OHIO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

1970 West Broad Street P.O. Box 182081 Columbus, Ohio 43218-2081 www.ocjs.ohio.gov www.publicsafety.ohio.gov Ted Strickland, Governor S T A T E O F O H I O Henry Guzmán, Director MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Julie Hinds, ODPS Public Information Officer: 614-752-2401 April 15, 2008 ODPS JOINS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR CRIME VICTIMS’ RIGHTS Office of Criminal Justice Services offers support and resources for victims and advocates (COLUMBUS) – Child abuse and neglect have lasting effects on children and can carry through to their adult life. During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 13 – 19, the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) is asking all Ohioans to become educated so individuals can spot signs of child abuse and/or neglect. “This senseless crime harms one of our most vulnerable populations,” said Karhlton Moore, executive director of OCJS. “Because children cannot always speak for themselves, it is important that we educate the general public on the signs of abuse.” According to the Children’s Defense Fund for Ohio, a child in Ohio is abused or neglected every 10 minutes. In 2007, 50,141 children in Ohio were the victims of abuse and neglect. Child Abuse includes all types of maltreatment and neglect that occur among children under the age of 18. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention Office names four common types of abuse: • Physical abuse which occurs when a child's body is injured as a result of hitting, kicking, shaking, burning or other show of force. • Sexual abuse involves engaging children in sexual acts which include rape, fondling, and exposing a child to other sexual activities. • Emotional abuse involves behaviors that harm a child's self-worth or emotional well-being. This includes name calling, shaming, rejection, withholding love and threatening. • Neglect is failure to meet a child's basic needs like housing, food, clothing, education and access to medical care. Throughout Crime Victims’ Rights Week, OCJS is partnering with local and state organizations to raise awareness for five key areas of crime that impact Ohioans: homicide, child abuse, workplace violence, teen dating/intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Each day, the Department of Public Safety is sending a localized news release highlighting a topic and encouraging participation in an event being held to raise awareness for the subject. Information about all of the topics and events is available at: http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/_prod.ocjs/OCVW_home.html. Tonight, in northeastern Ohio, OCJS is encouraging participation in a vigil being sponsored by Parents of Murdered Children. The vigil is in Trumbull County at 7 p.m. at 309 North Park Avenue in Warren. For more information on the vigil, contact Miriam Fife at 330-675-2552. ### OCJS serves as the lead justice planning and assistance agency for the state. Through research, technology and grants, OCJS serves a wide variety of agencies committed to reducing and preventing crime across Ohio. OHIO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY 1970 West Broad Street | P.O. Box 182081 | Columbus, Ohio 43218-2081 www.publicsafety.ohio.gov