On April 6, New York State Assemblyman Rob Walker (15th A.D.) and the Coalition Against Child Abuse and Neglect (CCAN) held a forum on "Protecting Your Children from Sexual Predators" at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Library. The event featured a discussion on how parents can keep their children safe as well as signs of abuse and Internet safety tips.

The goal of such forums, said Walker, is to provide parents with the information needed to keep their children safe. When it comes to keeping their children safe, parents need to know what to look for and what to be aware of as well as the different programs available and who to contact. "Unfortunately we have to hold these forums. I wish we never had to, but it is such an ever-changing environment with the Internet [and] the biggest defense we have is our parents," Walker said.

According to Anthony Zenkus, education coordinator for CCAN, forums such as last week's are essential. "It's really important to shed light on sex abuse. Sex abuse is a crime that happens in the dark, that happens in secret. So when communities do what your community is doing and hold events like this we are fighting that right from the get-go," said Zenkus.

Studies indicate that one in four girls and one in six boys will be molested before they turn 18 and, according to the CCAN website (www.coalitiononchildabuse.org), 6,041 cases of child abuse and neglect were reported in Nassau County in 2002 while there were 7,141 cases reported in Suffolk. In 2001, the New York State Central Register received 149,892 reports and, annually, there are 3 million confirmed reports of child abuse in the United States, meaning about 15 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are confirmed victims of abuse or neglect.

Zenkus told the 40 people in attendance that it is important for them to be aware of the various signs that a child may have been a victim of abuse. While there may be physical indicators, including STDs, the majority of the indicators are behavioral, including regressive behavior, fear of people or places, mood swings, withdrawal and an unusual and age-inappropriate knowledge of sex.

However, Zenkus stressed, "An indicator does not necessarily mean something has happened. It's the presence of multiple warning signs that really triggers our attention." He added, "Most victims will never voluntarily tell anyone, ever."

If a child does disclose being abused, Zenkus said it more than likely means the molestation has been going on for close to two years. This is why, he said, it is important for parents to know the steps they can take to protect their children from sex offenders.

One of the things parents can do to protect their kids is, as they grow older, to have age-appropriate discussions with [them] about sex. "[This] does wonders. They may roll their eyes...[but] those kids are going to walk away saying 'you know what, this is someone I can talk to about anything,' This is to take away the taboo and let children know they can come to their parents if they need to," said Zenkus.

Local and state politicians are also working to see that children and adolescents are protected from sex offenders. In New York State, under Megan's Law, those who commit sex offenses against children and sexually violent offenses against adults must register with the New York Sex Offender Registry (http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/). Legislators are currently pushing for a civil confinement law that, if passed, will allow sexual predators to be institutionalized after they complete prison sentences.

Under current law, sex offenders are released into the general population upon completing their jail sentences without treatment designed to address their unique treatment needs. Under a civil confinement law, provisions would be made for such treatment as well as simultaneously extending greater protection to the public by establishing procedures to civilly confine persons who have committed acts of sexual violence and are likely to re-offend. It would also establish a procedure for identifying a "sexual violent predator," defined as a person who has committed a sexually violent offense and who suffers from a mental abnormality.

Last summer, Assembly Republicans launched a petition drive to help get a civil confinement law passed in New York State. They rallied at a June 27 press conference in Mineola. The legislation has passed the Senate for years and Assembly Republicans are confident Governor George Pataki will sign the bill into law once it passes his desk.

Currently, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington are among the 17 states that have already passed civil confinement law and Walker stressed the importance of New York passing its own law.

"There's nothing more important than protecting our kids." Walker said, adding that currently, the senate and assembly both passed different versions of the law. "Right now it is in conference committee, [which is] made up of members of the Assembly and the Senate who are hashing back and forth to come up with a compromise bill that both houses will be able to accept and pass so we can put civil confinement in place," said Walker.

He added that the conference committee was on hold during the state budget process but now that that is complete, "it will hopefully get accomplished soon. This is probably one of the most important, if not the most important, issues to be dealt with over the next three months of the legislature. My main priority is to protect our youngsters, who are our most precious resource, from, unfortunately, those who cannot be cured."

While Megan's Law and the New York State Sex Offender Registry are important tools, Zenkus said they should not be treated as the only defense because they only deal with the predators that have been caught. "It is an adult's responsibility to keep kids safe," said Zenkus, adding that establishing healthy boundaries for children is also important. "Teach them to say 'no' and not 'I love you' to everyone. If a child doesn't want to kiss or hug an adult, they shouldn't be forced. This teaches them, 'my parents are going to support me if I say no,'" Zenkus said.

Internet safety for children is also a major concern of CCAN. Children need to be taught that the things they post on the Internet are not just viewable by their friends. Also, children should know that the anonymity of the Internet allows pedophiles to pose as children themselves. Parents should know the sites their children visit and children should not be allowed to have computers in their room or be online unsupervised, said Zenkus.

In an effort to educate parents, CCAN will sponsor an Internet Safety Workshop on Wednesday, April 26. It will take place at 7 p.m. at CCAN's office, 229 Seventh Street in Garden City.

One of the most important steps parents can take in protecting their child from sexual abuse, said Zenkus, is to be involved. Getting to know coaches, teachers and other adults their children interact with can lessen the likelihood that the predator will view that child as a target. According to Zenkus, a predator may single out a child and attempt to get that child alone by being involved. By knowing the adults in their life, parents can lessen the opportunities that a pedophile would have.

"If someone is more interested in your children than you are, there's a problem" said Zenkus.

Founded in 1979, the Coalition Against Child Abuse & Neglect (CCAN) is a center for child abuse prevention and child victim advocacy. CCAN advocates for enhanced prevention, intervention and treatment services and policies for abused and neglected children throughout Long Island.

CCAN, a member of the National Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, Prevent Child Abuse-New York and Long Island's United Way, is committed to preventing abuse and providing services to children and their non-offending family members. Its vision is to create a community where children flourish and its mission is to protect children against abuse and neglect with compassionate support and innovative, professional programs and services.

For more information about CCAN, call 747-2966; email info@coalitiononchildabuse.org or visit www.coalitiononchildabuse.org. Please note, all situations in which a child is in need of protection because of suspected child abuse and maltreatment should be reported to the New York State Child Abuse and Maltreatment Register by calling 1-800-342-3720.