Page 5 - AT

A5
U.S. NEWS Friday 13 december 2019

$ 10

Fewer kids report sex abuse in U.S. juvenile detention centers

By REBECCA BOONE rience mental health prob-
Associated Press lems, have delays in their
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A new educational progress or
federal report has found harm themselves or others,
the number of kids who say Levick said.
they have been sexually “We removed these chil-
victimized in juvenile deten- dren from their homes, we
tion centers has dropped have an obligation to keep
across the U.S. compared them safe,” she said. “We
with past years. But remark- do it because we claim
ably high rates of sexual we’re going to treat them,
abuse persist in 12 facilities provide them an opportu-
stretching from Oregon to nity for rehabilitation, but if
Florida, according to the they are victimized in those
Bureau of Justice Statistics facilities, we have failed
report released Wednes- them.”
day. The previous Bureau of Jus-
The report analyzed data tice Statistics report includ-
collected during more than ed information about kids’
6,000 anonymous inter- demographics, along with
views last year at nearly 330 the finding that gay, lesbi-
juvenile detention facilities. an, bisexual and transgen-
Young people were asked der young people were
about any forced or co- This May 18, 2004 file photo shows Inmates sitting in one of the cottages at the Circleville abused at a far higher rate
erced sexual contact they Juvenile Correctional Facility in Circleville, Ohio. than others.
experienced, whether by Associated Press The newest report doesn’t
staffers or other kids, rang- in Texas, and one each in Idaho Department of Ju- to see St. Anthony end up include that data yet. The
ing from rape to unwanted Oregon, Arkansas, Idaho, venile Corrections Director on that list,” Prow said. “But information will be ana-
touching to being shown Georgia, Ohio and New Monty Prow said he was we’re definitely looking into lyzed and published in a
sexual pictures or movies. Jersey, according to the surprised to learn the St. it to make sure there’s not future report, Bureau of
Nationwide, an estimated report. Anthony facility had a high something we can do bet- Justice Statistics unit chief
7.1% of children in juvenile At the Liberty Juvenile Unit rate of victimization. Call- ter. We’re always looking Erica Smith said.
facilities reported being for Specialized Treatment ing children’s safety the to do better because the Stannow of Just Detention
sexually victimized during in Florida, just over 26 per- “primary task,” he said his kids deserve it, and we will International said the lack
the previous 12 months, the cent of youth reported be- department would dig into never stop doing that.” of demographic informa-
report said. That’s a drop ing sexually victimized in the data. The report’s findings raise tion is baffling. The report
compared with the last the past 12 months. Similar- “If the kids don’t feel safe, concerns about states’ also didn’t include infor-
time the survey was done ly high rates — about 22% they won’t move to the level of oversight of each mation about the circum-
in 2012, when 9.5% of youth and 21% — were reported treatment aspects of what problematic facility and stances surrounding the
reported being victimized. at the Hastings Compre- we’re trying to offer,” he whether enough is being abuse, which was previous-
“Today’s report shows that hensive Mental Health said. done to uncover and re- ly included.
the juvenile detention sys- Treatment Program and Kids at the St. Anthony fa- spond to sexual abuse, said Smith said the report’s find-
tem is making long over- Gulf Academy, both in Flor- cility can contact trusted Marsha Levick, chief legal ings are “generally a good
due strides in preventing ida. adults and child protection officer for the Juvenile Law story.”
sexual abuse,” Lovisa Stan- Florida officials did not im- hotlines around the clock Center, a rights organiza- “The real takeaway is that
now, executive director of mediately respond to a and report abuse in other tion within the child welfare we are seeing a reduction
Just Detention Internation- request for comment from ways, Prow said. They get and justice system. in the total prevalence of
al, an organization seek- The Associated Press. training at least once ev- “They need to step it up, sexual victimization, and
ing to end sexual abuse in At the Juvenile Correction- ery three months on how to quite frankly,” she said. that is essentially across the
detention, said in a state- al Center in the small east- report problems if they feel “The fact that we see such board,” she said.
ment. “But even one sexual ern Idaho town of St. An- unsafe. variability across and within It’s too soon to tell if the
assault is too many and, thony, nearly 13 percent of He said Idaho also takes states of course heightens drop is tied to a federal law
as the report makes clear, youths reported being sex- part in a national program the need to ensure that that began requiring states
this violence remains com- ually victimized within the called Performance-based we’re asking every child so in 2012 to meet standards
monplace in youth facilities last 12 months. Roughly 500 Standards, which uses out- we really understand what designed to reduce and
across the U.S.” miles (805 kilometers) north side experts and data anal- the victimization looks like.” prevent sexual abuse be-
Twelve facilities had dra- in a Lewiston, Idaho, juve- ysis to help officials improve Research shows that trau- hind bars, Smith said. Future
matically higher rates of nile correctional center, conditions in juvenile de- ma inflicted on kids in resi- reports will help determine
sexual victimization, includ- meanwhile, no incidents of tention facilities. dential programs like de- if the Prison Rape Elimina-
ing three juvenile residen- sexual victimization were “Based on all the things tention centers increases tion Act is making a differ-
tial centers in Florida, three reported. we do, we were surprised the risk that they will expe- ence, she said.q