In Focus
In the days leading up to Christmas 1994, Pope John Paul II marked the close of the Year of the Family by writing a very special letter to the children of the world. The Holy Father reminded children of the closeness that Jesus feels for each of them and how much they share in the story of the Christ Child. While threats against children have existed throughout time, each generation experiences the challenges and adversity of their time. Each of us, as disciples, are called to use all that is available to us in our time to help and protect children, especially during these days when we celebrate the child who has come to change the world.
God Bless the
A bronze statue of St. Teresa of Kolkata, cradling a child, is pictured in a file photo overlooking a garden at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Massapequa Park, N.Y. The statue was donated by the Knights of Columbus. OSV News photo/CNS file, Gregory A. Shemitz, Long Island Catholic
Child
LETTER OF POPE JOHN PAUL II TO CHILDREN IN THE YEAR OF THE FAMILY Christmas is the feast day of a Child, of a Newborn Baby. So it is your feast day too! You wait impatiently for it and get ready for it with joy, counting the days and even the hours to the Holy Night of Bethlehem.
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ear friends! In what happened to the Child of Bethlehem you can recognize what happens to children throughout the world. It is true that a child represents the joy not only of its parents but also the joy of the Church and the whole of society. But it is also true that in our days, unfortunately, many children in different parts of the world are suffering and being threatened: they are hungry and poor, they are dying from diseases and malnutrition, they are the victims of war, they are abandoned by their parents and condemned to remain without a home, without the warmth of a family of their own, they suffer many forms of violence and arrogance from grown-ups. How can we not care, when we see the suffering of so many children, especially when this suffering is in some way caused by grown-ups?
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od loves you, dear children! This is what I want to tell you at the end of the Year of the Family and on the occasion of these Christmas feast days, which in a special way are your feast days. I hope that they will be joyful and peaceful for you; I hope that during them you will have a more intense experience of the love of your parents, of your brothers and sisters, and of the other members of your family. This love must then spread to your whole community, even to the whole world, precisely through you, dear children. Love will then be able to reach those who are most in need of it, especially the suffering and the abandoned. What joy is greater than the joy brought by love? What joy is greater than the joy which you, O Jesus, bring at Christmas to people’s hearts, and especially to the hearts of children? Raise your tiny hand, Divine Child, and bless these young friends of yours, bless the children of all the earth. From the Vatican, Dec. 13, 1994. December 2023
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In Focus
‘No one is alone’ Church responds as solitude, stressors lead to rising mental health problems among children and teens BY EMMALEE ITALIA
CORRELATION OR CAUSATION?
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Childhood and adolescence have always presented unique challenges and opportunities for growth, the absence of which can leave young people illequipped to tackle even bigger problems later. But statistics of the 2000s reveal increasing mental health struggles and suicidality among children and teens. (See sidebar.) The social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic is partially responsible for this uptick. An October 2022 paper by the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine reviewed literature on the relationship between suicide and social isolation, concluding that “a large majority of the articles included endorse the idea of a causal relationship
Contributing Editor
he current mental health of children and teens dominates conversations and concerns among parents and educators. No matter which study is referenced, the current climate is at the very least worrisome: young people are reporting higher rates of depression and anxiety than previous generations and, in many cases, those feelings are leading to rising cases of self-harm. Parents and concerned adults, alarmed by this trend, want to know what can be done to counteract it. And the Church and Catholic schools are responding with both spiritual and practical resources.
Students in Red Bank Catholic High School participate in a classroombased suicide prevention session as part of the school’s Lifelines Program. Courtesy photo
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December 2023
between social isolation and suicide, and conversely, a protective effect of social support against suicide.” But mental health decline has been observed for much longer than the past three years. The total age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States increased 35.2% from 2000 to 2018, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many have suggested that social media is to blame. Dr. Jamie Zelazny — a registered nurse and assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine — spoke about social media use and youth suicide during a presentation at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Annual Conference.
“We are all part of God’s precious family. Reach out, lend an ear or a hand or a heart. And pray.” She cited a 2015 study that found “Teens who reported using social media sites more than two hours a day were much more likely to report poor mental health outcomes like distress and suicidal ideation.” However, researchers are quick to point out that longitudinal studies of suicidality and social media use are sparse, and that other influences may be at play. While “for girls, a high level of social media or television use in early adolescence followed by a marked increase over time was most predictive of suicide risk in emerging adulthood,” as reported in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence in February 2021, “video game use (for boys) was associated with suicide risk when cyberbullying was also high.” Although it’s difficult to determine whether a concurrent rise in youth suicide and social media use is evidence of causation or merely correlation, it’s important to consider what time spent on social media is often replacing: faceto-face interaction with opportunities to read body language, deep conversation
God Bless the Child SUICIDE STATISTICS and HELP
with friends and close family, and shared activities in faith communities. As a result, young people are more isolated — hence, at greater risk.
In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control revealed that suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34 and the third leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15-24. In 2021, 42% of high school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two weeks. Attempted suicides (all ages) in 2021 = 12.3 million Deaths by suicide (all ages) in 2021 = over 48,000 Suicide rate increase (all ages) from 2000 – 2018 = 35.2%
SHEPHERD’S GUIDANCE Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., wrote extensively about suicide in his September message for The Monitor, coinciding with Suicide Awareness Month. “In my pastoral experience, few occasions are as sad as meeting with families who have lost a family member or loved one due to suicide, especially a young person,” he wrote. “They are often understandably inconsolable, and many blame themselves as they question what more could they have done, should they have done to prevent these deaths among loved ones.” Regardless of the circumstances, he pointed out, “we need to act with compassion, not judgment, and to beg God for his infinite mercy.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been taking notice of the current mental health statistics as well. “There is a significant mental health crisis across the United States which has been especially amplified in recent years with the impact of the global pandemic,” the bishops wrote in an October news release. In response, the USCCB has launched a National Catholic Mental Health Campaign to “inspire a national conversation around the topic of mental health and to mobilize the Catholic Church to respond compassionately and effectively to the mental health crisis.” The campaign will provide resources and efforts in the coming months; for more information visit www.usccb.org/ committees/domestic-justice-and-human-development/mental-and-behavioral-health. In the meantime, Bishop O’Connell urged everyone “to listen carefully and to watch out for signs of mental illness, depression, pain and despair. ... Don’t ignore these signs. Do something. No one is alone. … We are all part of God’s precious family. Reach out, lend an ear or a hand or a heart. And pray.” To read the Bishop’s entire column, “Nothing can separate us from the love of
Source: Centers for Disease Control
PREVALENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AMONG CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS DURING COVID-19: The “Psychology and Physiology of Stress” class in Donovan Catholic High School, Toms River, maps the human brain as part of a lesson on the body’s stress response system. Courtesy photo
God,” visit TrentonMonitor.com and click on News > Bishop’s Corner FIGHTING THE TRENDS Catholic schools in the Diocese also have recognized current mental health declines, and many have programs and resources in place to help mitigate risk factors and address crises. Several schools shared their efforts with The Monitor for this report. The Lifelines Program in Red Bank Catholic High School, Red Bank, is a comprehensive suicide prevention effort that “involves training our administrators, guidance personnel and teachers to identify signs of distress, offer support, and connect students with appropriate resources,” said principal Karen M. Falco. “Additionally, our sophomores participate in annual classroom-based prevention sessions as part of the program.” Guidance staff are readily available to students, and Falco believes continuing education and awareness efforts are vital.
Depressive symptoms = 31% Anxiety symptoms = 31% Sleep disturbances = 42% “The prevalence of mental health symptoms also increased with time.” Source: New York Academy of Sciences meta-analysis of 191 pandemic-period studies of nearly 1.4 million children and adolescents, December 2022
EMERGENCY RESOURCES: Suicide Prevention: www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html – Learn the warning signs, promote prevention and resilience, and commit to social change. Suicide Crises: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 or chat / visit 988lifeline.org for more information, for those experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. “By periodically reviewing and updating our crisis plan, we ensure its effectiveness and alignment with the evolving understanding of mental health issues.” In conjunction with the Lifelines Program, the school has established a Wellness Room for both students and staff — “a dedicated space offering a calming environment where individuals
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In Focus
“A thoughtfully
Certified AIR therapy dogs like Mischa, accompany all program presenters. Facebook photo
structured professional development program that focuses on the health and safety of our students, teachers and schools has been implemented.”
Presentation to school principals takes on issues of
mental health care, suicide prevention BY ROSE O’CONNOR Special Contributor
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ecognizing the critical need for school administrators to be equipped with the necessary resources to understand and address mental health care and issues affecting the students in their care, the diocesan Department of Catholic Schools welcomed Tricia Baker, the founder of Attitudes in Reverse (AIR), who served as a speaker during the principal’s professional development day Nov. 17 in St. Ann School, Lawrenceville. As explained by Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, this year, “a thoughtfully structured professional development program that focuses on the health and safety of our students, teachers and schools has been implemented. “Concentrating on one area throughout the year, such as health and safety, allows us to go deeper in our discussion and offers more latitude when we pres-
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ent these resources on a diocesan level,” he explained. He was pleased to welcome Baker and AIR to the professional development day. “She was able to explain the health concerns that affect students and discuss the issues that our administrators are up against,” he said, acknowledging that he received positive feedback from school administrators. “She was well-received. The discussion was tough, but necessary. Having this information gives our administrators traction and resources for parents, who are a critical piece in this puzzle.” Baker’s personal journey was the impetus for the creation of AIR, following the loss of her son Kenny who died by suicide at the age of 19 after struggling with anxiety and depression. AIR offers a comprehensive mental health plan for youth, young adults, parents, teachers and school staff. Its mission is to provide an all-encompassing education about mental health disorders and suicide prevention. It also stresses the
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importance of inclusion, so that no one is misjudged or criticized because they have a biological-based brain illness. AIR believes that all people, no matter what their differences, should be treated with respect and kindness. The inclusion of therapy dogs in AIR educational programs is a thoughtful and compassionate approach to addressing the sensitive topics of mental health and suicide prevention. Therapy dogs accompany volunteers during all AIR school visits from elementary through college-age, as discussing mental health and suicide prevention can be difficult topics. After the presentation students are encouraged to visit with the dogs if they are feeling stressed or have been affected negatively by the material. To learn more about Attitudes in Reverse, their educational programs, resources and therapy dogs visit: https:// air.ngo/ Rose O’Connor serves as digital and social media manager in the diocesan Office of Communications and Media
God Bless the Child
Social Media Wilderness Risks to children online outpace efforts to establish effective guard rails BY MARK PATTISON Special Contributor And STAFF REPORTS
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hildren’s time spent online climbed steadily during the first two decades of the 2000s. Then the COVID pandemic hit and, with school buildings closed, even the school day went online. As things have normalized post-COVID, a handful of school systems around the country have banned cell phone use by students during the school day. But that only masks one critical problem: How do we keep our children safe while they’re online? While our nation has taken care to protect children from many risks –
such as seat belts in automobiles and child-safety – there are few, if any, effective guardrails protecting minors once they’ve switched on their laptop, cell phone or tablet. And the need for meaningful protections has never been greater. In 2021, research from Common Sense Media indicated those ages 8-12 in the United States spent, on average, 5.5 hours per day and those ages 13-18 spent, on average, 8.5 hours per day looking at screens, just for entertainment – not including any school or educational usage. Additionally, 88% of teens 13-18 have their own smartphone, 57% of children 8-12 have their own tablet. 94% of families surveyed with kids ages 8-18 have at least one smartphone in the home, and 74% have a tablet in the home. The proliferation of devices has led to another calculation that some heavily online minors are exposed to 1,260 ads each day. Evidence of harm to children through online use is growing as quickly as screen times. Barely a week can pass without some new revelation about corporate giants actively ignoring warning signs about the potential damage to young minds, especially social media titans like Meta (Facebook and Instagram); X
(Twitter), and TikTok. Thirteen seems to be the age of consent when it comes to gaining access and having a presence on social media, despite recent evidence showing that brains are not fully formed by age 18, when U.S. society considers them adults, or even by 21, when states permit them to purchase alcohol. Tech companies have financial incentives to not only allow youngsters un-
Abuse, harassment and misogyny have also found their way onto these platforms fettered social media access but to drive content that will keep underage eyeballs glued to their sites. Advertisers are happy to buy into this, since the younger the audience they can sway, the more likely they’ll be fans of their products and services for, maybe, a lifetime. But abuse, harassment and misogyny have also found their way onto these platforms. Arturo Bejar, who headed Facebook’s security team from 2009 to 2015, testified in November to a Senate committee that he was distressed when his teen daughter reported to him that she was being harassed on Meta-owned Instagram. Bejar returned to Facebook in 2019 as a consultant and discovered that virtually all of the protections his team had constructed during his earlier tenure there were gone. Before he permanently left two years later, he sent a memo to Meta’s leaders – including Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg –citing surveys that showed the number of people reporting that they had a
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In Focus
Getting in the way: Social media’s
Social media safeguards Continued from 27
negative experience on Instagram “was 51% every week, but only 1% of those reported the offending content and only 2% of those succeeded in getting the offending content taken down.” STRENGTHENING SAFEGUARDS THROUGH LEGISLATION The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which took effect in 2000, was meant to shield kids from online threats – one of the most pernicious being the marketing of their personal information to others for the financial gain of both the buyers and sellers of such data. Today, parents are all too aware of additional threats to their children’s well-being, including but hardly limited to cyberbullying, self-esteem issues such as eating and attractiveness, and online sexual predators. That law, known in shorthand as COPPA, names the Federal Trade Commission as the enforcement agency. However, the FTC can’t act until after a violation has occurred, much like closing the barn door after the horse has escaped. However, this summer, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation unanimously passed the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, which has been dubbed “COPPA 2.0.” It has yet to be acted on by the House and full Senate. The bill would prohibit internet companies from collecting personal information from 13- to 16-year-old users without their consent and ban targeted advertising to children and teens. The legislation would cover platforms that are “reasonably likely to be used” by children and would protect users who are “reasonably likely to be” children or minors. It would further create an “Eraser” button for parents and kids to eliminate personal information about a child or teen when technologically feasible. COPPA would establish a “Digital Marketing Bill of Rights for Teens” that limits the collection of personal information of teens and would establish a youth marketing and
interference with kids’ attention BY EMMALEE ITALIA Contributing Editor
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ocial media has been around for a little over two decades, long enough for today’s youth to have no memory of life before it. In that short time span, the number of social media sites and ways they can be used has increased exponentially, and so have the problems its presence creates — particularly for children and teens. Jason Briggs A 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that almost all teens have used YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat. The survey reported that although about a third of teens say they spend too much time on social media, more than half of teens say it would be difficult for them to give it up. But this is not news to parents and teachers, who must deal daily with the fallout of young people’s steady screen diet. “Social media use is pervasive, and any attempts to try to insulate (students) from the activity pretty much evaporated during the pandemic,” said Jason Briggs, principal of St. Gregory the Great Academy, Hamilton Square.
HARASSMENT WITHOUT A BREAK One of his biggest concerns is how social media keeps kids constantly online, with no respite from potential harassment or breaks from image management. “Now what we have is a situation where young people are never disconnected,” he said. “We are seeing that there is no time for them to recharge. At one time when there were issues at school, you could go home, and unless the person called you or visited your house, you had a break. Now there’s no relief valve for students, so pressure continues to build and becomes unbearable.” Additionally, transgressions become widely known “instantaneously.” Briggs said that unlike when a student has ADHD, “where you can [utilize] therapy or medication, this is a learned behavior.” “They can’t slow down their brains to deal with [the classroom]. There’s a decomposition of students being able to have any kind of focus or wait time — they need immediate feedback.” That need leads to students rushing to complete a test or assignment and not completely reading or hearing their teacher’s directions. Students “are so used to consuming information at a rapid pace and having that satisfaction from getting liked or subscribed to —
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God Bless the Child
As child poverty increases,
diocesan agencies are serving more families in need BY CAROL OLIVIERI Correspondent
The increase in number of homeless “is greater than we’ve ever seen.” Because the federal government decreased funding for social services for the homeless, Cortale said, “This year we exhausted rental assistance by June, instead of this funding lasting into the latter part of the year.” This means that for families with children, money must be diverted from other items, such as food and clothing, to pay the rent. Kathy West, director of client services for Project PAUL, told The Monitor that the increase in number of homeless “is greater than we’ve ever seen.” Often that means families are split up, with children being cared for by extended family members. CHILD POVERTY DOUBLES The U.S. Census Bureau said that
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he calls for help with Christmas began coming in September. Project PAUL — an independent nonprofit focusing on the Poor, Alienated, Unemployed and Lonely — has a Christmas gift card program for which existing client families must register if they have children ages 14 and under. “We’ve never gotten calls this early,” said Sal Cortale, executive director of the organization founded in 1980 at St. Ann Parish in Keansburg. The Christmas program is just one area in which Cortale has seen increased needs because of decreases in government-funded programs.
between 2021 and 2022, the child poverty rate more than doubled: from 5.2 percent to 12.4 percent. This rate was higher than even the 2020 child poverty rate of 9.7 percent. Although research from places like Columbia University showed that monthly payments from the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit were reducing child poverty and food insufficiency, Congress did not renew the program, part of the American Rescue Plan, because of lack of bipartisan support in the Senate. At the food pantry at Mount Carmel Guild in Trenton, several people explained what it means for their families to no longer receive the expanded child tax credit. The Monitor is identifying them by first name only to protect their privacy. LESS MONEY AND HIGHER COSTS MEAN LESS FOOD Elizabeth visited the food pantry for the first time in October. In 2021, she was working full time, and her three children qualified for the expanded
CTC. That money helped her with rent and utilities and enabled family outings, something Elizabeth regrets not being able to provide for her children now. The fall is a particularly challenging time with expenses related to returning to school: shoes, school supplies and school uniforms. Elizabeth no longer has a fulltime job and, with less income, she said she is grateful for the help provided by the food pantry. Zuly has four children, and her husband works full time. Like Elizabeth, Zuly used the additional CTC money to help with rent and utilities. Without the expanded CTC and with the increased cost of car insurance, rent, utilities and food, Zuly said she buys less food to make ends meet. She visits the food pantry weekly and utilizes other food pantries that serve Mercer County, such as Arm In Arm. The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits also help, but for Zuly like so many others, these benefits have decreased. In October, the U.S. Department of
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In Focus
Food insecurity a serious challenge Continued from 29
Agriculture released “Household Food Security in the United States in 2022.” The USDA says food insecurity means that households’ “ability to acquire adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources.” These findings parallel the findings of the US Census Bureau. In 2021, the percentage of children experiencing food insecurity had decreased to 6.2 percent from 7.6 percent in 2020, but in 2022 this percentage had increased to 8.8 percent. FOOD INSECURITY ALSO ON RISE Mary Inkrot, executive director of Mount Carmel Guild, explained: “In Trenton, one in three children suffers from food insecurity. Households in need can visit the food pantry once a week. In 2021, we averaged 1,000 visits per month. That number increased to 1,400 in 2022 and, so far this year, we are on track to have 1,450 visits per month.” Inkrot said the summer months are particularly challenging for families of schoolage children. “Lack of adequate nutrition, particularly if sustained, can injure a child’s physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Many of the low-income families assisted at the Guild depend upon the free and reduced-cost breakfast and lunch program; when not available, it places a strain on their limited finances and their efforts to offer healthy meals.” The Guild’s Summer Feeding Families project includes “items for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks as well as selections of fresh produce. We utilize resources from the national Family Dinner Project to create a family meal kit that includes all ingredients, recipes and family activities. In 2023, our goal was to serve 150 families, and we served 156.” Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Trenton serves the poor and the vulnerable throughout the four counties in the Diocese. The effect of increasing child poverty and food insecurity on its programs gives a picture of what this means for children. “We have seen a 150 percent increase in
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CYO Mercer responds to mental
health risks: hunger, learning loss BY EMMALEE ITALIA Contributing Editor
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f children ask to save an after-school snack for later because they aren’t sure there will be a dinner, it’s no surprise that could have a downstream affect on their mental health. Tom Mladenetz, executive director of Mercer County Catholic Youth Organization, has observed as much at the agency’s centers in Tom Mladenetz Trenton, which provide preschool and before and after school programs for children of parents who are working or finishing education. “We’ve been serving low- and very-low-income families throughout our 71 years, and [food insecurity] has always been an issue,” he said. “There are associated mental health concerns that go along with that… Post-COVID, I think it has gotten worse.” Since the pandemic began, Mladenetz noted an increase in the number of those who make use of the organization’s food pantry and children who are still hungry at night, accompanied by academic struggles brought on by the learning loss experienced by so many students. The two factors combine in a perfect storm of mental health challenges. “Remote learning just didn’t work for a lot of kids,” he pointed out. “They’re behind and now playing catch up. That takes its toll; parents get frustrated [with their child’s performance] and are asking for extra tutoring – they’re working two jobs and need CYO for homework help… that ties directly into the stress for both parents and kids.” An additional factor, Mladenetz said, has been the negative effects of social media – specifically cyberbullying. “Kids are saying, ‘so and so is bashing me on social media, saying things that aren’t true,’” he recounted. “It’s a serious issue in school and sports leagues; unfortunately, it starts with [observing] the professionals bashing each other.” Although CYO doesn’t have counseling programs to address these stressors, they do train their after-school staff to watch for specific cues and respond accordingly. “Some children dealing with stress are more comfortable opening up at an after-school program – our staff have a relationship with them,” he explained. “If they see a child not being themselves, they talk to them and listen – that’s the most important thing. That gets things in motion, so we can then talk to the parent and their school guidance counselor. We plan an important role, activating things that need to be put into play.”
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God Bless the Child
PERSPECTIVES:
Top risk factors for young people We asked those who work with children and teens in the Diocese to share with us their insight on the greatest risks facing youngsters today. Here are some of their responses:
Social media – kids’ overexposure, its pervasiveness, negative effects and overuse of corresponding devices was paramount among responders’ concerns
Also prominent in their minds was the lack of down time in schedules; being overscheduled with activities to the point that they overtook time with family and to “just be kids”
Another major
risk, responders said, was academic pressure and challenges. This included the lingering effects of learning loss from the pandemic, the inability to listen and focus attributed to “a constant bombardment of competing information” and the continual pressure to achieve.
The pandemic
itself was listed as a risk factor, with its downstream effects of isolation and depression interwoven into all facets of children’s social and academic lives.
Additional
concerns included polarization – the perception of those with different views as “evil or bad,” food insecurity at home, social and educational status and behavior problems.
Observations:
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oday’s youth face a greater pressure than I remember as a kid,” said one school principal. “No longer do we allow our youth to just enjoy family time or ‘go out and play with the neighborhood children and return by dark.’ Instead, they feel the pressure of being pulled from one area of study to another … Their balance is being thrown off … We need to step back and deal with their growing pressures.” “Social media is the biggest culprit impacting young people today,” a youth minister emphasized. “When I was growing up … issues facing children were not broadcast for all to see and know about. Today, instead of a young person dealing with one bully, they are now dealing with many bullies virtually and that’s tough on a young person who is in his or her formative years. “As youth ministers, we have to be a strong and consistent voice as we encourage our kids to lean on their faith and let them know that
God will see us through this [the COVID-19 pandemic],” she continued. “Beyond just being a voice, we have to walk the walk with the youth, and it’s an honor to be in this time to help be a source of strength and reason for young people.” The respondent’s youth group Bible study has taken root, she said, “and this is one way they can learn and come to believe that God is with them, and help them grow closer to God.” She provides youth with a list of service opportunities, and “even if kids are going through particular mental health issues, sometimes when they get involved with a service project, they realize that they can be a solution to someone else’s problems,” she observed. “Kids receive mixed messages – not just from social media but regular media as well. Service projects give them a sense of purpose when they know they are doing God’s work. It doesn’t change their situation, but it can give them a different perspective. It’s helping them to connect the dots and helping them to see that all the dots connect back to God.”
More reporting on IN FOCUS: ‘God Bless the Child’ can be found on TrentonMonitor.com. Click on SPECIAL PROJECTS>IN FOCUS. December 2023
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In Focus
Innocence under Siege COMPILED BY EMMALEE ITALIA Contributing Editor
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rom every direction it seems, children face danger to life and liberty and bear the highest consequences for global problems. This compilation illustrates where children are often the most vulnerable.
Migrants & Refugees Immigration authorities encountered more than 152,000 unaccompanied minors at or near the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2022, an all-time high. During displacement, refugee children face traumatic events or hardships: living in refugee camps, separation from family, loss of community, uncertainty about the future, harassment and long-distance travel on foot. Migrant children have also left families behind, fleeing domestic abuse, poverty, criminal gangs or corruption. Some migrant parents send their children across the border alone to avail themselves of asylum protections for unaccompanied minors.
Abortion More than 64 million children have been killed by abortion since the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Abortions increased by 5% between 2020-2021. New Jersey does not report its abortion numbers; neither do California, Maryland and New Hampshire. The highest reported in 2021 were Florida – 79,817, and New York – 63,487. SCOTUS’s Dobbs v. Jackson overturned Roe in June 2022, but abortions continue at a steady pace under state constitutions. Abortion was enshrined in state law in January 2022 by the New Jersey legislature and Gov. Phil Murphy.
An illustration depicts a human fetus in a womb. CNS illustration/Emily Thompson
A June Gallop poll found that record-high numbers were in favor of abortion in later stages of pregnancy; 37% of respondents supported second-trimester abortions and 22% supported third trimester abortions. Sources: National Right to Life, Gallup, ABC News, Centers for Disease Control, KFF.com, NJ.gov
A young female carries a child on her back as she along with others continue their trek toward the Darién Gap in Acandi, Colombia, July 9, 2023. OSV News photo/Adri Salido, Reuters
Children may be pushed to rely on smugglers to seek safety or opportunities, or to reunite with family members abroad; under these circumstances, a smuggler may turn out to be a trafficker who ends the journey in exploitation. According to the 2022 World Migration Report, 45% of all identified victims of trafficking had been trafficked across international borders. Sources: National Child Trauma Stress Network, International Organization for Migration, AntiSlavery.org, Council on Foreign Relations
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Climate Instability Children’s bodies are developing physically, which can make them more vulnerable to climate-related hazards like heat and poor air quality. Children are developing emotionally, as their brains continue to grow throughout adolescence. Rising temperatures and decreased air quality affect kids by increasing asthma attacks and allergies, worsening pregnancy outcomes, creating food insecurity, increasing mental health problems and developmental delays. AT 2°C AND 4°C OF GLOBAL WARMING: Childhood asthma incidence is projected to increase between 4% and 11%, respectively, due to changes in air quality.
God Bless the Child Child Labor & Trafficking
War & Conflict
About 160 million children around the world are engaged in child labor: nearly half of them – 79 million children – work in hazardous conditions. Although concentrated in the world’s poorest countries (86.6 million in sub-Saharan Africa), labor trafficking affects every country in the world.
One in six children around the world – more than 449 million children – are living in a conflict zone.
POVERTY IS THE MAIN DRIVER BEHIND CHILD LABOR. Nearly 70% of child laborers work in agriculture; others work in factories, domestic service or forced labor via military service or child trafficking. Most hazardous forms of labor include slavery, prostitution, pornography, drug production or trafficking, debt bondage and other work that can cause A file photo shows a injury or moral corruption. 22,000 mural depicting child children are killed at work each year in labor. OSV News photo/ hazardous conditions. Shanshan Chen, Reuters 27% of trafficking victims are children. ILO reports that forced labor generated $150 billion in illegal profits per year; $51.8 billion in forced labor profits come from the Asia-Pacific region. 66% of child trafficking victims are girls. Forced to drop out of school to work can trap them in a cycle of extreme poverty and increased vulnerability. 99% of victims trafficked for sexual exploitation are women and girls. Traffickers use tricks to find their victims. Often, they will come to a village claiming to be recruiters for a large business, promising job training. Another ruse is a young man offering to accept a village girl with no dowry, a temptation for impoverished families.
Holy Land: Since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, 33 children were killed in Israel, an estimated 40 Israeli children were taken hostage, and an estimated 5,500 children were killed in Gaza. Ukraine: More than 540 Ukrainian children have been killed and over 1,000 injured since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A massive numA Palestinian girl wounded in Isber of children have been raeli strikes waits at Al Shifa hoskidnapped and taken back pital in Gaza City, Nov. 9, 2023. OSV to Russia; numbers are not News photo/Doaa Rouqa, Reuters known, but estimates by government authorities are approximately 300,000 – though Russia claims it has taken 700,000 for reindoctrinating. Yemen: During the 2014-2023 civil war, more than 11,000 children have been killed or injured. Syria: Between 2011-2023, Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias have killed more than 20,000 children; Russian forces have killed an additional 2,048 children. Loss and disruption can lead to high rates of depression and anxiety in war-affected children. The importance of family, its nurture and support, means that being separated from parents can be one of the most significant war ordeals of all, particularly for younger children.
Sources: International Labor Organization, WorldsChildren.org, WorldVision.org
A four-year-old Yanomami child, under care for malnutrition, is seen in a designated area for indigenous people on the grounds of the Santo Antonio Children’s Hospital in Boa Vista, Brazil, Jan. 27, 2023. OSV News photo/Amanda
A child from Ukraine waits for a bus going to the Netherlands in Beregsurany, Hungary, March 1, 2022, after fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. CNS photo/Bernadett
Perobelli, Reuters
Szabo, Reuters
Childhood cases of Lyme disease are projected to increase 79% to 241% – an additional 2,600 to 23,400 new cases per year. Flooding is projected to cause 1-2 million+ children to temporarily be displaced or lose their homes. Sources: EPA, Harvard School of Public Health
Attacks on schools and civilians leave children in constant fear, suffering from profound negative emotions. This constant state of anxiety can lead to bed wetting, difficulty falling asleep, nightmares, and strained relationships with their loved ones.
Children that have grown up surrounded by armed conflict may show aggression and withdrawal in their behavior with peers and family members. They may start fighting with or bullying other children. Sources: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, SavetheChildren.net, news. un.org, statista.com
December 2023
THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 33