>We've long held the belief that Jack, now 18, and his sister, Evie, 14, should enjoy as much freedom as possible, as long as it's within reason.We live in a safe neighborhood. However, I've become increasingly aware of how much fear dictates people's parenting choices. I made a conscious decision not to be fearful in raising my children. The idea of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-blames-helicopter-parents-who-tried-find-her-a-job-2024-7">being a helicopter parent</a> who monitors their every step is somewhat hilarious to me.When Jack was in first grade, he started walking solo from school to the library, which was pretty much next door but involved crossing a road.<div type="image" title="A family of four take a selfie against a mountainous backfrop." height="1200" width="1600" msid="114433647" hostid="261" sizebytes="145884"></div>You have to do things in stages. One of the biggest misconceptions about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dad-lets-eight-year-old-grocery-shop-alone-foster-independence-2024-9">free-range parenting</a> — the method we happily follow — is that you throw your kids to the wind.For us, it was a gradual process of baby steps. In the beginning, I accompanied him to the library. Then, I'd stay behind and chat with his teacher before catching up with him.After he'd built up enough confidence, he went there alone and stayed to do his homework before walking to meet us at the shops where we worked.Evie followed suit in terms of independence. The only thing that held her back — which, I believe, is more common in the case of girls — is not having many friends with like-minded parents. She wanted to engage in activities and adventures with other children, but if their parents won't let them, it isn't as fun on your own.<h2 id="15a6b700-23dd-42cd-8279-18062f773944">My kids know to ask people for help if needed</h2>But she and Jack found their tribe. When Jack was 13, he did an all-day bike ride with a friend to a peak overlooking <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/golden-gate-bridge-noise-san-francisco-aerodynamic-improvements-wind-howling-2020-6">the Golden Gate Bridge</a>. It was about a 60-mile round trip. Last month, Evie and her friend took their bikes on a ferry and cycled 45 miles around the bay.I know they'll ask for help if they need it. They've been raised to be confident in talking with strangers.Parenting is about being your child's first teacher. You teach them how to navigate the world, but then you have to step back and let them do it for themselves.Do you have an interesting story to share with Business Insider about your parenting style? Please send details to <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jridley@insider.com">jridley@businessinsider.com</a>.

I've made a conscious decision not to be a helicopter parent. My oldest child was walking alone to the library by the time he was in 1st grade.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Illinois is launching a guaranteed basic income pilot for families in the child welfare system.</li><li>The EmPwR program will provide monthly cash payments to 400 families for a year.</li></ul>Experts in Illinois are planning to test whether cash can help reduce cases of child maltreatment. Beginning this fall, the statewide Empower Parenting with Resources (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.empwrstudy.com/about.html">EmPwR</a>) <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-parents-afford-childcare-get-stable-jobs-gbi-ubi-2024-8">guaranteed basic income</a> pilot will give 400 families involved in the child welfare system monthly cash payments for a year, no strings attached. All participants will be selected from households that are enrolled in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/give-foster-child-safe-space-cope-emotional-trauma-2024-1">children and family services</a>, meaning the state has determined they need support or monitoring after a child abuse or neglect investigation.Researchers hope that boosting parents' income through GBI will help prevent maltreatment. Studies and basic income pilots have previously found that cash payments can mitigate neglect by strengthening parents' access to basic necessities. Researchers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-child-tax-credit-reduce-child-abuse-rates-2024-4">have also told BI</a> that reducing family financial stress can lead to lower rates of physical abuse and domestic violence."Many of the families that we would see have deeper involvement in foster care and child welfare are dealing with gaps and the holes in the safety net," said Mike Shaver, the CEO of Brightpoint, a Chicago-based organization that provides child welfare and family support programs.The GBI pilot is a partnership between the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Brightpoint. Funding will come from the Department of Children and Family Services and various foundations.The 400 families <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/universal-basic-income-ubi">receiving cash payments</a> from EmPwR will be compared to a control group of 400 additional families who meet the criteria for the program but will not receive payments. All 800 families will continue receiving other child welfare services as usual.Shaver said there is no income requirement for participants, and the monthly cash amount families receive will vary based on the number of children they have and the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-food-healthcare-housing-cost-most-expensive-us-cities-2024-2">local cost of living</a>. Researchers expect to enroll participants and control group members on a rolling basis.EmPwR joins <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-gbi-ubi-low-income-americans-afford-housing-food-2024-5">over 100 guaranteed basic income pilots</a> across the country — programs that typically offer participants between $100 and $2,000 a month for a set period of time as an approach to poverty reduction. Previous guaranteed basic income participants have told BI they used the money to afford rent, groceries, childcare, and prescriptions.Giving parents money is an increasingly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-trump-proposals-boost-child-tax-credit-give-parents-money-2024-8">popular policy idea</a>. Several of America's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-states-cities-have-guaranteed-basic-income-programs-low-income-2024-4">guaranteed basic income </a>programs are already giving cash to single parents, low-income pregnant people, and foster youth. Other<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-will-government-help-during-recession-unemployment-checks-parents-biden-2022-12"> federal safety net programs</a> like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) also aim to help parents financially. Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, both Democrats and Republicans have also shown support for an expanded <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/child-tax-credit-new-parents-cut-taxes-harris-economic-policy-2024-8">child tax credit</a>.However, it's worth noting that not all cases of child abuse or maltreatment are caused by poverty-related neglect."The idea here is that it's not to say that all neglect is caused by poverty or is the only answer," said Will Schneider, associate professor of social work at the University of Illinois and a principal investigator for the EmPwR pilot. "But that cash assistance is a missing piece of the puzzle."<h2 id="9d641ce6-d14e-4761-995b-b382234f77fc">Illinois hopes guaranteed basic income will reduce cases of poverty-related neglect</h2>Illinois' GBI program comes as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ncsl.org/human-services/policy-levers-for-preventing-child-maltreatment">nearly four million</a> families are referred to the child welfare system every year.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5227926/"> About 38%</a> of all children — and 53% of Black children — will experience a Child Protective Services investigation by the time they turn 18.These child welfare referrals can stem from suspected physical harm, sexual abuse, or situations where a child isn't given basic necessities. And, this system involvement can lead to parents losing custody and children being put in short or long-term <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/foster-care-influenced-parenting-style-2024-3">foster care</a>.However, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5227926/">over 70%</a> of all maltreatment reports in the US are neglect cases, typically because a child isn't receiving adequate childcare, meals, or hygiene, according to Schneider. Because of this, low-income families — many of whom are facing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/parents-lower-income-alice-paycheck-to-paycheck-minimum-wage-insecurity-2024-5">housing and food insecurity</a> — are <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/income-security/research-reinforces-providing-cash-to-families-in-poverty-reduces-risk-of#_ftn18">at least three times more likely</a> to be reported for neglect than families who are not struggling financially.While there are helpful tools, such as the caregiving classes and violence prevention services often offered by the welfare system, these interventions sometimes don't address the root cause of neglect cases, Schneider said. Some <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poverty-statistics-new-york-city-most-millionaires-2024-2">low-income parents</a> aren't receiving the resources or government assistance they need to care for themselves and their children. Without financial support, parents can fall back into the system."Parents know what's best for their kids and want to do what's best for their kids," Schneider said. "And, given access to support, they'll make those choices."Throughout the EmPwR pilot, researchers at the University of Illinois plan to track quantitative data like participants' spending, along with conducting surveys and interviews with participants about their experiences. They will also track the number of times families are referred back into the welfare system while receiving payments. The pilot is also statewide, so researchers will compare the safety and financial outcomes of families living in rural areas with those living in cities. Family service programs are often more difficult to access in rural areas, Schneider said.<h2 id="409224d0-f17c-4d69-83cd-43ea237e65bd">Research shows financial support can boost family safety</h2>There is already evidence that financial support and no-strings-attached cash can reduce cases of neglect and household violence.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-child-tax-credit-reduce-child-abuse-rates-2024-4">BI previously reported</a> on a study published in January by doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's PolicyLab, which found that family finances are a key predictor of child welfare involvement. For instance, child hospitalizations for severe head trauma spiked <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-abuse-economy/child-abuse-climbed-with-recession-study-idUSTRE78J0JU20110920/">during the 2008 financial crisis</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1538544223002031?via%3Dihub">The study</a> found that housing assistance programs, <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-childcare-costs-in-us-women-workforce-cheapest-countries-kids-2024-2">affordable childcare</a>, guaranteed basic income, and tax credits limit maltreatment and reduce the number of children placed in foster care.In July, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/los-angeles-guaranteed-basic-income-pilot-ubi-partner-violence-employment-2024-7#:~:text=Los%20Angeles%20gave%20families%20%241%2C000,Now%20the%20results%20are%20in.&amp;text=The%20largest%20basic%20income%20pilot,security%2C%20and%20safer%20home%20situations.">Los Angeles</a> released results of a GBI pilot that gave 3,200 households $1,000 monthly for a year, beginning in January 2022. Within the first six months of the program, participants — some of which were parents and all of whom were living near the poverty line — left situations of intimate partner violence more frequently than the pilot's control group.To be sure, guaranteed basic income pilots are temporary. It is not yet clear if cash payments will have a lasting effect on families' financial security and child welfare involvement in the months or years after EmPwR ends. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-ban-ubi-arizona-texas-houston-homelessness-poverty-2024-2">Some politicians and economists</a> also say the millions of dollars it costs to run a GBI program isn't sustainable for taxpayers or private funders.Still, Schneider said that giving basic income to families in the child welfare system could help parents better afford food, housing, and healthcare. He said the program also aims to provide insights for future policies that prevent maltreatment and keep families together.Have you participated in a guaranteed basic income program? Are you open to sharing how you spent your money? If so, reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" class="" href="mailto:allisonkelly@businessinsider.com">allisonkelly@businessinsider.com</a>.

Illinois is launching a basic income pilot for 400 families in the child welfare system in the hopes of reducing maltreatment

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Chronic economic stress increases risks of child maltreatment and neglect.</li><li>Financial support to low-income families could lower child abuse rates, doctors found.</li></ul>Cities that offer financial support to low-income families could see a decline in child abuse rates, researchers say.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1538544223002031?via%3Dihub">The study</a> — published in January by doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's PolicyLab — suggests that programs like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-antonio-ubi-guaranteed-basic-income-housing-finances-austin-rent-2024-3">guaranteed basic income</a> and tax credits limit instances of child abuse and neglect.If a family experiences chronic economic stress, it amplifies the risk a child will be mistreated, the study found. Each year, nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncsl.org/human-services/policy-levers-for-preventing-child-maltreatment">four million referrals</a> are made to the US child welfare system, and low-income families are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/income-security/research-reinforces-providing-cash-to-families-in-poverty-reduces-risk-of#_ftn18">at least three times more likely</a> to be referred.Black families are also referred to the child welfare system <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nber.org/digest/202310/racial-disparities-foster-care-placement">at almost twice the rate</a> of white families at similar risk levels. Welfare referrals can stem from suspected physical harm of a child, sexual abuse of a child, or situations where a child isn't given basic necessities.The study looked at the financial factors behind these welfare referrals, including income levels, housing security, and access to benefit programs.And, researchers found that alleviating economic stress for families tangibly improves child safety."It's a space where there's a lot of opportunity for advocacy to help keep kids safe in a way that we had not thought about a couple of decades ago," Dr. Sabrina Darwiche, a coauthor on the study, told Business Insider.<h2>Economic stress creates risk factors for abuse</h2>Darwiche is a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and specializes in cases of child abuse. She said poverty is a factor behind many cases of abuse and neglect.For example, she said child hospitalizations for severe head trauma spiked <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-abuse-economy/child-abuse-climbed-with-recession-study-idUSTRE78J0JU20110920/">during the 2008 financial crisis</a>.Even so, the <a target="_blank" href="https://americanspcc.org/child-maltreatment-statistics/">majority of welfare reports</a> come from suspected neglect, not physical abuse.Families in poverty risk being reported for child neglect even when abuse isn't present, Darwiche said. Neglect reports are often caused by a child not receiving adequate childcare, food, housing, or hygiene.If a family is referred to child welfare, parents could lose custody. But Darwiche said the welfare system in America is not built to support families in poverty."It's really like a vicious cycle that can lead to a lot of intergenerational trauma and intergenerational economic stress," she said.<h2>Financial safety nets could reduce child neglect</h2>Darwiche called income support a prevention strategy for child abuse. This can include <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snap-food-stamps-reduce-racial-disparities-in-food-insecurity-study-2023-6">SNAP benefits</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/affordable-housing-solutions-billions-unused-covid-aid-treasury-department-2024-3">affordable housing</a>, Medicaid, and cash transfers.She said financial assistance programs alleviate stress that could lead to violence and maltreatment toward a child. It also gives parents the safety net they need to leave unsafe living situations and afford basic necessities for themselves and their families."That's why these different economic and social welfare programs are so exciting because they are an opportunity to prevent those situations in the first place," Darwiche said, referring to cash transfers — which allow families to spend money where they need it most. Most other social services limit spending to specific categories.BI has reported that guaranteed basic income can help low-income families secure housing and pay for groceries. Cities like San Antonio, Austin, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/denver-basic-income-project-ubi-extended-homelessness-poverty-2024-1">Denver</a> have piloted GBI, despite <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-ban-ubi-arizona-texas-houston-homelessness-poverty-2024-2">political opposition</a>.Basic income offers low-income individuals no-strings cash payments for a set period of time. Program participants — who typically live below the federal poverty line — receive between $100 and $1,000 a month for one to three years. Participants have reported using the money to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-san-antonio-texas-woman-afford-food-housing-2024-4">afford food and rent</a>, pay off debt, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-antonio-ubi-guaranteed-basic-income-pay-housing-expenses-work-2024-3">buy school supplies</a> for their children.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/enhanced-child-tax-credit-parents-passes-house-business-tax-relief-2024-1">Child tax credits</a>, similarly, allow some families to rise out of poverty by offering ongoing financial relief to adults with dependents. Some families also qualify for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/what-is-earned-income-credit">earned income tax credits</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-22/new-tax-deal-includes-boost-for-affordable-housing">housing credits</a>.Additionally, the pandemic prompted the Biden Administration to allocate funding through the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bidens-big-stimulus-bill-helps-pay-pensions-2-years-later-2022-12">2021 American Rescue Plan Act</a>, also known as ARPA. The funds are often distributed via stimulus checks, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-monthly-payments-housing-boston-suburb-somerville-massachusetts-2024-4">basic-income programs</a>, or to local governments.<h2>"A bundle" of economic policies can make children safer</h2>Another coauthor of the study, Dr. Zoe Bouchelle, is a pediatrician at Denver Health and does research through the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's PolicyLab. She told BI that reducing child maltreatment requires "a bundle" of economic solutions.She identified cash and housing assistance programs, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-childcare-costs-in-us-women-workforce-cheapest-countries-kids-2024-2">affordable childcare</a>, tax credits, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bidens-state-of-the-union-abortion-access-prescription-drug-cost-2024-3?utm_source=linkedin&amp;utm_campaign=insider-sf&amp;utm_medium=social">Medicaid expansions</a> as policies that can improve child safety."Thinking about other avenues that help support families with these poverty-related needs other than the child welfare system is incredibly important, and — quite frankly — urgent," she said.Still, Bouchelle said it's important to qualify the findings: the Children's Hospital study is based on information from existing income support or tax programs and nationally recorded child welfare data. It isn't based on the results of a single financial assistance program or a randomized trial."There's sort of a constellation of research that everybody has done, and it's building a compelling argument that (economic support) is making kids safer," Darwiche said.

Support like child tax credits and basic income reduces child abuse, researchers found

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ryan Murphy's latest true crime drama is about two brothers who killed their parents in 1986.</li><li>He said the show was the best thing to happen to Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez in 30 years.</li></ul>Ryan Murphy thinks "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-the-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story-gets-wrong-2024-9">Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story</a>" is the best thing to happen for years to the brothers who are serving life sentences for killing their parents. Legal experts told Business Insider the show could indeed help their case — but only if it helps to unearth compelling evidence.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-where-are-lyle-and-erik-menendez-brothers-now-2024-9">Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez</a> killed José Menendez and Kitty Menendez in their family home in 1989. While the prosecution argued they murdered their parents for money, the brothers and other family members said it was an act of self-defense after the pair suffered years of abuse at the hands of their father and mother. They were convicted of murder in 1996, and multiple attempts to appeal their case have been unsuccessful.Murphy's latest iteration of his true crime anthology series "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-lyle-erik-menendez-story-ryan-murphy-drama-timeline-2024-9">Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story</a>" turned the spotlight on the brothers once again when it was released on Netflix in September.After "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" became one of Netflix's most-watched series, the second season was also an instant hit, wracking up over 30 million views in the last two weeks and topping its streaming chart.That was little comfort to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-monsters-erik-menendez-family-members-criticize-show-2024-9">Menendez brothers and their extended family</a>, who claimed Netflix didn't consult them about the show or ask them for their side of the story. They also took offense to a number of plot points including suggestions that the brothers were in an incestuous relationship. Netflix did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.In a statement shared on X last month, the family called the show: "a phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare that is not only riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods but ignores the most recent exculpatory revelations." But <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-creator-ryan-murphy-angers-families-true-crime-2024-9">Murphy</a> has defended it. He told <a target="_blank" href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/ryan-murphy-menendez-brothers-retrial-monsters-backlash-netflix-1236157104/">Variety</a> in September that it is "the best thing that has happened to the Menendez brothers in 30 years."Days later, Murphy doubled down on his comments and told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/ryan-murphy-monsters-menendez-reaction-thrilled-1236019251/">the Hollywood Reporter</a>: "The Menendez brothers should be sending me flowers. They haven't had so much attention in 30 years. And it's gotten the attention of not only this country, but all over the world. "There's sort of an outpouring of interest in their lives and in the case. I know for a fact that many people have offered to help them because of the interest of my show and what we did."Netflix's documentary, "The Menendez Brothers," which is out on October 7 promises to tell the brothers' side of the story, is sure to only attract further interest in their case.But could this new attention help the brothers be freed?<h2 id="c61e8c69-e859-4faf-8310-83ac3fdb3186">True crime has helped to exonerate people </h2><div type="image" title="A man with very short gray hair wearing a dark red suit with white piping." height="2582" width="3443" msid="113963947" hostid="261" sizebytes="189940"></div>Shima Baughman, a professor of law at BYU Law School in Utah, said media attention has the potential to help defendants, pointing to Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, the subjects of the 2010s Emmy-winning Netflix docuseries "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/making-a-murderer-everything-you-need-to-know-2018-10">Making a Murderer</a>" — one of the first big true crime hits of the streaming era.The series focused on Avery's 2007 conviction for the murder of Wisconsin photographer Teresa Halbach and Dassey's 2007 conviction of accessory to the murder. The show cast such convincing doubts over whether the pair were guilty that viewers unsuccessfully petitioned then-President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/obama-steven-avery-petition-2016-1">Barack Obama</a> to pardon them both.Kathleen Zellner, Avery and Dassey's current attorney, told the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2018/oct/28/meet-kathleen-zellner-the-making-a-murderer-lawyer-you-want-on-your-side">Guardian</a> in 2018 that she took them on as clients after watching the first season."Watching his facial expressions during the trial, I thought there was a strong possibility he was innocent," Zellner said of Avery.Baughman said the petition and Zellner's decision to represent Avery and Dassey shows the potential impact of true crime."If the Menendez brothers documentary shows a potential miscarriage of justice it could have a similar positive effect," she said.But the fact that Avery and Dassey are still serving life sentences shows how little public support means in a court of law.<h2 id="49f3e795-5ec2-485d-8ba8-cb70836bd1b0">Netflix's Menendez brothers shows wouldn't achieve much in court</h2><div type="image" title="A composite of images of Lyle and Erik Menendez in blue prison outfits taken during their trial in 1994." height="1080" width="1440" msid="113963953" hostid="261" sizebytes="110814"></div>Laurie L. Levenson, a professor of law and David W. Burcham Chair in ethical advocacy at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, told Business Insider that true crime media must provide new, solid evidence that defendants can use in court to sway a judge.In 2020, Netflix's docuseries "Who Killed Malcolm X?" unearthed new evidence that provided an alibi for two men convicted of murdering the civil rights activist, leading to their exoneration a year later. Multiple <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/times-true-crime-podcasts-documentaries-discovered-new-case-changing-evidence-2023-2">true crime podcasts</a> have similarly led to arrests or charges being overturned."I think judges, in general, are a bit suspicious of what's on television. They draw a line between real facts and entertainment facts," Levenson said. Referring to Netflix's Menendez offerings, she added: "I think if the media found some really hard evidence, true evidence that would withstand a courtroom presentation, that always helps. And sometimes, the media does. But absent of that, I think it's just going to be an interesting show for people to watch."Levenson said increased public support for the brothers thanks to "Monsters" may go some way toward boosting their morale, and that of their attorneys as they fight for an appeal. But more importantly, it could persuade people to come forward with new information that could help their case.Levenson added that Netflix's upcoming documentary, which features new interviews with the Menendez brothers, will likely not help their appeal."I think that from the court's perspective, that's not evidence. They can't just walk into court with that because they're not being cross examined on what they're saying in the documentary," Levenson said. "They're given softball questions and they're saying what they want. That's really not the same as evidence and testimony in the courtroom."<div type="image" title="A man with dark hair wearing a white sports jacket and a white t-shirt on the left, and a man with dark hair in a black t-shirt on the right." height="2400" width="3600" msid="113963960" hostid="261" sizebytes="125760"></div>The brothers' next hearing is on November 26 after petitioning for a new appeal in May 2023.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-03/menendez-brothers-seek-overturn-convictions-cite-documentary">The LA Times</a> reported last year that the petition includes two new pieces of evidence: a letter written by Erik Menendez to his cousin a year before the murder and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rosie-odonnell-free-menendez-brothers-lyle-erik-menudo-2023-6">Roy Roselló</a>'s 2023 allegation that José Menendez drugged and raped him as a teenager. Roselló was part of the boy band Menudo, whom Menendez helped sign a deal with at RCA records in 1983.The Menendez brothers' attorneys plans to use this evidence to argue the brothers were abused, in an attempt to change their conviction to manslaughter and reduce their sentence. Levenson said the brothers have "great lawyers," but an appeal is a long process.Referring to Murphy's comments about "Monsters," Levenson added: "In terms of it being the best thing that ever happened, only if it leads to evidence to actually overturn case, which I still think is a real upward battle."

Ryan Murphy says 'Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez story' is the best thing to happen to the brothers in decades. There is one way the show could help their case.

<ul><li>Schools under CBSE and state board will initiate interventions on ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’. </li><li>“We don’t have age appropriate sex education for young people,” says Nobel prize winner Kailash Satyarthi. </li><li>“Sex education should not just address possible victims but also probable offenders,” says activist Harish Iyer. </li></ul> A large section of India’s children are vulnerable to many forms of sex offences. Unfortunately, few of them are aware of these threats and the way to handle them. Of late, the Indian government is waking up to the importance of sex education. The numbers of cases of child<a href="https://www.ibtimes.co.in/5-minor-boys-plan-gang-rape-8-year-old-girl-uttarakhand-after-watching-porn-775171"> rape went up</a> by 82% to 19,765 in 2016 from the year before, as per National Crime Bureau data. Smriti Irani, the Minister of Women and Child Development said that schools will soon educate the country’s 430 million children of the ills surrounding them. “All the schools under CBSE and state board will initiate interventions on ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’,” Irani told the Lok Sabha. Not just about sex but sensitization Experts feel that <keyword id="2466119" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sex-education-in-India">sex education in India</keyword> needs a rapid upgrade. Currently, Indian sex education is relegated to a single lesson in 10th standard where reproduction is explained without details on the act of sex. However, topics like unsafe sex, sexually transmitted diseases and contraceptives are introduced. “We don’t have age appropriate sex education for young people, where children can learn about their bodies and how to protect their bodies. They should learn this in schools,” Kailash Satyarthi, who won a Nobel prize in 2014 for helping eradicate child labour, told Business Insider India. Harish Iyer, a Mumbai-based activist and a child abuse survivor whose testimony was read out in the Lok Sabha, believes that sex education should go beyond bad touch and safe sex. “We should call it sensitivity education where children should be taught about sexuality and sensitize them. We should address probable offenders as well as possible victims,” Iyer told Business Insider India. Start with the parents Child activists are also concerned about the ease at which child and other forms of porn are available online. Satyarthi wants Indian homes to recognize the ill-effects of such exposure. However, few Indian parents have a heart-to-heart chat with their children, and topics like sex are left out of dinner conversations. He believes that parents should be taught about the importance of sex education first. “This is still a social taboo. Parents and teachers don’t talk to their children on these issues. Youngsters in villages are not exposed to new age consequences. It is easy for a predator to click the picture of an unsuspecting child, modifying it and then blackmail them,” Satyarthi says. In India, young girls receive some form of sex education from aunts, mothers and grandmothers while boys are left out of the equation. There’s also twist to home-grown sex education — the advice to not have sex at all. “Sex education should not be about abstinence only. It should include safe sex practices, and parents should educate children about the right age to try sex as well,” says Iyer.

Here’s why Indian government’s ‘good touch-bad touch’ sex education might not be enough

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Crysta Abelseth was ordered to relinquish custody of her teenage daughter and pay <keyword id="14198792" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="child-support" source="Orion">child support</keyword> to her accused rapist.</li><li>Abelseth pressed criminal charges against the man but the Sheriff's Department never acted.</li></ul>A sheriff's department in Louisiana said it "dropped the ball" in a case where a woman was ordered to pay her accused rapist child support.On top of child support payments, Crysta Abelseth was also ordered to relinquish custody of her teenage daughter by Judge Jeffrey C. Cashe with the Tangipahoa Parish Courthouse.The story, <a href="https://www.wbrz.com/news/secret-documents-ordered-unsealed-in-rape-case-that-saw-victim-pay-child-support-to-her-abuser/">uncovered</a> by WBRZ, a local television station in Baton Rouge, reported that Abelseth was 16 years old when she met then 30-year-old John Barnes at a bar in Hammond in 2005. In Louisiana, the age of legal consent is 17. Speaking with WBRZ, Abelseth said Barnes told her he'd drive her home, but instead brought her to his house where she said he raped her on his living room couch. Abelseth became pregnant but held off on reporting the incident to authorities. According to court records obtained by WBRZ, a DNA test proved that Barnes is the father."When my daughter was five years old, he found out about her, and once he found out about her, he pursued custody and wanted to take her away from me," <a href="https://www.wbrz.com/news/secret-documents-ordered-unsealed-in-rape-case-that-saw-victim-pay-child-support-to-her-abuser/">Abelseth told WBRZ.</a> "They granted him 50-50 custody despite the fact that [the child] was caused by <keyword id="11911221" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rape" source="Orion">rape</keyword>."According to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/louisiana-woman-says-rapist-was-custody-child-ongoing-court-dispute-rcna34140">NBC</a>, Barnes has denied he committed felony rape.Earlier this year, Judge Cashe decided to give Barnes sole custody after he alleged Abelseth gave their teenager a cellphone, which she denies, according to WBRZ.Barnes owns a web company in Ponchatoula called Gumbeaux Digital Branding. His website showed Ponchatoula Police as a client but that information was removed after WBRZ reported the story. Insider attempted to reach Barnes through email and phone calls but he did not immediately respond.In July 2015, Abelseth pressed criminal charges against Barnes with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office. In her report, Abelseth detailed the rape and said Barnes had been stalking and harassing her. Despite her report, the sheriff's department never acted.In a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tpsosheriff">Facebook post</a> on Thursday, the Tangipahoa Sheriff's Office said in reviewing Abelseth's report, it discovered it was not assigned to the proper department to be investigated."Therefore, our department absolutely dropped the ball, and we simply must own our mistake. This is a mistake, however, that simply has never been a problem before or since, and we must make sure to keep it that way."The sheriff's office said it would be turning the case over to Scott Perrilloux, the district attorney for Louisiana's 21st District.The Tangipahoa Sheriff's Office and the district attorney's office did not respond to Insider's requests for comment.

A Louisiana woman was ordered to pay her accused rapist child support after sheriff 'dropped the ball'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jared Leisek is the founder of 'Adventures With Purpose,' a widely-lauded true crime YouTube channel.</li><li>Leisek was arrested on January 5 in Utah on suspicion of child rape charges, according to jail records.</li></ul>Content note: This story mentions some details about the alleged rape.Jared Leisek, the founder of a widely-lauded YouTube collective dedicated to solving cold cases by conducting search and recovery dives, was booked in a Utah jail last week for the rape of a child in the early '90s, according to <a href="https://www.sanpete.com/uploads/1/3/6/2/136253634/1-9-2023.pdf">jail records</a> for the Sanpete County Sheriff's Department.According to an indictment obtained by Insider dated January 10, the alleged rape occurred in 1992, when the victim was 10 years old and Leisek was either 16 or 17. Utah does not have a statute of limitations on rape."The defendant and the victim are cousins," reads the probable cause statement, alleging that the incident occurred in Ephraim, Utah, in the victim's bedroom, after Leisek pinned her to the ground and pulled her underwear down. Leisek's booking follows a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors in November 2022, <a href="https://people.com/crime/founder-adventures-with-purpose-search-rescue-team-arrested-allegedly-raping-girl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to People</a>. Though Leisek was initially charged with two counts of child rape against the same victim, the second charge — that allegedly occurred the same year at a grandparent's house — has been dropped, per People. The status and future of the "Adventures With Purpose," or AWP, channel, which has 2.8 million subscribers, is unclear. Two weeks ago, in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxuBLqy8FK6MpiZDLFiOHt_ujwTJKfXb9n">Community post</a>, the channel announced that "Jared is stepping back in as Team Leader with a new crew."Lead diver Doug Bishop, who has appeared in recent videos on the channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAMokMcrbAw&amp;t=2s">addressed the situation</a> on his personal channel in early November. "What happened 30 years ago has come to light and is affecting everybody involved with this," he said, noting that there were "contracts in place" that impacted his ability to speak on the situation. According to its <a href="https://adventureswithpurpose.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, AWP has solved 26 missing person cold cases to date by harnessing sonar technology to dredge up sunken vehicles and drowning victims.Its services are provided free to families, it says, and are funded by viewer donations, merch sales, and revenue it makes from YouTube traffic.The group most recently garnered headlines for finding <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/23/adventures-with-purpose-who-found-kiely-rodni-have-solved-23-other-cold-cases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kiely Rodni</a> — a 16-year-old who went missing in August after attending a campground party, and whose body was recovered in a nearby reservoir. When reached, a legal assistant for Leisek's attorney, Randall Richards, declined to comment. Insider has reached back out to the Sanpete County Sheriff's Department for more information about Leisek's arrest and bail.

The founder of the popular crime-solving YouTube channel 'Adventures with Purpose' has been arrested on child rape charges

Nearly 30,000 child Covid-19 cases were reported in the US in just a week, the second consecutive weekly increase, according to the latest report by the American <keyword id="6382289" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="academy" source="Orion">Academy</keyword> of Pediatrics (<keyword id="6356115" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="aap" source="Orion">AAP</keyword>) and the Children's Hospital Association. Over 14.9 million children in the country have tested positive for Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, according to the report. Nearly 105,000 of these cases have been added in the past four weeks, reports <keyword id="106387" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="xinhua-news-agency" source="Orion">Xinhua news agency</keyword>. For the week ending November 3, the portion of child <keyword id="8764262" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword> cases was 13.2 per cent. Reported cases are likely a "substantial undercount" of Covid-19 cases among children, said the report. There is a need to collect more age-specific data to assess the severity of illness related to new variants as well as potential longer-term effects, said the AAP. "It is important to recognize there are immediate effects of the pandemic on children's health, but importantly we need to identify and address the long-lasting impacts on the physical, mental, and social well-being of this generation of children and youth," the Academy added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/cop27-adb-pledges-200-million-funds-for-water-related-infra-in-asia-pacific/articleshow/95392419.cms">COP27: ADB pledges $200 million funds for water-related infra in Asia, Pacific</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/health-tech-startup-curebay-raises-50-crore-in-series-a-funding-led-by-elevar-equity/articleshow/95397581.cms">Health-tech startup CureBay raises ₹50 crore in Series A funding led by Elevar Equity</a>

US reports nearly 30,000 weekly child Covid cases

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Department of Labor is heightening enforcement of child labor laws through new partnerships and tactics.</li><li>The department reported a 44% increase in children employed illegally between October 2022 and July 2023.</li></ul>The Biden administration is ramping up its efforts to stop companies using <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-states-pass-child-labor-laws-would-let-teens-bartend-2023-7">child labor</a> in dangerous and exploitative ways.On Thursday, the <a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osec/osec20230727" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Labor announced</a> it would take more measures to crack down on illegal child labor nationally, including heightening enforcement of child labor laws through new tactics and partnering with other agencies and foreign governments. This comes after recent investigations into major companies caught employing children for more hours than the legal limit, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hyundai-kia-manufacturer-alabama-child-labor-sl-dol-law-flsa-2022-10">making minors</a> perform illegal tasks, or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sanitation-company-accused-child-labor-hired-same-minor-twice-report-2023-2">hiring children</a> under the legal age minimum."Child labor is an issue that gets to the heart of who we are as a country and who we want to be," acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su said in a statement. "Like the President, we believe that any child working in a dangerous or hazardous environment is one child too many."According to the department's Wage and Hour Division, escalated enforcement of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iowa-gop-senate-votes-weaken-child-labor-laws-2023-4">child labor</a> laws resulted in a 44% increase in children found employed in violation of federal law between October 1, 2022, and July 20, 2023. This was coupled with an 87% rise in penalties such as fines over the same period.During these 10 months, 4,474 children were found employed in violation of federal law, resulting in $6.6 million in penalties. The department said the agency is pursuing over 700 open child labor cases.The announcement includes cross-training programs designed to increase reporting rates of child labor exploitation across various departments. In July and August, trainings are being broadened across the Department of Health and Human Services, including within the Office of Refugee Resettlement, as well as child welfare agencies and homeless and runaway youth programs. The Department of Labor has also engaged with other departments including Housing and Urban Development and Transportation, as well as the US Small Business Administration and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.The Labor and State Departments have also worked with leadership from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico to help combat exploitative child labor <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-biden-child-migrant-labor-border-crisis-trump-pandemic-2023-2">particularly for migrant children</a>.Other crackdown tactics including adding more resources to the Wage and Hour Division's website, creating "Know Your Rights" videos, and working with the Department of Education to further inform young people of their rights.This comes after the department's <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/02/27/departments-labor-and-health-and-human-services-announce-new-efforts-combat-exploitative-child-labor.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February 2023 announcement</a> of the Interagency Task Force to Combat Child Labor Exploitation, created in response to a 69% increase in illegal child labor findings from 2018 to 2022.With worker shortages across many sectors of the economy, some employers have been looking to younger demographics to fill jobs, which may be partially contributing to an uptick in child labor.In the news release, the department outlined recent investigations into child labor at companies including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/7-mcdonalds-locations-in-pennsylvania-broke-child-labor-laws-2023-2">McDonald's</a>, Sonic, and Minnesota-based Monogram Meat Snacks LLC. These included children being employed under the legal minimum age of 14, children under 16 working long hours, and minors under 18 working in hazardous conditions.According to a Labor Department announcement in May, 62 McDonald's franchise locations across Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio were found to have <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/mcdonalds-franchisees-fined-over-child-labor-law-violations.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">employed 305 children</a> above legally permitted hours, as well as allowed them to perform tasks prohibited for young workers. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/mcdonald-s-franchise-penalized-for-child-labor-violations-in-multiple-locations-1032481783">Sixteen more</a> McDonald's franchise locations in Louisiana and Texas were found in violation of child labor laws last week, impacting 83 minors.Nearly 700 children were found working illegally in hazardous jobs in 2022, according to the Wage and Hour Division, the highest annual number since 2011.The Department of Labor's new methods for reducing child labor and holding companies accountable come at a time when states have introduced legislation that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fair-labor-standards-act-hiring-child-laws-worker-shortage-iowa-minnesota-2023-2">would weaken child labor laws</a>, including in Missouri, Ohio, and South Dakota. Some states have pushed for paying youth employees less than minimum wage, while others have advocated for widening the jobs 14- and 15-year-olds could work.

The Biden administration just announced plans to crack down on more than 4,400 new cases of child labor in the US since October

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) have risen suddenly in Japan this year.</li><li>The rare and deadly bacterial infection affects blood and tissue. </li></ul>In Japan, cases of an uncommon but deadly bacterial infection have spiked in recent months, concerning health officials, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/06/19/japan-stss-flesh-eating-bacteria/">the Washington Post reported</a>.Since January 2024, officials from Japan's Health Ministry have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/hokenfukushi/cmsfiles/contents/0000326/326147/topics202423.pdf">reported</a> 1,019 cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), a bacterial infection without a vaccine and treated with antibiotics. At least 77 deaths have been reported due to these STSS infections, with most fatal cases occurring in people over 50.Officials from Japan's Health Ministry said they are unsure what has caused the sudden increase in cases. But they find the surge alarming, considering that fewer than 1,000 cases of STSS were reported in the country in 2023.<h2 id="67b97131-b450-4e76-a0fa-1566914ef7db">STSS causes and symptoms</h2>STSS is caused by bacteria called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/group-a-strep/hcp/clinical-guidance/streptococcal-toxic-shock-syndrome.html#:~:text=Streptococcal%20toxic%20shock%20syndrome%20(STSS,specific%20organs%20that%20are%20failing.">group-A Streptococcus</a> (GAS), according to the CDC.This particular bacteria also causes mild infections like strep throat since it is commonly found in the throat and on the skin.But if GAS gets into a person's bloodstream or tissue through open wounds or sores, their organs may start to fail within 24 to 48 hours, as per the CDC website. GAS has also been linked to necrotizing fasciitis, an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/man-died-flesh-eating-bacteria-necrotizing-fasciitis-strep-a-2023-4">infection that causes a "flesh-eating" disease.</a>According to the CDC, three in 10 people who develop STSS are likely to die.Flu-like symptoms such as chills, fever, and muscle aches are often the first signs someone has STSS. More severe symptoms that signal organ failure due to STSS include:<ul><li>Low blood pressure signs include dizziness, blurred vision, weakness, nausea, and headaches.</li><li>An abnormally rapid heart rate</li><li>Abnormally rapid breathing</li></ul>If someone has these symptoms, they should go to the hospital right away, according to the CDC.Treatment typically involves replacing bodily fluids and antibiotics. According to the CDC, surgery may be needed to remove tissue infected by the GAS bacteria in some cases.<h2 id="f392bb71-7686-4600-81ae-e755046eb5df">Infections like STSS are on the rise globally</h2>Steer told the Washington Post that "we've had streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and invasive strep A infection in the US for decades and decades and decades, hundreds of years."However, it's an uncommon infection, and healthcare providers should take the sudden uptick in STSS cases in Japan as a cue to increase their awareness of potential symptoms among their patients, said Andrew Steer, director of infection, immunity, and global health at Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia.Since the coronavirus pandemic, health officials worldwide have expressed concern about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rare-flesh-eating-disease-rises-as-bacteria-move-north-2023-3">increasing bacterial </a>and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/02/other-infections-rising-since-covid-pandemic/">viral infection</a> rates.In 2022, UK health officials reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-we-dont-have-a-strep-a-vaccine-2022-12">19 child deaths due to group-A streptococcal infections</a>, the same bacteria that causes STSS.Vaccines could help prevent the spread of these rare but potentially deadly bacterial infections, health experts said. However, creating one has proven to be a decadeslong process that is still in progress due to financial and scientific hurdles.

You Searched For "child rape cases increase" and got 12 results

"No reply received, hope this matter receives considered attention": CM Mamata writes to PM Modi again on rape-murder case

ANI

The coming reign of the only child

Ann Friedman

I've made a conscious decision not to be a helicopter parent. My oldest child was walking alone to the library by the time he was in 1st grade.

Jane Ridley

Illinois is launching a basic income pilot for 400 families in the child welfare system in the hopes of reducing maltreatment

Allie Kelly

Support like child tax credits and basic income reduces child abuse, researchers found

Allie Kelly

Ryan Murphy says 'Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez story' is the best thing to happen to the brothers in decades. There is one way the show could help their case.

Ayomikun Adekaiyero

Here’s why Indian government’s ‘good touch-bad touch’ sex education might not be enough

A Louisiana woman was ordered to pay her accused rapist child support after sheriff 'dropped the ball'

Isabella Zavarise

The founder of the popular crime-solving YouTube channel 'Adventures with Purpose' has been arrested on child rape charges

Geoff Weiss

US reports nearly 30,000 weekly child Covid cases

IANS

The Biden administration just announced plans to crack down on more than 4,400 new cases of child labor in the US since October

Noah Sheidlower

A sudden spike in cases of a rare infection often linked to flesh-eating bacteria is happening in Japan

Julia Naftulin

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides