Community News Bli
A new beginning
Child abuse
has a new
enemy
By YVETTE N. FREEMAN
Chronide Staff Writer
There is a new face at the
Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention
Center of North Caroltoa/Stop Child
Abuse Now (SCAN) office located at
500 West Northwest Boulevard. Cyn
thia Napoleop-Hanger became the new
assistant director about seven weeks
?ago after moving to Greensboro from -
Amherst, Mass. in September of last
year, when her husband Samuel
accepted a position at Guilford College.
She was the Director of Student Ser
vices at Hampshire College where she
was involved in the counseling and
supervision of incest and sexual
assault at the school.
Her new position is not much differ
ent. The goal is still the same ? to
help the victims of abuse and their fam
ilies. The biggest portion will be super
vising lay therapists," said Napoleon
Hanger. The lay therapists are volun
teers; volunteer parent aides. They go
into the home and do some role model
ing of parenting, help teach discipline
and be a friend to the family. Someone
who is non-judgmental, but has an
interest because they want to help, not
because they have to help."
Napoleon-Hanger is eager to begin
making a difference in this community
and emphasized that she will have an
able staff of volunteers to help her get
heart I don't believe that parents want
to abuse their children. I think that
there is something developmentally
missing for them and because of that
they are not able to parent in a more
positive
"It's rewarding to me, to see the
families progressing; to see the
children have better lives. "
- Cynthia Napoleon-Hanger
her job done more effectively. She stat
ed that she is "very pleased and
impressed" with the devotion and dedi
cation that the volunteers have shown,
and that it is a first for her to be a part
of such a committed team of workers.
She also stated another reason for
her eagerness. 'This position was one
that interests me primarily because of
the work that could be done with the
families; the whole parent-aide model,"
she said. "But also because in my
i
I
that repertoire of skills because they
haven't seen that mojlel in their own
homes. Most people who abuse their
children have been abused as children
also. The stats show that."
To help fight child abuse,
Napoleon-Hanger has a number of
ideas in mind to lower those statistics.
She said, "In addition to getting more
people to volunteer, in particular
African-Americans, because we do
have a lot of African-American families,
t would like folocus^
more on the preven
tion in child abuse.
So getting in there
and working with the
families before the
child is actually phys
ically or sexually
assaulted. In my
mind, prevention is
the way to go
because it educates
the community. It
educates the fami
lies. It helps families
to see what options
are available to them
rather than spanking
their child."
She also empha
sized the importance
of preventing child
abuse before it hap
pens. "It's real impor
tant to begin really
early because if we
do that, then society
as a whole benefits,
because when there
Photo by Mike Cunningham
Cynthia Napoleon-Hanger, the new assistant director of Exchange/SCAN looks forward to
helping child abuse victims and their families.
? ? ? / ? ? iWll^ 1^ w
Photo by Mike Cunningham '.
Cynthia Napoleon-Hanger consults with a co-worker at the Exchange/SCAN
office.
is an abused child and that child grows
up to be an abuser, then society suffers
also, not just that family or not just that
child because it puts a lot of constraints
on now society can function, but also
demands on society," she said.
Napoleon-Hanger says that she
feels more than pride in doing her
work, but also a sense of accomplish
ment. "It's rewarding to me, to see the
families progressing; to see the chil
dren have better lives," she said.
She also mentioned that her own
family will benefit from her work. "It's
good for me because I do have two
children and it sort of helps me stay on
target and helps me look at the ways in
which I'm parenting and how can I do
better, and it sort of encourages me to
teach my children how to be sort of
solid citizens and how not to, grow up
and be lacking in areas. I hope that
what I'm doing is going to be influential
on the way that they will raise their chil
dren," she said.
Napoleon-Hanger, who is 38 years
old, is a native of Louisiana, but grew
up in New York. She graduated from
State University of New York with a
B.A. in History and African-American
Studies. She has also earned a Mas
ters Degree from the University of Mas
sachusetts with a focus on Human Ser
vices and Applied Group Dynamics.
The Exchange Club Child Abuse
Prevention Center of North Carolina/
SCAN was established in 1981 as a
project oT lhe Exchange Club 61
Greater Winston-Salem, to prevent and
treat child abuse in North Carolina. The
program is centered around providing
volunteer lay therapists to work inten
sively in the home of families involved
in or at risk of abuse or neglect of chil
dren.
*
Other programs provided by the
Center include: Welcome Baby, a sup
port program for new mothers; Chil
dren's Parents, a weekly parenting
class for children and their parents;
Postpartum Depression Group, a
weekly therapy group for mothers;
Women's Incest Network Group, a
weekly therapy group for adult incest
victims; Parents Anonymous, a weekly
support group for parents who feel they
might abuse or neglect their children;
Caregivers for Sexually Abused Chil
dren, a biweekly support group; and
Sexual Offender Treatment Program, a
weekly group therapy and case man
agement.
For more information about these
programs or other services provided by
Exchange/SCAN, or to volunteer, call
(919) 748-9028.
Military Notes p
? Marine Pfc. Richard W. Scott, son
of Richard and Shelby Scott of Kern
ersville, recently graduated from the
Basic Hygiene Equipment Operator
Course at Marine Corps Engineer
School, Marine Corps Base, Camp Leje
une, N.C.
received instruction in basic plumbing,
maintenance management, military
water supply, water purification and
hygiene equipment, and field sanitation.
A 1990 graduate of East Forsyth
High School, he joined the Marine Corps
in Sept, 1990,
? Navy Seaman Recruits Antonio D.
McClendon and Gregory O. Ingram,
have completed recruit training at
Recruit Training Command, San Diego.
During the eight-week training cycle,
they studied general military subjects
designed to prepare them for further
academic and on-the-job training in one
of the Navy's 85 basic fields.
Their studies included seamanship,
close order drill, Naval history and first
aid. Personnel who complete this
course of instruction are eligible for
three hours of college credit in Physical
Education and Hygiene.
McClendon and Ingram are both
1990 graduates of Parkland High
School, and both joined the Navy in Jan.
1991. Ingram is the son of Charlie
Belcher and Jessie M. Ingram of Win
ston-Salem.
. T , : .. . m
? Marine Lance Cpl. Curtis L. McCol
lum, a resident of 3000 Apollo Dr., Win
ston-Salem, recently completed the
Administrative Clerk Course.
, During the eight-week course at
Marine Corps Service Support Schools,
Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune,
N.C., McCollum was provided with the
skills and knowlege required to
perform a$ an administrative clerk.
He received% instruction on typing and
preparation of naval correspondence,
and was introduced to the basic office
functions performed by all Marine Corps
administrative sections.
A 1988 graduate of East Forsyth
High School, he joined the Marine Corps
Reserves in March 1990.
? Marine Lance Cpl. David L. Har
mon, son of Joann E. Harmon of Win
ston-Salem, recently completed the
Basic Electronics Course.
During the 13-week course conduct
ed at the Marine Corps Communicatio/i
Electronics School in Twentynine Palms,
Calif., Harmon received technical
instruction in the fundamental electrical
and electronic theory common to Marine
Corps Communication-Electronics equip
ment.
He studied mathematics, direct and
alternating currents, solid state devices
and electron tubes, basic digital logic cir
cuits and maintenance concepts.
A 1990 graduate of Parkland High
School, he joined the Marine Corps
Reserves in Aug. 1990.
? Brian K. Atwood, son of Jerol K.
and Anna L. Atwood of Winston-Salem,
has completed recruit training at Marine
Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C.
During the 13-week training cycle,
Atwood was taught the basics of battle
field survival.
He was introduced to the typical
daily routine that he will experience dur
ing his enlistment and studied the per
sonal and professional standards tradi
tionally exhibited by Marines.
He participated in an active physical
conditioning program and gained profi
ciency in a variety of military skills
including first aid, rifle marksmanship
and close order drill. Teamwork and
self-discipline were emphasized through
out the training cycle.
A 1989 graduate of North Davidson
Senior High School, he joined the
Marine Corps in Jan. 1991.
? Navy Airman William S. Pruitt, a
1988 graduate of R.J. Reynolds High
School, has completed the Basic Avion
ics (aviation electronics) Technician
course.
During the 27-week course, con
ducted at the Naval Air Technical Train
ing Center, Naval Air Station Memphis,
Millington, Tenn., Pruitt received basic
technical instruction on the fundamentals
necessary to perform job-entry level avi
ation electronics maintenance tasks, in
addition, Pruitt received instruction to
enable him for further specialized train
ing on operational aviation electronics
equipment found in naval aircraft.
He joined the Navy in March 1990.