There’s good news on the rates of rape and sexual assault in the U.S. – a big decline in the rates of these crimes since the 1970s. Still, parents and other adults who care about children have a responsibility to educate kids about the dangers – and many of us feel inadequate to the task. Tamekia Reece took a look at some of the more effective programs in use to raise awareness appropriately and in ways that kids can understand.

CFK Reports From: Child Welfare and Well-Being: Building a 21st-Century System for Kids
Event: Panel discussion
Organized By: The Urban Institute and Chapin Hall Center for Children
Where/When: June 8, 2006; Urban Institute, Washington, DC

This event, the last in a series, was a useful discussion of one of the central tensions within the child welfare field: between the imperative to keep children physically safe from harm and the understanding that removing children from their parents, homes and neighborhoods damages them.

By many measures, girls are on a roll. In terms of academic achievement, college attendance and completion, and the opportunities that are open to them, girls are poised for success. But some experts see worrying signs that girls are also facing new pressures – and responding with violent behavior usually associated with boys. Andrea Grazzini Walstrom takes a look at the issue.

Last month Connect for Kids reported on Teenangels, young volunteers who help their peers understand the importance of Internet safety. What other efforts are underway to help protect children and youth from being exploited through social networking online? Cecilia Garcia reports.

With a sharp increase in the number of kids with severe, even life-threatening, food allergies, schools and other facilities are trying to develop workable policies to keep children safe. Carole Moore reports on the problem, and on proposed federal legislation that could help.

Youth Crime Watch of America hosts its 17th annual National Youth Crime Prevention Conference and International Forum March 20-23 in Ogden, Utah.

Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) is holding its 10th annual summit in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence sponsors its inaugural conference in Denver, Colorado, March 13-16, 2006.

Powerful emotions like anger can become a major roadblock to learning. Art therapy is one approach to helping kids manage those feelings and be successful. Letitia Star reports on an art therapy program in Chicago.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Connect for Kids has pulled together online resources for helping those affected. We’ve divided them into three sections: Emergency Guidelines for Helping Victims looks at how government agencies are developing procedures for helping the displaced; Giving & Getting Help is a compilation of information on donating and volunteering, also on help available to those affected; and Help with Healing offers information on supporting kids and families dealing with trauma related to Katrina. We expect to update this resource frequently.