There have always been crimes fueled by hatred or prejudice, but according to the FBI, it wasn’t really until a generation ago that the term “hate crime” entered our collective vocabulary. At least since the 1920s, the FBI has looked into crimes that appear motivated by bias, including civil rights violations. But hate crimes can extend beyond race or religion, and can include attacks motivated by gender, sexual orientation or even disabilities.

Often, this bullying and violence stems from attitudes learned at a young age. American society is increasingly diverse, and our children are going to encounter people of various ethnicities, cultures, and faiths in school and in the community. An understanding of tolerance for those differences among us is something that will help our children navigate the world around us and help them succeed. As Kid’s Health points out, tolerance is about accepting people for who they are, and treating others the way you would like to be treated. Continue reading Teaching Your Kids Tolerance »

Many of us have experienced the annoyance of having a sales call interrupt dinner time. But more than just being annoying, there could be a scam waiting for you on the other end of the phoneline. Telemarketing fraud comes in all shapes and sizes: you might have won a free trip, a government grant, or maybe a guaranteed credit card or loan.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) points out unfortunately, it’s very unlikely anyone is offering you a free vacation or free money. Telemarketing fraud very often targets the elderly, or those of us looking for loans or credit cards. But no matter what form the calls take, one thing they have in common is they attempt to take advantage of unsuspecting victims in order to separate them from their hard earned money. Continue reading Outsmart Scammers: Put Telemarketing Fraud On Hold »

The biggest misconception regarding victimization is that a crime victim brings it upon themselves.  There are many types of crimes that could happen to anyone, but it’s important to recognize that it isn’t your fault.

Whether sexual assault, robbery, vandalism, or other crimes, everyone deserves help in getting through the experience. The National Center for Victims of Crime has a lot of information and resources to help you regain control, and help you recover a sense of balance in your life after a crime.

In our fast paced society, our cellphones have become such an important tool for keeping up with contacts while on the go. Whether communicating a change in plans, getting in touch with work or our kids, or during the course of running errands, our cell phones help to keep us moving along without missing a beat.

Unfortunately, for too many people, using a phones on the go means using it while in the car. More and more of us are talking, or even worse, texting while driving, leading to an increase in dangerous highway accidents.

According to American Automobile Association (AAA) research, 1 in 5 drivers in the U.S. admitted to texting while driving at least once in the prior 30 days. Using a phone while driving creates a dangerous distraction to the driver, putting themselves, their passengers, and everyone else on the road around them at risk of accident. Continue reading Text Generation: Keeping Your Eyes On The Road »