Every year, about 1,000 domestic violence victims legally change their Social Security numbers in an attempt to elude people who may pose threats, and many more change their legal names, according to figures compiled by advocacy groups.
But hiding from stalkers may become more difficult under a federal law called the Real ID Act that's scheduled to take effect on May 11.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's new regulations mandate specific standards for what personal information states must print on the face of Real ID drivers licenses and encode on their machine-readable zones. Although there's some consideration for people who qualify for special confidentiality treatment, critics argue the protections don't go far enough.
Homeland Security hasn't yet stipulated what information must be exchanged among the state-to-state databases, saying only that it will be "limited," nor has it specified exactly how the database linking will work, leaving lingering worries among privacy and victim advocates.
All it would take is a determined, persuasive stalker--many have tricks, like saying an ex-spouse is suicidal or otherwise in need of help--and a gullible or corrupt DMV employee, and a victim's identity could be divulged, Southworth said.
"Given that there are less than six degrees of separation between most abusers and a friend or relative who works for the DMV, we are concerned about victims' location information housed in state databases that could be searched nationally," Southworth said. "Prior to national search ability, a victim could move to a different state and increase her safety and privacy, but national search functionality could place countless victims at risk."
"We still have this problem of the backbone of this system, which is that we're creating this nationwide system of databases, all interlinked," said Guilherme Roschke, an Electronic Privacy Information Center fellow who focuses on domestic violence privacy issues. "A breach in one is a breach in all of them."
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), now has online IM services that victims can use instead of calling in. This link is to the FAQ section which has a link to the actual Online Hotline at the top of the page...
Symptom: Two high-profile fiascoes and a career of dubious decisions Diagnosis: Dr. Phil doesn't have a license or a clue
By Barbara Card Atkinson Special to MSN Entertainment
Maybe it's awful to kick a walrus-mustachioed man when he's down, but I am all for the recent public backlash against Dr. Phil. His producers bailed out one of the teens jailed for (allegedly) violently attacking a Florida teenager, in exchange for an exclusive interview with her, only to backpedal in the face of public disapproval. This boundary crossing is just the latest in a string of Dr. Phil's missteps; it's high time we all admitted that the good doctor is out -- out of touch, out of step and sometimes almost out of his homily-riddled mind.
Dr. Who? Phillip Calvin McGraw, best known as Dr. Phil, hit the airwaves as Oprah's golden boy in 1998. She seemed to enjoy his straight talk and the way her audiences responded to his no-nonsense approach. It was refreshing, at first, to listen to a shrink who gave advice free of psychobabble buzzwords; he was even a little folksy, some homespun, gingham-aproned Freud. This is the guy who said, "Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the decision right." Adorable, right? Of course, he wasn't really a shrink, and he hasn't seemed to take his own advice. McGraw has a history of not making the right decisions, nor has he done much to right them.
This is the guy who said, "Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the decision right." Adorable, right? Of course, he wasn't really a shrink, and he hasn't seemed to take his own advice.
McGraw, who said, "We teach people how to treat us," exhibited poor judgment again when he decided to feature convicted murderer Laurie "Bambi" Bembenek. Bembenek was scheduled to appear on the "Dr. Phil" show in 2002 to clear her name. It didn't go well. She later filed a lawsuit against Dr. Phil and more than 50 of his staffers for, she said, being held against her will in an apartment with no way to contact the outside world, while awaiting potentially show-stopping, name-clearing DNA results. Bembenek claims the forced confinement led to a panic attack, which drove her to escape by climbing out a window. She fell and shattered her leg, which later had to be amputated below the knee. Despite whether Bembenek was detained against her will, one wonders at the "stinkin' thinking" involved in allowing an emotionally fragile, convicted murderer to become so agitated that she felt her only recourse was to shimmy down the outside of a building on a bed sheet ladder.
In January 2008, McGraw's behavior motivated a psychologist (an actual one, with a license and everything) to lodge a complaint with the California Board of Psychology, alleging that Dr. Phil was practicing illegally when he visited Britney Spears at Cedars-Sinai. McGraw was, reportedly, counseling Spears as well as inviting her to join her family on his stage for an upcoming televised intervention. After his unannounced hour-long visit, he made several long-winded statements on his show about Britney's mental state, which really chapped the family spokesperson. Whether he was honestly trying to help or just looking to snag an exclusive, one is tempted to repeat his own words back at him yet again: "The quickest way from A to B is not always at the most feverish pace."
Physician, Heal Thyself McGraw has been remarkably savvy at reinventing himself every time his plans ended at a career dead end and/or lawsuit. He's made a number of business mistakes and personal gaffes, but, hey, so have most folks at his level of success. Of course, not many "lifestyle and relationship experts" have proven to be so generally, well, inexpert. When was the last time you saw Dr. Ruth or Dr. Joyce Brothers so consistently in the tabloids? Even dingbat Dr. Laura hasn't left such a trail of lawsuits and professional enemies in her wake.
Maybe the problem isn't McGraw and his stern-talkin' daddy-tude; maybe the problem is that people are listening to him as if he's got a clue, or at least more of a clue than the rest of us. All facts point to the contrary. Just glance at McGraw's personal life (read his unauthorized biography, "The Making of Dr. Phil," for details about his never-mentioned first marriage and early company dealings); look at his business track record. Or take it from me. Just like Dr. Phil, I'm an unlicensed unpsychologist, and my advice to you, in classic Dr. Phil speak is this: "That dog really, really don't hunt."
I only know the names of two angels. Hark and Harold. (--Gregory, age 5 ) Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore. I forget why, but scientists are working on it. (--Olive, age 9 ) It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to heaven, and then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes. (--Matthew, age 9 ) Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something else. (--Mitchell, age 7 ) My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for science. (--Henry, age 8 ) Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows. (--Jack, age 6 ) Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven.The main subject is where you went wrong before you got dead. (--Daniel, age 9 ) When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado. (--Reagan, age 10 ) Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth, an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your pillow. Then, when it gets cold, angels go north for the winter. (--Sara, age 6 ) Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who's a very good carpenter. (--Jared, age 8 ) All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go for it. (--Antonio, age 9 ) My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on helping me while she was still down here on earth. (--Katelynn, age 9 ) Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the child get over it (--Vicki, age 8 ) What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love , they shoot arrows at them. (--Sarah, age 7)
Three years ago, the General Assembly rightly toughened criminal domestic violence penalties for repeat offenders. But our state law still confines the repeat-offender classification to those who committed the crimes in South Carolina. The S.C. House correctly passed legislation recently to expand that status to those who committed criminal domestic violence in other states. The S.C. Senate should follow suit. House Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg, the bill's primary sponsor, made a common-sense case for addressing "a clear inconsistency when it comes to CDV." Lynn Hawkins, executive director of the SAFE Homes/Rape Crisis Coalition, hailed the bill that would end the out-of-state loophole, telling the News: " The more we allow the situation to progress in terms of multiple offenses, then the higher the risk of a homicide." Our state consistently places among the nation's worst in per-capita domestic- violence rankings.
In Homes Today Across America Exists A Terror As Evil As The Terror We Faced on 9-11. We are calling for help, please answer!
September 11th is a date which Americans and most of the world solemnly remember. The fear, the tears and the pain of terrorism hit our hearts and souls as we watched the Twin Towers collapse, the Pentagon torn into, and the Pennsylvania flight 93 crash. We prayed, we cried and we were in disbelief.
Disbelief, yes, but soon reality sank in. The USA was attacked. Our great Nation possessed new fear. We were face to face with terrorism. Every news station flashed the grisly scenes. Good and innocent people were killed. We as a nation were primarliy supportive when our President said we would be fighting a war against terrorism. We were proud and we united. We fought and are fighting.
We won some battles and sadly lost some. Still, the day September 11th, which so united Americans, is remembered. It will continue to be remembered.
Today, in homes across America lies an evil as bad or even worse than the evil we faced on 9/11. It is particularly evil because the victims, like those of 9/11, can do nothing to save themselves. The victims are helpless, they are silenced and their terror goes on. It does not stop. The very people entrusted to care for them are betraying them.
These victims are the children of abuse. They are abused in their own country, their own neighborhoods, their own homes.
Children are starved, beaten and molested every day in this country. We have children who are tortured, exploited and raped in what should be their safe place, their homes.
Child Abuse is TERRORISM.
Yes, we do have some systems in place to protect them, but they are rarely working. It is not just the children whose abuse goes overlooked and unreported that the system is not protecting. There are many cases where child abuse has been reported, but sadly the child protection agencies and/or the courts failed to protect the children. As a result, further abuse and sometimes murder has happened.
There are other cases where parentally abused children have been placed with state assigned foster families, who also abused the children. In these cases the system failed by not following through with appropriate background checks, and frequent visits to the foster homes.
And equally devastating are the many more cases in which parents are divorced or separated, and children disclose abuse by one parent to their other parent. When a protective parent follows the law and reports the abuse, they are often times put in very devastating situations. Many times the protective parent cannot protect the child, law enforcement or the child protection agency may simply dismiss the reports without properly investigating, and vilify the protective parent for reporting their ex-spouse. Too often a protective parents lose part if not all custodial rights and visitation with their children. In many cases the abusive parent has or is granted unsupervised custodial time with the child. This is an open invitation for abuse to continue. The children's voices and the protective parents' voices are silenced by a court system that doesn't want to face the reality that the home can be the most dangerous place for many Americans. This is particularly seen in cases of parental sexual abuse.
In America, child incest victims are the only victims of sex crimes that are forced by court order to be with their molester. In some cases their molesters are granted full unsupervised custody. There are cases of state child protective agencies' investigation found the sexual abuse reports to be truthful but judges overruled them and granted the custody to the perpetrator.
Let us fight this war of terrorism in the homes. We might lose some battles but we will win the war. We must, the stakes are too high. We will be part of the solution.
To not be part of the solution is to be part of the problem. Are you ready to be a true hero? A hero doing what is right for the right reasons. A hero for the children with no voices, no power and no money. We challenged and becken you to stand up for the weakest of society, the most needy, the children. The children whose only defender is too often denied the very right to protect the child. We are speaking about children abused everyday by their caregivers. Please we need to work together to protect the children. Won't you be the hero the child so desperately need. Please make laws to give parents the right to protect their children and to remove children from abusive home until the homes are safe for the children. This is a national epidemics. 2000 a year are killed by their caregivers and so many more are missing or permanantly injured and many are sexually abused. Please we need help as laws will not change until Congress admits a bill in to Congress and it is made into law. Help us. a chance.
PETITION OVERVIEW:
We the undersigned Demand a child's voice be heard Demand that a child's best interest and safety takes precedence over parental rights. Demand an end to vilification and destroying of Protective Parents, (good non abusive parents who defend the child).. Demand parents be allowed to protect their children Demand a parent cannot lose custody for reporting child abuse Demand no parent be forced to send that child to be with an abusive person. Protect Protective Parents and their abused children
Child abuse is rampant around the world including in all 50 states.
Years ago a Richard Gardner, a psychologist who claims pedophilia is good and it is when people object to it that it hurts the children but not the pedophilia itself, began a theory called Parental Alienation Syndrome known commonly as PAS.. It has never been recognized by the American Psychiatric Society and several states refuse it to be used. but it is and has been used by many alleged perpetrators being charged with child abuse and by their defense attorneys.
Often when a parent is accused of abuse, that accused parent files for sole custody claiming that it is a custody dispute. PAS and that the child is being destroyed. These are two but not all the smokescreens abuser use to sift the emphasis away from their abusive actions. It is common today for abusive parents to change calling PAS simply parental alienation but it is the same theory.
The situation than becomes a so called battle of he said-she said. This takes the emphasis off the child abuse and shifts the focus, vilifying the protective parent.
Fact is way too often children are being forced to not only see their abusers but to live with them in unsupervised environment.
The protective parent is vilified and often loses partial and at times full custody and is ridiculed in court. There see many cases where the protective parent is destroyed.
Even in cases where the state's own Child Protection does a thorough job and investigates, finding abuse, the abuser is often given the child as the judge will dismiss the case.
Imagine being sexually molested at 3, you report it, but you are forced to have your arms torn from your good parent's leg as you are dragged screaming and sobbing not to go to your abuser. That is what is happening today in America.
Please sign my petition to end children being forced to be with their abusers, sign to end a protective parent from having to pay ten of thousands of dollar to protect the child and to lose the child, please sign for judges to not be allowed to tell a parent, GET OVER IT< THE CHILD IS SAFE ENOUGH<" or GET HER OUT OF MY COURTROOM or
I AM MAKING IT SO YOU CAN NEVER TAKE ANY CHILD ISSUE BACK TO COURT. Yes, these are happening.
Also please help us by going to DefendtheChildren.com and join us in gathering information about children who are hurt because of a failing system. I am working on getting information on all 50 states. With the information, I will petition the legislators to make and change laws to protect the children.
There are incest loopholes which need to stop.
Child abuse needs to be criminalized and not dismissed because the perpetrator is the parent. A child should have the right to not be raped. If a stranger raped a child, it would mean 25 years in prison but for a parent, it means give the parent the kids as the parent has rights.
GIVE THE RIGHTS TO THE CHILDREN AND PROTECTIVE PARENTS
When an accused retaliate with claiming to have been falsely accused and PAS than that should also be investigator but no judge should make a ruling of it without a trial where the accused child abuser has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the protective parent is guilty (this would be separate from the abuse case) and in the meantime the alleged accuser be given supervised visitation only. If it is determine the protective parent is not being vindictive than the alleged abuser be forbidden from using that tactic and the abuse case proceed without the disruption such allegation against the protective parent causes and the smokescreens the alleged accuser set up are destroyed so the truth can be found. A child's voice need to be allowed to speak.
Extras 
Hilfe
