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My name is Holly Silva Deering and I am in the second semester of my Mental Health and Wellness Counseling program at ASU.
I do not have a specific professional goal because I am on a non-license, non-certification track. Personally, my goal is to be more trauma informed and support my family and loved ones.

My family and I live in San Antonio, TX and we have 5 kids and 4 cats.

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Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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Holly Deering Reference Guide for Mental Health Disorders

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Psychological First Aid Online Certificate

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Psychological First Aid Online Certificate

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This assignment showed me things about my childhood that I had forgotten. It made me sit with the understanding that not everyone has 3 ACEs. Many people have none, but others have much more than 3.

I also did not know how poorly the US stood up compared to other countries on issues like corporal punishment and child marriage (King-Guffey & Becker, 2022).

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Trauma-Informed Practices (TIP) have been a topic of interest and need for the past several years. Researchers have defined TIP as a set of practices that address the impact of trauma by creating a safe and caring environment. Trauma-informed practices focus on creating a safe school culture, building relationships, and supporting students' self-efficacy. Despite the plethora of research on trauma-informed practices, sometimes research-based practices are disconnected from the daily needs of educators in the field.

Below is a list of common Trauma-Informed practices that educators can implement across all educational settings. This list has been reviewed by a group of educators representing education support professionals, teachers, and specialized instructional support personnel.

Support students from the bus stop to the classroom (and beyond!)
Using trauma-informed practices across all educational spaces can help educators collaborate to support student mental and physical health.Supporting students across settings helps to foster a positive school climate where students feel safe and confident. Be intentional in supporting families and community members in understanding and using trauma-informed practices for long-term student success.

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No matter where you work in our school communities, you can use these practices to create safe and supportive learning environments for all students.

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Challenging US States to Meet International Child Rights Standards for Child Marriage, Corporal Punishment, Child Labor, and Juvenile Justice

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most ratified international human rights treaty to date. Since its adoption in 1989, 196 countries have ratified the CRC, committing to protect children from violence and exploitation, and ensure their education and healthy development.

The United States is the only UN member state that has not yet ratified the Convention.

Many people in the United States assume that, even without ratification of the CRC, the US upholds international child rights principles. This assessment calls that assumption into question. On a state-by-state basis, we assessed how state laws meet international standards regarding four core child rights issues: child marriage, corporal punishment, child labor, and juvenile justice. We found that most US states are overwhelmingly noncompliant with international child rights standards on these four issues.

US History with the CRC

The US government and US child rights experts were instrumental contributors to the ideals and text of the Convention. Officials from the administration of former US President Ronald Reagan were very active during the CRC negotiations and proposed many of its provisions.[1] A diverse network of US advocates and psychologists collaborated with experts from around the world to provide input, culminating in the Convention's adoption in 1989.[2]

Many people in the United States value the protections offered by the CRC, including the protection of children from violence and exploitation, and children's rights to education, health care, and an adequate standard of living.

Not only did US officials, experts, and advocates contribute to the development of the CRC, but polling data has found that across party lines, four out of five people in the United States favor the ratification of the CRC.[3]

Why a focus on individual US states?
In the United States, many of the issues addressed by the Convention are left to the jurisdiction of individual states, not the federal government. As a result, the protection and advancement of child rights varies from state to state.

In recognition that state-level reform is an important channel for improving the US's child rights record, this assessment grades and ranks US states on the legal protections they extend to their children on four key issues-child marriage, corporal punishment, child labor, and juvenile justice-and offers a blueprint for reform. All 50 states are measured on these four categories through an assessment of 12 specific state-level laws. See more about our methodology here.

This report does not attempt to assess states' performance on all children's rights enshrined in the CRC, which includes the right to education, to health, to an adequate standard of living, to freedom of expression, and a broad array of other rights.

STATE GRADES

The conclusion is alarming:US states overwhelmingly fail to live up to key standards set by the CRC.

Overall, 16 states receive an F grade. Of the remaining states, 27 receive a D grade, 7 receive a C grade, and not a single state receives a B or an A.

STATE RANKINGS

The numbers to the right of the bars reflect the "raw state score" which loosely communicates a "percentage of compliance with the CRC" on the issues of child marriage, corporal punishment, child labor, and juvenile justice. For instance, a state that complied with child rights standards on all four issues would have been awarded a raw score of 100 percent.

Eleven US states have enacted reforms that have improved their grades or rankings since the original release of this scorecard in 2022. Four states shed their 'F' grade, three graduated to a 'C,' and multiple significantly improved their rankings to become a top-10 state, including one that rose into second place.

CHILD MARRIAGE is defined as a marriage in which one or both parties is under the age of 18.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS SET BY THE CRC: The Committee on the Rights of the Child "reminds States parties of the obligation to recognize that persons up to the age of 18 years are entitled to continuing protection from all forms of exploitation and abuse. It reaffirms that the minimum age limit should be 18 years for marriage." [4]
THE MINIMUM AGE FOR MARRIAGE SHOULD BE 18 YEARS OLD
Research by Unchained at Last finds that over a quarter million children, some as young as 10, were married in the US between the years 2000-2018. Most child marriages in the US are girls marrying adult men. In fact, many of these marriages occurred at an age or with a spousal age difference that would typically be considered sexual violence.

Child marriage is legal in 41 states. The first state to ban child marriage was Delaware in 2018.

Quick tips for interacting with these visuals:
Hover over the key to filter each map by category. Hover over each state for details on its child rights laws and compliance with the CRC.

Child Marriage in the US

Minimum age for marriage:

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT is defined as any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS SET BY THE CRC: Article 19 of the CRC requires states to protect children "from all forms of physical and mental violence." The Committee on the Rights of the Child affirms that the CRC "does not leave room for any level of legalized violence against children" and that "corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment are forms of violence and States must take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to eliminate them."

Drawing on these international standards, this section reviews the legality of corporal punishment across all 50 US states in four main settings:

I. Schools (public and private);

II. Homes;

III. Alternative care settings; and

IV. Penal institutions

In 2014, the Human Rights Committee reviewed US compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the US ratified in 1992, stating that it "is concerned about corporal punishment of children in schools, penal institutions, the home and all forms of childcare at federal, state and local levels." The committee advised the US to legally end corporal punishment and "conduct public information campaigns to raise awareness about its harmful effects."

I. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE PROHIBITED IN SCHOOLS

Approximately 160,000 children are subjected to corporal punishment in schools each year. This practice has been found to be both ineffective in correcting the behavior of children and harmful to child development. Corporal punishment is linked to numerous negative impacts to a child's emotional and physical health as well as their ability to form and manage positive relationships. Corporal punishment is also associated with higher rates of aggression and lower educational achievement. Black children and children with disabilities are significantly more likely to experience corporal punishment in schools. This is an additional violation of the CRC as Article 2 prohibits discrimination of any kind, including based on race or disability status.

Only three states have prohibited corporal punishment in both public and private schools, complying with the CRC. Twenty-five states have outlawed corporal punishment in public schools only, meaning children who attend private schools may still be subject to corporal punishment at school. Meanwhile, in 22 states, corporal punishment is legal in both public and private schools.

Corporal punishment as a form of school discipline "directly conflicts with the equal and inalienable rights of children." - The Committee on the Rights of the Child

II. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE PROHIBITED IN THE HOME

Some states list certain types of extreme force that are not permissible, such as force that results in death or disfigurement, whereas others draw the line at "reasonable" force. The result of these systems can be immunity for child abuse veiled as discipline.

III. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE PROHIBITED IN ALTERNATIVE CARE SETTINGS

In the US, the use of corporal punishment in alternative care settings-such as foster care and group homes-has historically been widespread and severe, particularly against children with disabilities. Investigations have suggested that the scale of abuse in alternative care settings has been severely underreported and particularly egregious, by some accounts amounting to torture.

Most US states have banned corporal punishment in alternative care settings. Ten states fall short by simply restricting corporal punishment. South Carolina stands alone in issuing no legal guidelines on corporal punishment in alternative care settings.

IV. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE PROHIBITED IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS

Maltreatment of children in juvenile detention centers has been documented in nearly every US state. One study found that "systematic or recurring" maltreatment had been documented in juvenile correctional facilities in at least 14 states after 2011. A national survey of youth in correctional facilities found that 45 percent said that staff "use force when they don't really need to." Corporal punishment in penal institutions remains legal in 16 states.

CHILD LABOR is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity and that is harmful to their physical and mental development. Whether or not particular forms of "work" can be called "child labor" depends on the child's age, the type and hours of work performed, and the conditions under which it is performed.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS SET BY THE CRC: CRC Article 32 protects children from work that is hazardous or harmful to their health, safety, education, and moral development and requires states parties to set a minimum age for employment. In General Comment No. 20, the Committee on the Rights of the Child reaffirms the principles in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Minimum Age Convention (Convention No. 138) which declares that the minimum age for employment is 15 and that the minimum age for employment in hazardous conditions is 18. Article 5 of Convention No. 138 explicitly states that its principles apply to the agriculture sector.
CHILD LABOR IN THE US CONTEXT: EXEMPTIONS FOR THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR
Under federal law children under 18 can work for hire in agriculture at younger ages, for longer hours, and in more hazardous conditions than in any other sector. In agriculture, a 12-year-old may work full-time, and a child of any age may work on a farm part-time. On a family farm, there is no minimum age for the full-time employment of children. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds are allowed to work in hazardous conditions in agriculture; in other industries, hazardous work is prohibited until age 18.

Without federal leadership to correct these child rights violations, child laborers depend on state action. A state can exceed federal standards, but few do.

This section compares state laws on child labor in the agriculture sector with the following international standards:

I. The minimum age for employment (15 years old)

II. The minimum age for employment in hazardous conditions (18 years old)

More about agriculture exemptions in the US: A federal list of hazardous occupations identifies specific work that is prohibited for hired workers under 16 in agriculture. However, the list is far too narrow and has not been updated for four decades. For example, the list does not prohibit children from operating some heavy machinery or working in tobacco fields, although child tobacco workers risk acute nicotine poisoning from contact with tobacco plants. To better protect children from hazardous conditions, states should update their list of hazardous occupations to reflect modern realities in agriculture - see Model Policy published by Lawyers for Good Government.

When is it okay for children to work? A common misunderstanding of international child labor standards is that they prohibit children from doing household chores or engaging in safe work activities that allow them to gain skills and a sense of responsibility. International Labor Organization conventions on child labor, for example, allows children many opportunities to gain skills and earn income, and allow children as young as 12 to perform light work for limited hours. The goal of international standards is to prevent children from working at ages that are too young, in harmful conditions, or for hours that can harm their development or schooling.

I. THE MINIMUM AGE FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR SHOULD BE 15 YEARS OLD

Not a single state complies with the CRC by setting the minimum age of employment to 15 years old in the agriculture sector.

II. THE MINIMUM AGE FOR HAZARDOUS EMPLOYMENT IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR SHOULD BE 18 YEARS OLD

More US child workers die in agriculture than in any other industry. A child dies in a farm accident once every three days in the United States, and every day, at least 33 children are injured while working on US farms although there may be over four times more injuries than are reported given inadequate surveillance and reporting methods. As documented by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many fatalities involve power machinery from which, in any industry besides farming, children would be protected. Dangerous farming conditions and their impacts disproportionately affect migrant children and children of color.

Not a single state complies with the CRC by setting the minimum age of work in hazardous conditions in agriculture to 18 years old.

Twelve states have stronger protections than the federal standard. The details of these standards vary - for example California has stronger protections for children under 12 working on family farms. Massachusetts is the only state to prohibit minors under 16 from working in tobacco fields. Oregon prohibits all minors from operating power machinery. Of all states, Florida has the strongest standard, setting a minimum age of 16 and also further prohibiting all minors under 18 from work in certain hazardous agriculture conditions.

JUVENILE JUSTICE refers to the treatment of children in conflict with the law.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS SET BY THE CRC: The CRC establishes a robust set of international standards "to prevent children and young people from engaging in criminal activities as well as to protect the human rights of youth already found to have broken the law."

This section reviews the international standards regarding:

I. Minimum age of juvenile jurisdiction

II. Trying children as adults

III. Juvenile life without parole sentences
THE MINIMUM AGE OF JUVENILE JURISDICTION SHOULD BE AT LEAST 14 YEARS OLD NO CHILD SHOULD BE PROSECUTED AS AN ADULT JUVENILE LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE (JLWOP) SENTENCES SHOULD BE PROHIBITED
I. THE MINIMUM AGE OF JUVENILE JURISDICTION SHOULD BE 14 YEARS OLD

In the US, more than 30,000 children under the age of 12 are referred to juvenile court annually. Not a single state meets the international standard to set the minimum age of juvenile jurisdiction to at least 14, a standard endorsed by the American Medical Association (AMA)  in November of 2022. Only eight states set a minimum age higher than 10 years old. Nearly half have no minimum age.

II. NO CHILD SHOULD BE PROSECUTED AS AN ADULT

Many states formerly prosecuted all 17-(or in some cases 16-) year-olds in adult court for all crimes. In the last decade, most states have limited the practice of trying 17-year-olds as adults through "Raise the Age" legislation. Only three states still try all 17-year-olds as adults for all crimes.

As can be seen in the chart below, not a single state complies with the CRC in ending the practice of transferring children to adult court.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child condemns the practice of trying children as adults. It has urged nations that allow children to be treated as adult offenders to "change their laws with a view to achieving a non-discriminatory full application of their juvenile justice rules to all persons under the age of 18."

III. NO CHILD SHOULD BE SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE

At the beginning of 2020, approximately 1,465 individuals in the U.S. were serving life without parole sentences for offenses committed as children. Children as young as 13-years-old have been sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison without possibility of release.

Twenty-eight states and Washington, D.C, prohibit juveniles to be sentenced to life without parole (JLWOP) while the other 22 states permit children to be sentenced to JLWOP.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has urged the US to end the use of life without parole as a sentence for child offenders, noting its disproportionate impact on racial, ethnic, and national minorities. Sixty-two percent of people serving JLWOP and for whom racial data are available are African-American despite making up only 14 percent of the total youth population in the US.

STATE REPORT CARDS:

Click on the below links to access your state's report card.

These report cards provide a checklist of reforms for each state to improve its child rights record and come closer into compliance on the four key CRC issues analyzed. Where available, state statute citations are provided.

We encourage concerned citizens to share these report cards with your fellow constituents and elected representatives.

LAST UPDATED

September 7, 2023

Acknowledgments

Callie King-Guffey was the lead researcher for this scorecard with assistance from Jo Becker, the children's rights advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. Special thanks to Unchained at Last, the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, the Child Labor Coalition, Lawyers for Good Government, and Human Rights for Kids for their invaluable inputs and ongoing campaigning around these issues.

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How Do US States Measure Up on Child Rights?

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Challenging US States to Meet International Child Rights Standards for Child Marriage, Corporal Punishment, Child Labor, and Juvenile Justice The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most ratified international human rights treaty to date.

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My biggest take away from reviewing the resources is that the ratio of individuals to mental health providers is 350 to 1. Advice to those struggling includes things like, “get a referral to a mental health provider” when many Americans have inadequate and overpriced healthcare (and even those with access may be denied up to 30% of the time by their insurance). It feels like barrier stacked upon barrier to so many Americans.

I did not read through many of the resources before taking the quizzes, which got me poor results. My husband and I adopted two of our five children and I have been learning what I can to best support our collective mental health. In our family, three out of five kids have mental health related diagnoses. I’ve had to fight with our insurance to get them the care they need in times of crisis, even using my position (at the time) in the mental health department with the US Air Force to push for referrals to providers that could help. I’m

happy to report that we have had appropriate care since then, but it required physical access to secure locations in order to get it.

In my ongoing role as a mother of five children, knowledge of how to respond to traumatic experiences as well as how to work through old trauma is invaluable. Two of my children spent time in foster care and I’ve read a lot of perspectives on things that can support them. This is one more source of tools for my toolkit.

One tool I’ve found in my research is bilateral stimulation. It’s a tool I use when I feel anxious or stressed. I will tap on alternate sides of my body or listen to music in headphones that moves from ear to ear. The tapping method is one I used when my toddler was having a tooth pulled. It was a traumatic experience for me. Afterwards, I used the same tapping on my son and I am surprised to report he never really had an aversion to seeing the dentist after that experience. For music, I usually look up 8D playlists on Spotify, but there are specific bilateral stimulation ones too.

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Grand Falls Recovery - Missouri Alcohol and Drug Rehab

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Bilateral Stimulation for Anxiety and PTSD in Rehab | Grand Falls

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Bilateral stimulation offers effective tools for anxiety and PTSD in rehab. Learn how this therapy supports addiction recovery.

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My biggest takeaway from this assignment was that Seasonal Affective Disorder can have a summer component that impacts people differently than the winter version (National Institute of Mental Health, 2023). This is very applicable to those of us in the heat of Texas.

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One of my biggest takeaways from this training was the idea of "moral distress". I took a picture of the definition and sent it to my partner. Giving a name to a problem helps in some ways.

"Moral distress occurs when people are prevented from doing what they believe is right or ethical, due to institutional or other constraints" (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.).

Currently, I feel like I am in a ever flowing state of moral distress when I look at each new executive order, as people are being deported, and as a genocide is being carried out with my tax dollars.

Because I do not have a specific future role, I will be using this idea in my relationships as I support my husband and my partner as we experience this moral distress.

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I am a mother of five children from ages 9 to 18 and I was unaware of many of the statistics around drug use in these ages. Working on this assignment has enabled me to have more information when I talk with my kids as well as friends or clients who have school age children. As a parent, I am taking a harm reduction view of substance use. I will inform my children at an age appropriate level of the harms of substance use and encourage them to wait until age 21 for alcohol and 25 for THC (CDC, 2024).

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Calderon, D. (2022, July 24). Summer-Pattern SAD or Summer Depression - Self-Love Rainbow. Self-Love Rainbow. https://www.selfloverainbow.com/summer-pattern-sad-or-summer-depression/

CDC. (2024, April 16). Cannabis and Brain Health. Cannabis and Public Health. https://www.cdc.gov/cannabis/health-effects/brain-health.html

King-Guffey, C., & Becker, J. (2022, September 13). How Do US States Measure Up on Child Rights? Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/feature/2022/09/13/how-do-states-measure-up-child-rights

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. (2025). The ten stages of genocide. Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. https://hmd.org.uk/learn-about-the-holocaust-and-genocides/what-is-genocide/the-ten-stages-of-genocide/

Medvide, M. B. (2024). View of Teaching Cultural Competence and Social Justice in a Mental Health Counseling Graduate Course: Reflection and Review of the Literature. Bsu.edu. https://openjournals.bsu.edu/jsacp/article/view/3290/2136

National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.). Psychological First Aid Online. NCTSN Learning Center. Retrieved March 3, 2025, from https://learn.nctsn.org/course/view.php?id=596

National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Seasonal Affective Disorder. Www.nimh.nih.gov; National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder

Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2016). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. (7th ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

United Nations. (2024). The 35th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child | United Nations. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/delegate/35th-anniversary-convention-rights-child

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The Code of Ethics is a useful tool as reference in my future career. However, I will not be practicing as a counselor because I am on the non-license, non-certification track. I intend to use my degree to be a better parent and perhaps do online wellness coaching or professional listening.

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I intend to practice as a health and wellness coach, so I will need to be aware of my scope of practice and refer clients out if they have challenges interfering with their daily life. If a client has issues from the past that seem to be impacting their progress, it may be necessary to refer them to a therapist or psychiatrist. Clients who have had histories of trauma and have not had mental help support will likely benefit from a variety of professionals. I will discuss these possibilities as part of our intake process and give clients a warm hand off to local professionals as needed.

As always, suicide, homicide, psychosis, substance abuse, child abuse, or elder abuse are flags that indicate outside professional help (and possible law enforcement notification) is required.

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Eating Recovery Center

(Support Groups)

(210) 529-7365

Family Hospital at Bandera

(emergency)

(210) 332-5460

Hill Country Counseling and Associates

(210) 838-5514

Narcissist Survivor Group

(210) 920-8135

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Latasha Davis

online therapy + LGBTQ support

(682) 204-4832

Ana Marcela Rodriguez

bilingual online therapy

(972) 715-1940

24 Hour Crisis/Mental Health

Substance Abuse Helpline

1-(800)-316-9241

(210) 223-SAFE(7233)

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Sue and Sue (2016) point out that cultural competence in counseling (or any institutional practice) without understanding the role of oppression and power is ineffective. I will be working to not only be multiculturally competent, but with a mind towards social justice and anti-racism (Medvide, 2024).

Being culturally competent as a white woman may include awareness of historic and ongoing injustice. Offering resources in different languages and respecting the religious beliefs of clients is also key. As a formerly religious person, I will need to hold space for the fact that many people find comfort and solace in their religion and it is not necessarily harmful to do so.

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This assignment was the first time I've put myself in the shoes of the counselor and the counselee. Doing this in the future can help me understand both roles and make adjustments accordingly.