Sad/Scary Day In SD Softball Community

[softball_parent]

skarp it is people like you who down play the statistics that allow it to continue. Even if the statistics are suspect and inflated and it is 1 in 6 or even 1 in 10 that is outrageous. I work with the victims every day and see the outcome. Interviews with arrested teenage prostitutes or those who go through treatment at children of the night suggest that 90 percent of them were sexually abused prior to entering into prostitution and these are girls ages 11 to 17. That is huge. Walk the streets with them in Hollywood as I have and hear their stories. They never even had a chance to play travel ball because they were fending off adult males at the age of 3 and 4. I see the toddlers in the emergency rooms that have been raped by mommy's boyfriend or their dad. It is a brutal life for them.

[Skarp]

skarp it is people like you who down play the statistics that allow it to continue. Even if the statistics are suspect and inflated and it is 1 in 6 or even 1 in 10 that is outrageous.

I never said it wasn't outrageous. Even one instance of sexual abuse is outrageous. That doesn't mean I'm going to blindly accept whatever statistics are thrown around on the subject. Is that what you are suggesting we do?

We now have a $3,100,000,000,000 annual governmental budget (federal only), largely because people believe everything the professional scare-mongers tell them to believe. I'd just as soon know the actual facts, even if it results in us all becoming a little more blasé about certain real problems that we face. If that makes me some sort of bad person (as you imply with your, "people like you" remark), so be it.

[wadeintothem]

Does the word "liability" mean anything to the illusory Board? Does the word "vicarious liability" mean anything to the illusory Board?

Not only are they continuing to pay his salary, they bailed him out and are paying for his legal bills! And, they shunned the victim's father like he has done something wrong! The age-old practice of blaiming the victim. DISGUSTING. The Denial phase will pass (he has never done that w/ my DD) next will come Anger, then Bargaining (a PLEA deal?), Depression and Acceptance. You all might want to get to the acceptance stage sooner rather than later, before positions are no longer available on other teams!

PS The Board members in TNL shirts in court was a nice touch.

Wonder how true this is..

[Teentexter]

He's never going to get a date for prom now.

[almosthuman]

If somebody has more accurate information, please add your clarifying facts.

TNL is not a non-profit youth sports team organization like most travel teams. TNL is a privately held company owned and operated by Chris Facione. Since the company is privately owned, the Board of Directors cannot “fire” the owner. It is his company. He is TNL. All monies collected by TNL can be used by the owner to pay whatever expenses and salaries the company may have. This would include the owner’s "salary" and legal fees to defend the owner of the company.

If TNL were a publicly owned and traded company, the “founder” could be let go and extracted from the operation of the organization if the Board deemed it necessary.

The parents who are paying dues are gambling that the owner will be found not guilty. If the owner is found guilty, maybe they’ll have the opportunity to purchase the business or spin off into a non-profit travel team like most organizations (it is a lot of work to incorporate).

[dcranley]

I am not marginalizing the problem. But I do not believe it is anywhere near as prevalent as 1 girl in 3, either. Can you cite any evidence?

Thanks,

Scott[/quote]

Scott, I actually use the statistic 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys. There is some new research that people are starting to quote with 1 in 3 girls which I don't have the references for but here are the references for the ones that I use.

Fergusson, D., Horwood, L., & Lynskey, M. (1997). Childhood sexual abuse, adolescent sexual behavior, and sexual revictimization. Child Abuse & Neglect, 21, 789-803.

Finkelhor, D., & Dziuba-Leatherman, J. (1994). Children as victims of violence: A national survey. Pediatrics, 94, 413-420.

Hopper, J. (1998). Child Abuse: Statistics, Research, Resources. Boston, MA: Boston University School of Medicine.

Simpson, C., Odor, R., & Masho, S. (2004 August). Childhood Sexual Assault Victimization in Virginia. Center for Injury & Violence Prevention. Virginia Department of Health. Retrieved September 9, 2004 from http://www.vahealth.org/civp/sexualviolence.

[peon]

this issue has been heavily politicized, so it is not surprising that a little digging shows many of these links to studies to be from public advocacy groups. All those sexual assaults stats should be treated with the highest suspicion. The NY times even reported how the FBI numbers were revised after reclassifying answers after the fact. Incidents that were not classified as rapes by the respondent are considered to be rapes if they appeared to meet the "legal definition". (NY times, August 17, 1995, Survey Questioning Changed, F.B.I. Doubles Its Estimate of Rape )

1 in 4? This cannot be believed.

[Skarp]

this issue has been heavily politicized, so it is not surprising that a little digging shows many of these links to studies to be from public advocacy groups.

Bingo! And things don't necessarily improve just because the source is a government agency. Money flows to perceived problems, whether it be bigger research grants in the private sector or bigger budget appropriations in government. In short, those who study social problems (or are employed in connection with them) have an economic incentive to exaggerate their severity.

Unfortunately, people who involve themselves with social issues because they truly care are even more likely to exhibit bias and/or a lack of concern for factual accuracy. One who believes that his or her work is monumentally important is usually not very receptive to data indicating otherwise.

[ssarge]

CRIME VICTIMS COUNCIL
One out of every three women will be raped, sexually assaulted or sexually abused at least once in their lifetime; In 1999, nine out of every ten rape ...
http://www.cvclv.org/stats.html - 9k - Cached - Similar pages

I make this point with some trepidation, because I don't want to marginalize the problem. It is heinous, and ONE is too many.

But I think overstating the problem creates a problem as well.

In the article provided, the numbers don't seem to add up. (Maybe I am interpreting incorrectly?)

The article does indeed state that 1 woman out of 3 in America will be the victim of sexual assault in her lifetime.

And also states that there were 261,000 cases in 2000.

Assuming 150,000,000 women in America, life expectancy would have to be 200 years for 1/3 of the country's women to be assaulted, and that assumes that no one woman is assaulted more than once.


261,000 sucks. It is awful. It is a bad enough problem without overstating it. Just my $02.

Regards,

Scott

[ssarge]

skarp it is people like you who down play the statistics that allow it to continue. Even if the statistics are suspect and inflated and it is 1 in 6 or even 1 in 10 that is outrageous. I work with the victims every day and see the outcome. Interviews with arrested teenage prostitutes or those who go through treatment at children of the night suggest that 90 percent of them were sexually abused prior to entering into prostitution and these are girls ages 11 to 17. That is huge. Walk the streets with them in Hollywood as I have and hear their stories. They never even had a chance to play travel ball because they were fending off adult males at the age of 3 and 4. I see the toddlers in the emergency rooms that have been raped by mommy's boyfriend or their dad. It is a brutal life for them.

I understand this point, and acknowledge it.

However, I think it is unfair to say that someone who points out statistical inaccuracy doesn't care about the problem. I see no direct correlation there whatsoever.

Rightly or wrongly - creating public awareness for this kind of a serious social problem starts with demonstrating integrity and establishing credibility.

If the REAL number is 261,000, and that works out to one woman in 10 over a lifetime - I think that would be the math - then that is the point that should be made. That is HORRIBLE. No one would find that acceptable by any stretch of the imagination. But when the statistics are exaggerated - and obviously exaggerated - human nature is to look at that and marginalize the problem. Most people - if even subconsciouly - would assume that the 261,000 statistic is hyperbole IF they see that the statistic is misapplied. And I suspect it is NOT hyperbole, and probably is pretty close to the number. Why risk acceptance by dramatically stretching the point?

That said, I cede the point, because I AM concerned about the 260,000 - or whatever is the number. It is simply not acceptable.

Regards,

Scott