Signs of Physical Abuse at Residential Treatment Facilities

Residential treatment facilities (RTF) for children and teens is a billion-dollar industry. Programs that go by names like therapeutic residential treatment, therapeutic boarding schools, teen wilderness programs, juvenile boot camp programs or other similar monikers have a troubling problem with physical assaults – both from staff and from other residents. When these incidents of violence…

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Gymnastic Coaches and Sexual Abuse – A Widespread Problem

Gymnastics is one of the more popular extracurricular activities for children. It’s an activity they can start early in life and continue through high school, college, and – for some athletes – move on to national or international competition. However, as we’ve seen with USA Gymnastics and the Larry Nassar case, competitive gymnastics is undergoing…

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Why Are Treatment Facilities Using Restraints on Our Children?

For many parents, caring for a child with special needs, disabilities, or a mental health disorder is difficult and emotionally draining. The ultimate goal is to keep their children at home and under the care of the family. Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, some children need more intensive and round-the-clock care, and some…

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Sex Trafficking in South Carolina – A Report Card

The Human Trafficking Institute (HTI) is an organization dedicated to ending sex trafficking in the United States, providing law enforcement and criminal justice systems with their expertise and strategies. As part of their annual federal trafficking reports, HTI also provides state-by-state data on active criminal human trafficking cases. Along with South Carolina’s new lead prosecutor…

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Black Veterans, Mental Health Care, and Racial Bias

A recent study revealing the presence of implicit racial bias in VA mental health care shows that Black patients can pick up on non-verbal cues from their doctors, leading them to experience disparities in quality of care. When patients perceive bias in health care, they may be less likely to seek necessary treatment, preventative medical…

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Seven Former Paperboys Sue Newspaper for Sexual Abuse

Two former paperboys for a Gannett-owned newspaper in Rochester, NY have filed lawsuits alleging the paper and its parent company failed to protect them against a sexual predator on staff. This brings the total number of complaints against the publication (so far) to seven. The lawsuits, filed in September by two Rochester-area men, claim that…

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What Are My Rights as an Uber or Lyft Passenger?

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are increasingly prevalent in South Carolina and across the country. Ease of use, on-demand availability, and convenience have made these services explode in popularity ever since Uber was founded in 2009. The rapid growth of this industry has also caused a slew of legal issues, as courts and legislators…

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