Increased awareness of child sex abuse

Victorian political leaders have welcomed an increase in the reporting of child sex abuse to police. Source: AAP

A SURGE in child sex abuse cases reported to Victoria Police shows the problem is no longer being swept under the carpet, political leaders say.

THE number of cases reported annually in Victoria surged 43 per cent in the five years to the 2013/14 financial year.

There was also a 90 per cent increase in cases where a parent was the alleged perpetrator."I think those figures reflect, on the advice that I have, an increased reporting rate and I welcome an increased reporting rate," Victorian premier Denis Napthine told reporters on Saturday."The increased awareness of child sexual abuse is bringing to the fore cases that were under the carpet, behind closed doors."Opposition leader Daniel Andrews said it resulted from a new "culture of extra reporting, courage, transparency, and people feeling safe to come forward and report those despicable crimes".A justice system overhaul was also needed, Mr Andrews said, and Labor would hold a royal commission into family violence in 2015 should it win the November state election.Fairfax, which published the figures, has also reported concerning trends observed by police and support services.They are seeing more cases of children instigating sexualised behaviour at primary schools, men pretending to be boys online so they can trick girls into exchanging explicit photos, and sexual abuse of girls after arranged marriages.CHILD SEX ABUSE IN VICTORIA- 43 per cent increase in child sex abuse cases reported annually since 2009/10- 60 per cent increase in victims younger than 10 years.- 90 per cent increase in cases where a parent is the perpetrator.- 3905 child sex abuse cases reported in 2013/14.- Girls aged 10 to 14 most likely to be abused.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Robert Downey's son guilty of drug charge

Actor Robert Downey Jr's 21-year-old son has pleaded guilty to a drug charge in California. Source: AAP

ACTOR Robert Downey Jr's son has pleaded guilty to cocaine possession at a California court hearing.

INDIO Downey, 21, was arrested after police spotted him smoking from a pipe while sitting in a car in West Hollywood in June, and he was later charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanour possession of drug paraphernalia.

On Friday, Indio, who attended the hearing with his father, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to complete a drug education program. He has been seeking treatment for the past 70 days at a facility and will remain there for another three months.If he stays sober and out of legal trouble, the case will be dismissed.During the hearing, Indio told the judge, "I appreciate this opportunity, and I hope to make the most of it."The judge responded, "You've learned a lot of good coping skills from the program, I hope. This is a 24/7 disease ... it can pop up at any time. You have to be vigilant and on top of it at all times."I know in life people always look up to superheroes. You have contact with one superhero, and that's Iron Man."Downey, Jr has previously offered to support his son through his legal and drug woes, insisting addiction problems are a family issue.Shortly after Indio's arrest, the actor released a statement, which read: "Unfortunately there's a genetic component to addiction and Indio has likely inherited it. Also, there is a lot of family support and understanding, and we're all determined to rally behind him and help him become the man he's capable of being."We're grateful to the sheriff's department for their intervention, and believe Indio can be another recovery success story instead of a cautionary tale."The movie star spent years battling drug problems after finding fame in Hollywood in the 1980s.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Experts warn against 'fat shaming'

"FAT shaming" does not help people lose weight, experts say.

MAKING overweight and obese people feel bad about their size does not encourage them to shed excess pounds - and may even make them put on more weight, researchers found.

The study, published in the journal Obesity, saw almost 3000 British adults monitored over a four-year period.Experts found that the 5 per cent who experienced "weight discrimination" gained an average of 0.95kg over the time frame while those who did not lost an average of 0.71kg.The researchers, from University College London (UCL), said their findings contradict the common perception that "fat shaming" helps people lose weight.They suggested that people may "comfort eat" as a result of being discriminated against because of their weight."There is no justification for discriminating against people because of their weight," said lead author Dr Sarah Jackson from UCL."Our results show that weight discrimination does not encourage weight loss, and suggest that it may even exacerbate weight gain."Previous studies have found that people who experience discrimination report comfort eating. Stress responses to discrimination can increase appetite, particularly for unhealthy, energy-dense food."Weight discrimination has also been shown to make people feel less confident about taking part in physical activity, so they tend to avoid it."Professor Jane Wardle, director of the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Centre at UCL, added: "Our study clearly shows that weight discrimination is part of the obesity problem and not the solution."Weight bias has been documented not only among the general public but also among health professionals, and many obese patients report being treated disrespectfully by doctors because of their weight."Everyone, including doctors, should stop blaming and shaming people for their weight and offer support, and where appropriate, treatment."

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Breathalyser to test for concussion

SCIENTISTS are developing a pitch-side breathalyser that can show if a soccer or rugby player is suffering from concussion.

SO far they have only tested gases in the laboratory, but a trial involving 40 students could pave the way to making such a device available to professional and amateur clubs.

The aim is to detect chemicals in the breath shown to be associated with concussion after a blow, or series of blows, to the head.The potentially serious condition is often missed and there is no practical objective way of testing for it.Concern is mounting over the health risk to athletes who suffer head knocks, especially children. Some experts have called for a ban on "headers" in school soccer.Evidence suggests that repeated blows to the head especially can cause serious damage, resulting in the dementia-like symptoms seen in "punch drunk" boxers.A controversial psychological concussion test that allows a player to return to the game within a few minutes of being given the "all clear" has been strongly criticised by both players and experts.Scientists behind the breathalyser research said the Pitch-Side Concussion Assessment (PSCA) test being trialled by the International Rugby Board was potentially putting players at risk.Speaking at the British Science Festival, Professor Tony Belli, from the University of Birmingham, said: "Some players have said it's easy to fudge that test."I'm concerned about the way it's being used. If a player has concussion and you send that player back on the pitch you are potentially putting that player's health at risk."University colleague Dr Michael Grey pointed out that obvious symptoms of concussion often only show up after a significant delay.The breathalyser would provide a simple, cheap and robust method of testing for concussion without having to resort to costly and difficult procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.Laboratory experiments have shown that tiny traces of certain chemicals associated with concussion can be detected in the blood, urine, and potentially even breath.The "panel" of chemicals included the central nervous system metabolite N-acetylaspartate (NAA), and the proteins S100B and GFAP.In the student trial at the University of Birmingham, the researchers will look for correlations between levels of the molecules in blood and urine and rates of concussion among young athletes.Prof Belli said the same chemicals can be detected in gases, raising the possibility of a breath test."It would be similar to a breathalyser," he told the Science Festival at the University of Birmingham. "You would have a detector attuned to measure these chemicals. It would take about five or 10 minutes."It wouldn't be quicker than the current test, but it would be more reliable."The scientists are also looking at using a technique called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to spot signs of concussion.TMS uses a magnetic field to stimulate electrical activity in the brain which can be translated to muscle movements. Research suggests that in concussed patients this connection is impaired.The scientists were accompanied by Dawn Astle, daughter of former West Bromwich Albion player Jeff Astle who was famous for his heading ability. Mr Astle died from brain trauma at the age of 59 after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's.A post mortem examination found that large areas of his brain had been irreversibly destroyed.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Show death girl was Malaysian visitor

Terror threat: It's war on our way of life

A TERRORIST attack in ­Australia is now considered "likely" after the federal ­government raised the alert level yesterday from medium to high for the first time in our history.

Kindy cheaper than childcare

PARENTS are enrolling four-year-olds at school before they are ready to avoid out-of-pocket childcare costs — which have soared as high as $12,000 a year.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

U2 stunt destroys 30 years of legacy

ANGRY Apple customers were loud and fast on social media to complain about the digital violation after millions of downloads of U2's new album were shoved on to people's devices without permission.

WHAT both Apple and U2 failed to understand is that not everyone is a U2 fan, especially not now. The band's reputation went immediately to tatters but their bank balance is looking good.

Depending on various sources, including the Wall Street Journal, U2 is estimated to have done a $US100 million ($A108.20 million) deal with Apple to give their album away "for free". The figure was not disputed by U2 manager Guy Oseary.The songs from Songs of Innocence are thought to be the shelved U2 album from March, the album that failed to see the light of day after two singles before its expected release went nowhere.Those two singles Ordinary Love (2013) and Invisible (RED) (2014) had a minor chart impact in the UK (82 & 65 respectively), Ordinary Love reached no.84 in the USA but Invisible failed to chart and both songs failed to make the ARIA Top 100 in Australia. Both songs were recorded during the Songs of Innocence sessions but left off the album.Since Songs of Innocence a second album Songs of Experience has also been completed."If you like Songs of Innocence, stay with us for Songs of Experience. It should be ready soon enough," Bono said this week in a statement after the release of the spam album.U2 will probably now struggle with another record in the marketplace.One of the most searched phrases this week is "How to remove U2 album" with the topic a hot discussions in forums, including Apple's own Support Community.For Apple, a company with more cash in the bank that a lot of countries, it was a waste of shareholder funds, but with that much money it was loose change.For U2, selling out in the most corporate way may have a long-term impact as they now have to rebuild their reputation.For a band that clearly doesn't need the money, it was a strategically bad decision but financially extremely rewarding. Let's hope it was worth it.The post U2 Destroy 30 Years Of Legacy In One PR Stunt appeared first on Music News Noise11.com.

22.24 | 0 komentar | Read More