As children settle in at school, we want students to be safe in online learning environments. Teachers are often a child’s first defense against predators and bullies. But how safe are your children from abuse and bullying while learning online? The safety of children must be paramount to every school’s plan. Here are some essential […]
Every generation has a touchstone to a major historic event. From Pearl Harbor to the assassination of JFK, if you lived through one or both of those events, you remember where you were when these events happened. Now, in a world wrapped in a pandemic and facing new trauma, we remember 9/11. Learn More »
At the Beau Biden Foundation, we talk a lot about how parents and teachers can keep students safe from online predators. Students are spending more time online this fall – learning, gaming, and connecting with friends. We talk a lot about how important it is that teachers and other professionals on the front lines of protecting students have the tools they need to protect children in online classrooms. Learn More »
Filmmaker and activist Angelina Jolie published an opinion piece in the LA Times this month that highlights an important – and often overlooked – consequence of COVID-19: child abuse is on the rise, but reports of abuse have plummeted. Jolie highlights two crucial facts: first, nearly 1 in 5 calls to child abuse hotlines are made by educators (making them the most frequent reporters of suspected abuse), and second, traditional child abuse prevention trainings simply don’t address recognizing child abuse in virtual classrooms. Learn More »
The safety of children must be the primary focus of every school district’s plan to return to learning – and Delaware’s Christina School District is choosing the protection of students from abuse and neglect as a top priority. Learn More »
Stories of sexual abuse within youth-sports are far too common. Just a few short weeks ago we wrote a piece about six female athletes filing against USA Swimming for sexual abuse suffered while training with former coach Andy King (click here read the full blog). Learn More »
What school will look like this Fall is a hot topic as school districts, charter schools, and private schools decide how students and teachers will learn safely. Whether learning happens online, in-person, or hybrid this fall, the fact is many parents and caregivers are returning to work – in some cases, leaving grandparents to care for children during school hours. Learn More »
A recent article from NBC News highlights a seriously underreported issue that the Beau Biden Foundation has been talking about since the onset of the current health crisis – “school closures keep children out of the view of the adults who make a fifth of all child abuse reports — teachers and school officials.” Learn More »
The Vatican recently issued a new handbook to bishops worldwide on how to properly handle cases of clerical sexual abuse within a given congregation. According to a July 2020 article in the New York Times, bishops are to now “report cases of clerical sex abuse to civil authorities even where local laws don’t require it.” Learn More »
The world has had to change these past six months in response to the worldwide pandemic. As an educator for 29 years, I have watched how schools had to pivot to online learning in a matter of hours and applaud their commitment to continue educating children. Learn More »