Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 278

Tonight's special guest is Ed Mashek, of Florida, a child abuse survivor who recently attended and gave testimony at Miami's Department of Justice Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence.  This Task Force is part of the US Attorney General’s Defending Childhood Initiative, a project that addresses the epidemic levels of exposure to violence faced by our nation’s children. Based on the testimony at four public hearings, on comprehensive research, and on extensive input from experts, advocates, and impacted families and communities nationwide, the Defending Childhood Task Force will issue a final report to the Attorney General presenting its findings and comprehensive policy recommendations in the fall of 2012. The report will serve as a blueprint for preventing children’s exposure to violence and for reducing the negative effects experienced by children exposed to violence across the United States.