Transitioning Times

When I read headlines like this it gives me a sense of dread that students in our institutions of higher learning lack the conscience, morality, and basic human goodness that would prevent them from  behaving in such a manner.   The blatant disregard these fraternity members showed for other people’s bodies, their rights, feelings, and very lives exposes a disturbing level of ignorance about what is right and what is wrong in regards to our relationship with other people.  Kappa Delta Rho’s website claims that it has been over a century that this fraternal order has been charged with developing “educated gentlemen who promote human dignity, positive relationships among men, and moral excellence of the highest ideals.”  Excellent - except for the fact that the frat members on Penn State campus evidently thought it was perfectly okay to use a private, invitation-only Facebook page to post photos of nude and partially nude women in sexual or otherwise embarr...

You would think in this day and age that sexual orientation and sexual harassment/bullying would cease to exist.   That one would be free and encouraged to be true to oneself and that others would be found to be supportive and loving to those perhaps different then themselves.   The biases continue to be prevalent in our communities.   One of the passages from childhood into adolescence is the development and understanding of sexuality. This includes understanding one’s body, gender identity, sexual orientation, and values about sexual activity. During this time many teens begin to explore their sexuality and can be a very challenging time of transitioning. When a teen is questioning their sexual orientation it can be a very lonely and difficult time in their lives. What Is Sexual Harassment? Sexual harassment occurs when a person is subject to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature to such ...

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  This year, we are hosting a mock trial at the Union County Courthouse on April 15 th at 6:30 p.m.  Whenever there is a scandal surrounding sexual assault, many people ask how this could have happened in our community.  Including many people from the criminal justice system, including President Judge Michael Hudock, Judge Michael Sholley, District Attorney Michael Piecuch, Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Crossland, North Penn Legal Services Managing Attorney Peter Macky and a representative from the Buffalo Valley Regional Police, showcases how Union and Snyder Counties are working together  to stop sexual assault.   Mock trials have been used throughout the country for this same purpose.  Colleges , military bases , and communities have all used mock trials to raise awareness about sexual assault.  For me, this mock trial serves two purposes.  The first is to show victim/survivors that o...

Childhood should be the safest time of our lives. While we are doing the hard work of growing, developing, and learning, we should be able to play, have fun, feel loved, and be safe with no worries about food, clothing, and shelter. Unfortunately, this is not the situation for many of our children of today. Millions of children in the United States alone, experience some kind of traumatic event each year. These traumatic events take many forms. The events could be related to abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, car accidents, death of a friend or family member, natural disasters, or a whole host of other possibilities. Just what does the impact of trauma look like for a child? This varies greatly based on each individual child. Factors that influence the symptoms include: the magnitude of trauma, how much of a threat does the child perceive the crisis event to be, previous trauma experienced, family stability, mental health of the child and immediate family members, and social sup...

As a parent of two children, one boy and one girl, I perhaps was not as vigilant as I should have been in controlling their access to video games and movies that had “adult content.”  I breathe a sigh of relief that I do not have to raise them in today’s environment.    I still remember no longer allowing my son to watch professional wrestling on television.  He used to love to physically wrestle with his stuffed power ranger, and I thought it was cute.  Then, the news of the death of one child by another resulting from a choke hold that the child saw on TV’s “Wrestlemania,” caused me to end my son’s growing preoccupation with professional wrestling.  He took it well and found another way to pass his time.  I always controlled the games he could play on his Playstation I then Playstation II, and he seemed fine with being limited to sports only video games.  My son was told why and also knew that he should not be shooting weapons while playin...

Transitions is pleased to announce the 2 nd Annual Teen Dating Violence Video Contest.  High school students attending schools in Northumberland, Snyder, and Union Counties are eligible to enter by creating a brief public service announcement focused on teen dating violence.  The entrants with the top three videos will win cash prizes. Entering the contest is easy. From February 1 st through February 28 th 2015 students can create a 30-60 second video focusing on dating violence; this may include what a healthy relationship is, the signs of abuse, and how to get help.  Participants should upload their videos to YouTube and send their links to heather_s@transitionsofpa.org. After the submission deadline, staff members at Transitions will choose up to five finalists.  These videos will then be placed on Transitions’ Facebook page for the public to decide the winner by the number of “likes” each video receives.  Your team will be notified if your video is...

My name is Jamie G. and I am blessed to be Transitions new Legal Advocate for all of Northumberland County.   As a veteran of the United States Air Force , I was able to earn my first of three college degrees from the Community College of the Air Force.  I continued my education by earning an Associate degree in Criminal Justice from Luzerne County Community College and a Bachelor degree in Administration of Justice from Penn State University.   Finally, I capped off my educational pursuit by attending Widener University School of Law just before returning back to my hometown of Lewisburg.  I’m truly excited to be part of the Transitions team and can’t wait to utilize my training to help others.