London, United Kingdom | AFP | A Ugandan woman became the first person ever to be found guilty of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Britain when she was convicted on Friday of harming her then three-year-old daughter in 2017. The 37-year-old, who lives in London but cannot be identified for …
Read More »Children and violent films
Watching violence on screens makes children more emotionally distressed Kampala, Uganda | CAROLINE FITZPATRICK | Researcher at Concordia’s PERFORM center and Assistant Professor of Psychology, Université Sainte-Anne Children today can access media through both traditional devices, like televisions, and portable devices like laptops and tablets. With more access, children are …
Read More »US ex-priest sentenced to up to 14 years in prison for child sex abuse
New York, United States | AFP | A former Catholic priest who had admitted to sexually abusing children in the US state of Pennsylvania was sentenced Friday to up to 14 years in prison — the second clergyman to be jailed in the wake of a damning statewide grand jury …
Read More »Deaths highlight children’s plight in migrant surge to US
Nentón, Guatemala | AFP | The death of two Guatemalan children in the United States within weeks of each other has highlighted why there are so many children among Central American migrants heading north: smugglers tell them families have a better chance of being allowed in by US border guards, …
Read More »Heavy screen time appears to impact childrens’ brains: study
Washington, United States | AFP | Researchers have found “different patterns” in brain scans among children who record heavy smart device and video game use, according to initial data from a major ongoing US study. The first wave of information from the $300 million National Institute of Health (NIH) study …
Read More »Sex abuse claims brought against 700 Catholic clergy in Illinois
Chicago, United States | AFP | Almost 700 clergymen in Illinois have been accused of child sexual assault, a far greater number than the Catholic Church had previously disclosed, the Midwestern US state’s top prosecutor revealed Wednesday. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the Church’s revelations that 185 clergy members …
Read More »Obama delights sick children as Santa in Washington
Washington, United States | AFP | Former US president Barack Obama took on a new high-profile role as Father Christmas on Wednesday for a surprise visit to sick children in Washington. Sporting a festive Santa hat and armed with a sack of gifts, he delighted young patients at Children’s National …
Read More »Pope accepts US bishop’s resignation over ‘misconduct’ with minor
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Los Angeles auxiliary bishop Alexander Salazar over his “misconduct” with a minor, the Vatican said Wednesday. The case is the latest in a litany of child sexual abuse scandals to have rocked the Roman Catholic Church …
Read More »I’m because I’m from here
How where you’re born influences the person you become Kampala, Uganda | SAMUEL PUTNAM & MASHA A. GARTEIN | As early as the fifth century, the Greek historian Thucydides contrasted the self-control and stoicism of Spartans with the more indulgent and free-thinking citizens of Athens. Today, unique behaviors and characteristics seem …
Read More »UNEPI: 400,000 children not immunized
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 400,000 children under the age of five years were not immunized in the last three years. This is according to the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization-UNEPI has revealed. Records from the January 2015 to October 2018 indicate that over 100,000 children have …
Read More »