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Show imp Tuesday, August 8, 1995 Volume 58 Number 8 4"? I - "Slaughter of the Innocents," by Ellie Radke, an adult survivor of child abuse, depicts the pain of child abuse. It is part of the "Tears of the Children" art exhibit on display in conjunction with the eighth annual Child Abuse Prevention conference today and Tuesday. The exhibit is open to the public at a reception tonight from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. it Tears" depicts pain of abuse By David Grover Signpost news editor If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the nearly 1,000 images contained in the international "Tears of theChil-dren" art exhibit speak volumes about the child abuse portrayed in the images. The traveling exhibit opens today at Weber State University in conjunction with the Child Abuse Prevention's eighth annual regional conference "Preserving the Innocence of Children." Each piece of art in the "Tears" exhibit uses a handkerchief as its canvas, and por Professor says two magic hours make the Juliann Bland Signpost staff writer Central Middle School in Ogden has made the decision to start an after-school program that will enroll students into clubs for two hours starting at 3:30 p.m. The program is an attempt to intervene and keep kids busy when parents aren't home. Weber State University students are needed to volunteer to aid in the supervision of theprogram. f V-- -v trays the feelings of people who deal with the effects of child abuse in their daily lives. Judy Hayes Ellison, national director of the "Tears" exhibit, said that the scope of the project is to educate people about child abuse. "The idea came about to create a vehicle for communities that could allow to learn about the issue in non-confronta tional ways," she said. Ellison said that because communities hear so little about the sexual abuse of children, they believe the crime is rare. Ellison said that when people see the handkerchiefs on display they get a sense of the magnitude of the issue.Daniel T. Gallego, professor of sociology at WSU, said after-school programs are especially valuable at the middle-school level. Unsupervised time becomes very important for young adolescents. Thechildrenaremorelikely to get in trouble between the hours of 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. when the parents are at work and the children are home alone. According to Gallego, this time period has high incidents of vandalism, shoplifting and burglary. "It is impossible to see these images and deny that sexual abuse not only occurs frequently, but also has profound and long-term effects," Ellison said. According to a press release, child abuse can be the root cause under many other issues, including eating diorders, alcohol abuse and runaways. Teen pregnancy, prostitution and drug abuse, also effects of abuse, can lead to the HIV virus. Somewhere near four or five of the entries in the collection are from people afflicted with AIDS, the deadly illness which stems from the HIV virus, the report said. see Tears page 2 Studies have shown that a large number of adolescents have sex and often get pregnant during these hours. The program will have clubs for the middle-school students to become involved in. Clubs such as theband club, photo club, math club, art club and the wrestling club are just a few offered. The clubs are expected to maintain 12-15 students. Adults are being asked to head these clubs on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays for three Higginson to present at abuse conference The Child Abuse Prevention Council will hold its eighth annual conference today and Wednesday in Weber State University's Union Building. The regional conference is held in conjunction with "Tears of the Children," a handkerchief art exhibit containing works from people whose lives have been affected by child abuse. The conference will feature addresses by keynote speakers Elaine Schieck, James Garbarino and Judy Hayes Ellison. Schieck, clinical research coordinator at the London Family Court Clinic in Canada, will discuss counseling strategies to help counsel children who have been witnesses to violent acts. Garbarino, psychology professor at Cornell University, will address the issue of the emotional and mental treatment of children. Ellison, National Director of Tears of the Children, will speak regarding sexual abuse of children. Twenty-four others will present to the conference, including Robert Higginson, assistant professor of child and family studies at WSU. Higginson will discuss the effects of corporal punishment on children and alternative means of discipline. Higginson said that the philosophy of "spare the rod and spoil the child" stems from the Judeo-Christian belief tha t chil-dren are born in sin, and often this attitude serves as a justification for striking a child. "Some parents have taken it as a validated right to use corporal punishment," see Higgins page 2 difference and a half hours a week. According to Gallego, 80 of the students at Central Middle School come from one-parent families. Gallego said that the program will benefit the middle-school students academically, as well . We hope that the program, the leaders and the student assistants will have an "impact on the kids and touch their lives," Gallego said. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Gallego at 621-4821 or 626-6238. Quick Takes Mr?wl News Crystal Crest budget shows success, still needs improving. See page 2 Features New sport hits electronic world... come surf the net. See page 5 Outdoors A complete listing of outdoor events until fall quarter. See page 6 Sports WSU athletics tune into radio for new broadcasting coverage. See page 7 Weather Wednesday Possible showers 4633 Thursday K r , .,1, , .t v , Overcast $ 50s30s 0 0 |