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Raising Awareness Campaigns in the United States

Sweetie 2.0 Stop Webcam Child Sex

At any time of the day, an estimated 750,000 men are looking for online webcam sex with children, even while you are reading this. With the campaign ‘Sweetie 2.0: stop webcam child sex, Terre des Hommes takes it all a step further to eradicate webcam child sex once and for all. In a joint action with national and international specialists, Terre des Hommes is working on an innovative software system that can be implemented worldwide to combat webcam sex with children. This software is aimed at identifying and deterring millions of potential offenders. The system will be entirely aligned with national and international frameworks for investigation and prosecution. At the same time, we carry out extensive research into the impact of this preventive approach.

Shaken Baby Syndrome

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Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT) is a form of child abuse resulting from violent shaking or shaking and impacting of the head of an infant or small child. 80% of surviving victims suffer lifelong disabilities and 25% of the children die. Most cases of shaken baby syndrome occur among infants that are younger than 6 months old which is when babies tend to cry the most and as a result the parents or caretakers become impatient. Babies have soft brains, weak neck muscles and delicate blood vessels. Shaking a baby or young child can cause their brain to repeatedly hit the inside of the skull. This impact can trigger bruising in the brain, bleeding in the brain, and brain swelling.

The consequences of the shaking can be very severe with injuries having the potential to result in death or permanent neurologic disability. Each year in the U.S. there are approximately 1,300 reported cases of SBS/AHT.

Recently asked questions

Can Tossing My Baby in the Air or Rough Play Cause SBS?

SBS is a form of child abuse that happens when an infant or small child is violently shaken. Shaken injuries are not caused by: 

Bouncing a baby on your knee.
Tossing a baby in the air.
Jogging or bicycling with your baby.
Falls off a couch or other furniture.
Sudden stops in a car or driving over bumps.

Although the activities listed above can be dangerous and are not recommended, they will likely not cause SBS injuries.

Why is shaking a baby dangerous?

Violent shaking for just a few seconds has the potential to cause severe injuries. While shaking may cause injury to children of any age, children are most susceptible to being injured during their first year of life. Factors that contribute to a baby’s vulnerability include:

Babies heads are heavy and large in proportion to their body size.
Babies have weak neck muscles.
Babies have fragile, undeveloped brains.
There is a large size and strength difference between the victim and the perpetrator.

Possible Signs and Symptoms of SBS/AHT

Lethargy / decreased muscle tone
Extreme irritability
Decreased appetite, poor feeding or vomiting for no apparent reason
Grab-type bruises on arms or chest
No smiling or vocalization
Poor sucking or swallowing
Rigidity or posturing
Difficulty breathing
Decreased level of consciousness
Seizures
Head or forehead appears larger than usual
Soft spot on head appears to be bulging
Inability to lift head
Inability of eyes to focus or track movement
Unequal size of pupils

Consequences of SBS/AHT

Learning disabilities
Physical disabilities
Visual disabilities or blindness
Hearing impairment
Speech disabilities
Cerebral Palsy
Seizures
Behavior disorders
Cognitive impairment
Death

Information on this page is not intended to replace advice by a health care professional. If you suspect a child has been shaken, seek immediate medical attention.