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The long-term effects of being bullied by other kids are worse than being abused by an adult, new research shows.Among a large group of children in England, those who were bullied were 60% more likely to have mental health problems as adults than were those who suffered physical, emotional or sexual abuse. And among a large group of children in the United States, the risk of mental health problems was nearly four times greater for victims of bullying than for victims of child abuse.

An advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against the Montana Department of Justice seeking the public release of a report the group says may show that people involuntarily committed to the Montana Developmental Center are at risk of abuse or neglect. The Independent Record reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/yuwhOD) that Disability Rights Montana filed the lawsuit. The report comes from a 2010 Department of Justice investigation by the into allegations of that six female Developmental Center clients were sexually assaulted by male employees.

HELENA – Montana officials seeking to free up bed space in the state hospital transfer mentally ill patients to prison, where they are warehoused, mistreated and denied proper mental health care, a disability rights advocacy group claims in a federal lawsuit Monday.

Each year the Annie E. Casey Foundation funds a national survey of child well-being. The new report was recently released. Montana is again ranked 28th, same as last year.The data is analyzed in four different categories: education, economic well-being, family and community and health.Montana was above average in three of the four categories, but finished 50th in child health.The report shows that Montana improved in economic well-being, up to 15th from 20th last year. We held steady on education at 13th. We declined a bit on family and community, down to 14th from 13th.But it’s the child health numbers that seem to be the greatest cause for concern.If you dig into the health numbers, Montana did improve over last year’s report in having fewer uninsured kids — down to 12 percent — and fewer teens abusing alcohol and drugs — down to 10 percent. However, we have increased our percentage of children with low birth weights — 7.5 percent — and increased the number of child and teen deaths per 100,000 — 45.How do we make sense of this data? It’s hard because for many of us these kinds of statistics don’t mean a lot when you pull them apart. As a state, Montana’s 28th place ranking is the lowest in the region. North Dakota ranks sixth, Wyoming ranks 15th, South Dakota ranks 18th, and Idaho ranks 20th.What the report tells us about child health is we have more work to do. It may seem like 88 percent of children being covered by health insurance is pretty good, but we’re average for the region. Similar to Idaho and Wyoming, but lower than both Dakotas.For teen death rates, we’re highest in the region at 45 per 100,000. Idaho is at 28, Wyoming at 32, North Dakota at 34 and South Dakota 39.In general what this means is in Montana we can do a better job, in this areas, of improving the health of our kids. The good news is that health continues to be a priority of the Gov. Steve Bullock’s administration, which launched an initiative last week called “A Healthier Montana: A Plan to Improve the Health of Montanans.”Bullock’s plan focuses on six areas: Preventing, identifying and managing chronic diseases; promoting the health of mothers, infants and children; preventing, identifying and controlling communicable disease, preventing injuries and reducing exposure to environmental health hazards; improving mental health and reducing substance abuse; and, strengthening Montana’s public health and health care system.Reports like Kids Count, are one of many analyzing different aspects of health in Montana and around the country, said Jon Ebelt, spokesman for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services. Typically, those reports only tell part of the story. And though the state takes the Kids Count report seriously, it fit into the broader look of health in Montana now outlined in Bullock’s initiative.“We’ve done a lot of work the last year to set the priorities on where we can make the most difference,” Ebelt said.At Lewis and Clark County, county health officer Melanie Reynolds is also focused on local work.The county has been working for a number of months on their community health improvement plan and is looking to unveil soon.So while the news from Kids Count was mixed, we’re pleased the state and local governments are continuing their efforts to support better health for Montanans. We anticipate these efforts will show themselves with an improved report next year.

Click here to registerWhat:A conference about the best practices and cross cultural responses to child abuse and neglect. Sponsored and hosted by the Child and Family Services program, Blackfeet Nation.  Registration fee: $100.00 per person When:November 30th, thru December 2nd, 2011Where:Hilton Garden Inn2520 14th St SWGreat Falls, MT406-452-1000 Contact: Loretta Rex or Alane Calflooking @ 406-338-5171 or 406-338-5181

Alcoholism. Respiratory disease. Cancer. Obesity.  We're told that these can be the results of genetics, stress and poor nutrition. But in recent years, an extraordinary, retrospective study reveals that childhood abuse may lie at the core of some diseases that show up in middle-aged adults. IDEAS producer Mary O'Connell talks to Dr. Vincent Felitti about the physiological results of psychological trauma.

Click here to register for this webinar What: This presentation examines how students who are at greater risk for suspension, expulsion and referral to the juvenile justice system because of behaviors associated with their disabilities, are targeted by school push-out policies and practices that systemically exclude these most vulnerable students from school and deny them their education. Our presenters will describe the array of such policies and practices - retention, academic sanctions, ineffective interventions, including those used for bullying and harassment, abusive use of zero tolerance, criminalization of disability related behavior and referral to law enforcement. Presenters will also identify and discuss concrete strategies for parents and advocates to use to help students protect their rights to remain in school and receive a high quality education. Time is provided for questions from participants. When: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm MT

What: This presentation examines how students who are at greater risk for suspension, expulsion and referral to the juvenile justice system because of behaviors associated with their disabilities, are targeted by school push-out policies and practices that systemically exclude these most vulnerable students from school and deny them their education. Our presenters will describe the array of such policies and practices - retention, academic sanctions, ineffective interventions, including those used for bullying and harassment, abusive use of zero tolerance, criminalization of disability related behavior and referral to law enforcement. Presenters will also identify and discuss concrete strategies for parents and advocates to use to help students protect their rights to remain in school and receive a high quality education. Time is provided for questions from participants. When: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm MT

This Resource Guide was written to support service providers in their work with parents, caregivers, and their children to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect. The guide includes information about protective factors that help reduce the risk of child maltreatment, strategies for changing how communities support families, and evidence-informed practices. It also offers suggestions for enhancing protective factors in families, tools to build awareness and develop community partnerships, information about child abuse and neglect, a directory of national organizations that work to strengthen families, and tip sheets in English and Spanish on specific parenting topics.

Click here to register for this event What: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 60 percent of American adults say they endured abuse and other difficult family situations as children, otherwise known as adverse childhood experiences. Those experiences can have long-term health consequences. The annual financial burden to society of childhood abuse and trauma is $103 billion, according to a 2007 Federal Economic Impact Study. The costs include annual direct costs such as hospitalization, mental health care, child welfare service, and law enforcement, as well as indirect costs such as special education, juvenile delinquency, mental health and health care, adult criminal justice system, and lost productivity. The SAMHSA 10x10 Wellness Campaign invites you to a free training teleconference titled, “The Impact of Trauma on Wellness: Implications for Comprehensive Systems Change.” This teleconference will educate diverse stakeholders about comprehensive systems change, including preventing harm and inadvertent retraumatization and ensuring that services and supports are welcoming, engaging, and culturally attuned. The goal is to help facilitate the healing process among people who have experienced trauma so that they can become fully engaged in their communities. When: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 1:00 - 2:30p.m. Mountain Presenters: Cathy Cave, Senior Program Associate, Advocates for Human Potential Roger Fallot, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation, Community Connections Ann Jennings, Ph. D., Founder and Executive Director, The Anna Institute

Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock rejected a request Thursday to conduct an investigation into allegations of abuse in a special education classroom at North Middle School.

There is often a lot of anxiety around talking to children with special needs about growing up, relationships and sex. Parents worry their children may be vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. But by teaching your child about sex and relationships you can help keep them safe. Whether your child has special needs or not, they will still hit puberty and the chances are they will have sexual feelings. Giving them the information they need to understand those feelings and channelling them appropriately is very important.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Senate has passed a bill requiring schools to place video cameras in special education classrooms to help protect students from abusive teachers.Sen. Dan Patrick, a Houston Republican, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, says his panel heard heartbreaking testimony from parents of special needs children who were beaten in their class.