ABC News: Calling All Angels

Saving Our Children

Diane Sawyer and ABC News take an in-depth look at the crisis of the foster care system and ways children can be saved in "Calling All Angels," a "Primetime" report that airedJune 1, 2006.

There are currently more than 100,000 foster children across the country available for adoption. Beyond the statistics and headlines about abuses, Sawyer reveals the human stories -- the sagas of endurance, of hope, of unforgettable children wise beyond their years. Her in-depth report looks at foster care from several perspectives including: The effects on children of being moved from home to home What life is like for social workers The effects of substance abusing parents And how the system's failures can result in the neglect and even death of children

In her report, Sawyer casts a light on young, fractured lives as she takes a rare look at foster care across the country. With unprecedented access -- bringing cameras where they have never gone before -- she explores a system many consider broken but that struggles to change.  Each problem and challenge reaps seeds of hope in innovative approaches that work for children and families across the country.


Produced by: ABC News Productions, 06/01/2006
Format: DVD, running time approximately 51 minutes
Abusive Relationships

Crossing the Line

This video dramatically tells the story of Gina, who is newly in love with Paul. As the relationship progresses, Gina notices some distinct changes. Paul becomes more possessive. He keeps her from her friends and starts to abuse her, physically and mentally. Gina becomes increasingly afraid and realizes that she does not belong in the relationship.


Publisher:United Learning, 1997
Format: Video, 14 minutes, with Teacher’s Guide
Breaking the Cycle of Abuse

How to Move Beyond your Past to Create an Abuse-Free Future

In her new book, renowned psychotherapist Beverly Engel returns to the topic that made her famous: abuse and recovery from abuse. Engel argues that the primary way survivors can avoid abusing others the way they were abused is to work on their own recovery. In Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, she presents all new action steps to help people recover and end the cycle of abuse.

Offering her own personal story of abuse and abusive behavior as well as the stories of many others, Engel offers support, hope, and compassion. The strategies in this book will help readers stop passing on the legacy of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse to their children and partners.


Author: Beverly Engel
Publisher:John Wiley Sons, 2005
Format: Book, paperback, 257 pages
Broken Child

Case Studies of Child Abuse

Every year in the U.S., approximately one in 25 children is reported as a victim of prenatal substance abuse, criminal neglect, or physical or emotional violence, and child-protection agencies are being overwhelmed by the crisis. Filmed on location in Baltimore, Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle, this cautionary program narrated by Susan Sarandon examines the cycle of child abuse. Case studies include children with developmental difficulties caused by maternal drug addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by scenes of extreme violence in the home, and life-threatening injuries from beatings.


Narrator: Susan Sarandon
Producer: An HBO production, 2000; Distributed by Films for the Humanities
Format: VHS, 61 minutes
But Names Can Hurt Forever

But Names Can Hurt Forever powerfully examines a form of abuse that often leaves unseen yet devastating scars. Interviews with experts and victims offer viewers a detailed and often chilling depiction of emotional abuse. Many children who are emotionally abused grow up to become abusers themselves. But Names Can Hurt Forever shows all viewers how the cycle and terror of emotional abuse can and must be ended.


Producer: Northeastern Wisconsin In-School Telecommunications (NEWIST/CESA 7)
Format: Video,30 minutes; Teacher's Guide, 28 pages
Childhood Trauma: A Parent`s Guide

Terrorist attacks rank high on the trauma scale, but there are many other kinds of childhood trauma. This video helps parents identify and respond to trauma from parental divorce, the death of a parent or sibling, a life threatening accident or illness, extreme school violence, and natural catastrophic disasters, such as earthquakes, tornados and floods, as well as news of war or terrorist attacks. The suddenness of the event, the fear produced, the confusion, and the lack of coping skills make these events traumatic for many children. It is important for parents to know what to do in identifying reactions to these events in their children and, in turn, the appropriate responses to take.


Producer: Magna Systems
Format: DVD, 39 minutes
CONNECT: Supporting Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

In-service Training for Resource Families, a Trainer's Guide Tools

Connect is a three-hour curriculum, Power Point presentation and related tools intended for use in child welfare settings with foster parents, kin caregivers, and adoptive parents with all levels of experience in caring for children who have been exposed to domestic violence, or who may have cause to care for these children in the future. With generous support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Connect is designed as a basic training session on the dynamics of domestic violence, the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children, and strategies for supporting children who have been exposed to violence.
 

Produced by: Family Violence Prevention Fund, 2009
Format: CD includes pdf files, videos, and a Power Point presentation
Early Exposure to Violence

And its Effect on Learning and School Readiness

Taped from a symposium in Garden Grove, CA in November 2002.


Presenter: Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD
Produced by: California Attorney General's Safe from the Start and
Orange County Department of Education
Format: VHS, 1 hour 58 minutes
Elijah`s Story

This moving SBS documentary, follows the life of a 16-month-old who was shaken to death by his biological father when he became frustrated with Elijah's crying. After 4 long and valiant days, Elijah passed away.


Produced by: National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, 2000, 2007
Format: DVD, 28 minute versions
First Impressions

Exposure to Violence and A Child's Developing Brain

Designed for parents, this easy-to-understand video illustrates the dangers of chronic exposure to violence on a child's developing brain. Combining inspirational true-life stories and nationally recognized experts, parents are given the latest information on a child's developmental risks if regularly exposed to domestic violence and other violent situations.


Featuring:Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, and Linda Chamberlain, PhD, MPH
Produced by: California Attorney General's Office, 2008
Format: DVD, 15 minutes
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