It's getting safer to be a child in the U.S.

Despite all the national headlines about school shootings and other violence, life has actually gotten a lot safer for American children, according to a new study.

Instances in which children were the victims of crimes such as assaults or violence such as bullying have declined significantly, according to the study, which appears in the most recent edition of the JAMA Pediatrics.

Researchers compared rates of 50 different types of violence and crime over time. Of those categories, 27 saw significant declines between 2003 and 2011.

Children, regardless of race or social class, are victimized at higher rates than adults, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Some children in this country also witness violence on a daily basis, which can have long-term psychological consequences.

The recession didn't reverse the trend, and that's unusual. Historically, more violence and crime occurs during economic downturns.

"We often expect stress and dislocation that happens during a recession can exacerbate conflicts and crime and violence, but it seems not to have been the case for the most part in the most recent recession," said the study's lead author David Finkelhor.

"This study confirms what we have noticed from a variety of other sources that children's safety has improved since 2003," said Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire.

This was true even for children of low-income families who live in neighborhoods where violent crime rates are disproportionately high. Children of color also were safer, according to this study.

The results do mirror the larger trend that some sociologists call "the great crime decline." Rates of violence in general have decreased since the 1990s, and experts don't know exactly why.

PTSD from your ZIP code: Urban violence and the brain

Finkelhor and his co-authors shared a few theories on why violence against children has declined.

One is that many public health programs specifically designed to curb violence against children work. Studies show some programs, which include anti-bullying techniques and domestic violence awareness initiatives, have had success.

Another theory is that more people are on psychiatric medicine that reduces aggressive behavior. The study showed 5.6% of children were taking psychiatric medication in 2008; by 2011, that had increased to 7.8%. More adults are also taking medication for depression and anxiety, which may also reduce family violence.

Finkelhor thinks technology may also play an unexpected role in violence reduction.

More children have cell phones, he said, which means more can call for help if they sense danger.

Social media may also play a role. "A lot of people think that the Internet made kids more vulnerable and has induced them into taking more risks. There may be some of that," Finkelhor said. It can also open kids up to an avenue of online bullying.

But with so many kids preoccupied with social media, the risk-taking behavior that comes along with adolescence may now be more in the virtual realm than in reality.

"If they are taking those risks in their bedroom, there may be a delay in their actual behavior," Finkelhor said, which can leave youths vulnerable to violence or crime.

For More Click Here

Ukraine military: 2 die as copters downed in operation against Slavyansk militias

Slavyansk, Ukraine (CNN) -- Two helicopters were brought down in the flashpoint city of Slavyansk on Friday, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said, as Ukrainian security forces launched their most intensive effort yet to try to dislodge pro-Russian separatists.

Residents of Slavyansk were warned to stay home and avoid windows as the latest phase of the authorities' "anti-terrorist operation" got under way.

Conflicting reports are emerging, but it appears the operation has already claimed its first casualties.

Two Mi24 helicopters have been taken down with mobile air defense systems, killing two military officers and injuring others, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry website. Another army helicopter, an Mi8, was damaged but no one was hurt, it said.

Militants took one badly injured pilot hostage after his helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing, the ministry said, and efforts to free him are ongoing.

Ukraine's security service, the SBU, said one helicopter that came under attack was carrying medics, one of whom was injured.

"The terrorists opened fire at Ukrainian units with some heavy guns, including grenade launchers and portable air defense systems," Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a post on his official Facebook page.

Four separatists have been detained at a checkpoint on suspicion of involvement in bringing down the aircraft, the Defense Ministry said.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti earlier reported that one Russian separatist was killed and another wounded in Slavyansk.

The self-declared mayor of Slavyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, said his city was under attack in a video statement published by local media and posted to YouTube.

"We are being stormed, we have got casualties. I'm asking children, women and the elderly not to leave their homes and I ask armed men to provide us all the assistance they can," he said. "I think we will be able to successfully stand up for our city. Thank you for your attention, thank you for your assistance, we will win."

The operation, also targeting the town of Kramatorsk, appears to be the most significant yet by the Ukrainian military against pro-Russian militia groups that have taken effective control of swaths of eastern Ukraine.

What's not yet clear is whether the escalating violence may prompt a response by Russia, which has previously said it has the right to intervene in Ukraine to protect Russian speakers.

Russia slams 'punitive' operation

The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed ultranationalist Ukrainian groups for what it called a punitive military operation in Slavyansk. It called Kiev's use of its military criminal, and described calls by the government to launch a national dialogue as "hypocrisy."

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, also told CNN that Ukraine's military operation was "totally unacceptable."

He said it was "the last nail in the coffin" of an international deal agreed to last month in Geneva, Switzerland, which called for illegal militia groups to disarm and vacate seized buildings.

For More Click Here

Ukraine forces move on pro-Russia rebel-held Sloviansk

Ukraine's government forces have begun an "anti-terror" operation in the eastern city of Sloviansk, Kiev says.

Ukraine's interior minister said one helicopter pilot had been killed and other people wounded by anti-aircraft missile fire from pro-Russian rebels.

However, separatists at three Sloviansk checkpoints have told the BBC there is no fighting in their sector.

The city is a stronghold for pro-Russian separatists who are exerting increasing control in the region.

News agencies report gunfire, explosions and a military helicopter firing on the outskirts.

CJ Chivers, a New York Time journalist in the city, tweeted a short time ago that there was "very little gunfire in Sloviansk now".

Russia's state-run Rossiya 24 TV channel earlier said the city was being "stormed".

On Wednesday, Russia's foreign ministry warned that any storming would have "catastrophic consequences".

Earlier, Ukraine's acting President Olexandr Turchynov reinstated military conscription to deal with deteriorating security in the east of the country.

The move, announced in a decree, came as pro-Russia militants seized the regional prosecutor's office in the city of Donetsk, an industrial hub where a number of government offices have been seized in recent weeks.

They forced their way into the building, stripped weapons and shields from police officers and raised the flag of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Ukraine blames Russia for organising the seizures of a number of offices in the east, a claim Moscow denies.

Some 40,000 Russian troops are stationed near the Ukrainian border.

Mr Turchynov said his forces were "helpless" to quell the unrest in some parts of the east, saying the goal was now to prevent it from spreading.

He also said Ukraine was on "full combat alert" amid fears that Russian troops could invade.
Monitors held

Eastern Ukraine has a large Russian-speaking population and was a stronghold for President Viktor Yanukovych before he was overthrown by pro-Western protesters in February.

 

For More Click Here

Nasa shows off prototype spacesuit for journey to Mars

US space agency Nasa has been showing off the wardrobe essentials for future astronauts looking for a new outfit for their first flight to Mars.

Nasa said the Z-2 spacesuit was only a prototype, but elements of it would be incorporated into the suit worn by the first humans to reach the Red Planet.

The suit uses light-emitting patches and luminescent wire that could be customised to identify individuals.

The "technology" design beat two others with 63% of a public vote of 233,431

.The others were:

    a "bio-mimicry" suit, which mirrored the bioluminescence of aquatic creatures and the tough scaly skins of fish and reptiles
    a "trends in society" suit, which reflected what everyday clothes may look like in the future

Aesthetic appeal

The Z-2 will be built using 3D-printed parts, and 3D laser scans will ensure each suit fits each astronaut perfectly.

It will be tested in vacuum chambers, at Nasa's training pool and at a site that imitates the rocky Martian surface.

In 2012 Nasa released the Z-1, which bore more than a passing similarity to the suit worn by fictional "space ranger" Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Stories films.

The first major overhaul of the spacesuit in about 30 years, the Z-1 was named as one of the year's best inventions by Time magazine.

Nasa said: "Each iteration of the Z-series will advance new technologies that one day will be used in a suit worn by the first humans to step foot on the Red Planet."

And the Z-2 "pays homage to the spacesuit achievements of the past while incorporating subtle elements of the future".

Its hard composite upper torso "provides the much-needed long-term durability that a planetary extravehicular activity suit will require", but despite its "aesthetic appeal" the prototype was not made of the same durable material designed to protect space-walking astronauts from micro-meteorite strikes, extreme temperatures and radiation, Nasa added.

 

For More Click Here

Gerry Adams arrest: Sinn Féin claims 'dark side' to NI police

Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness has claimed Gerry Adams' arrest is due to a "dark side" within policing conspiring with enemies of the peace process.

He added that the detention was a "deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of elections" in three weeks.

Mr Adams is being questioned about the 1972 murder of Jean McConville but has denied involvement in her death.

Prime Minister David Cameron said there had been "absolutely no political interference in this issue".

Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said it would be "political policing" if Mr Adams was not questioned.'Dark side'

The Sinn Féin president remains in custody after presenting himself at Antrim police station on Wednesday evening.

Mr McGuinness, Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, told a press conference at Stormont that the arrest of his party leader and "friend" was politically motivated.

He claimed Sinn Féin had been told by "senior" and "reforming" figures within the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) that "there was still a dark side within policing here in the north of Ireland".

"I think we have seen that dark side flex its muscles in the course of the last couple of days," he added.

"We know who they are. The reformers know who they are," Mr McGuinness told reporters.
'In consort'

He said some former republicans who were "maliciously and vehemently hostile to the peace process" had been targeting Mr Adams and the Sinn Féin peace strategy for a considerable period of time.

"It is quite disappointing to see the efforts of those people now in consort with the dark side within policing," Mr McGuinness said.

However, Mr Robinson said the detention was proof that no-one in Northern Ireland was above the law.

"Is anybody going to say to me that if the police are aware of claims and evidence in relation to such a barbaric killing that it would be political policing for them to question those who have been suggested to have been involved?

"I would suggest to you that it would be political policing if the PSNI had not questioned those that were deemed to have been involved in any way," the DUP leader said.

"I cannot say whether Mr Adams will be charged or released, whether he will be held for a further period, whether even if charged he might be convicted .

"But what I can say is that it strengthens our political process in Northern Ireland for people to know that no-one is above the law - everyone is equal under the law and everyone is equally subject to the law."

For More Click Here

Moment fed-up spectator trips up flying rugby player in bid to stop junior team conceding another try during 64-5 thrashing

 A father watching his team lose heavily in a teenage rugby cup final in Hertfordshire was caught deliberately tripping a opposition player.

The referee of the Hertfordshire Shield cup final had to intervene and then sent the spectator off from the side of the pitch and halted the match 10 minutes before the end of the game.

Despite the incident the Royston Rugby Club U16 team was awarded a 64-5 victory against neighbouring rivals, Fullerians.

Outraged parents and players condemned the father, believed to be a parent of one of the boys playing, who has since been disciplined by the Fullerians club.

Jonathan Robson wrote on Twitter: 'Royston U16 won despite this idiot at Fullerians, how can somones (sic) dad do this'

Royston Rugby Club president Jamie Johnson said he had next heard of such an 'extraordinary' incident during a youth match.

'There is now an investigation taking place within their club and we will also be putting forward our own statement,' the president said.

For More Click Here

Selena Gomez ditches 'too boring' Taylor Swift... and the pair haven't spoken 'since she got back with Justin Bieber'

She is known to collect as many famous female BFFs as she does famous boyfriends.

But now it seems Taylor Swift, 24, might have one less pal in her inner circle.

Radar report that Selena Gomez, 21, has de-friended Taylor from her life after coming to the conclusion that she is 'too boring'.

An insider has told the site: 'With her parents no longer in the picture as managers or chaperones, Selena started hanging out with Justin again,'

Adding: 'Her parents are not fans of his at all. And neither is Taylor Swift. Even though Selena and Justin aren’t together right now, it’s still caused a rift between her and Taylor.'

They also claim that the pair stopped speaking as soon as Selena began hanging out with Justin again

 

The insider also claims that it all to a head when Selena decided she 'didn't want to bake cookies or paint anymore'.

However, given that Taylor has no shortage of lady friends, it is the doubtful that the country crossover star will lose any sleepless nights.

Aside from Selena, Taylor is known to hang out with the likes of Lorde, Lily Aldridge and Sarah Hyland.

Earlier this year, Lorde was locked into a war of words with Selena after she labelled her son Come And Get It as 'anti-feminist'.

Fore More Click Here