You can prevent it.
T. Sarmiento R. Smith W. Staheli R. Montgomery
Table of Contents History: Child Abuse
1
Solution One
6
Solution Two
7
Solution Three
8
Pros and Cons
10
Additional Resources
12
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of overcoming it.” --Helen Keller “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of overcoming it.” - Helen Keller
History: Child Abuse
“King Solomon Teaching a Child”
Children have been beaten and abandoned for many thousands of years, based on the belief that children are the property of their parents. Early civilizations regularly abandoned deformed or unwanted children, and the ritual sacrifice of children to appease the gods took place in the Egyptian, Carthaginian, Roman, Greek, and Aztec societies. In Roman society the father had complete control over the family, even to the extent that he could kill his children for disobedience. During the Middle Ages (c. 350–c. 1450) in Europe, healthy but unwanted children were apprenticed to work or offered to convents and monasteries. In thirteenth-century England the law read, “If one beats a child until it bleeds, it will remember, but if one beats it to death, the law applies” (Albrecht Peiper, Chronik der Kinderheilkunde, Leipzig, Germany: Georg Thieme, 1966). Children and parents were taught that beatings were in the child’s best interest. In The Babees’Book: Medieval Manners for the Young, a primer on manners used first in the eleventh century in France to educate the upper classes, a verse in “How the Good Wife Taught Her Daughter” instructed future mothers, “But take a smart rod and beat them in a row/Till they cry mercy and their guilt well
know/Dear child by this lore/They will love thee ever more” (York University, http://www.yorku. ca/inpar/babees_rickert.pdf [accessed November 2, 2004]). Support for severe corporal punishment for children from their parents was found in the Bible and from religious leaders. Several verses in Proverbs (Proverbs 22:15, Proverbs 23:13–14, and Proverbs 29:15), summed up in the phrase, “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” were cited as justification for beating children. It should be noted that the biblical “rod” referred to was a shepherd’s rod, used to guide the sheep in the right direction, not to beat the sheep. Church elders taught that children were born corrupted by original sin, and the only path to salvation was “to beat the Devil out of the child.” • The first case that caught public attention in the United States was that of nine-year-old Mary Ellen in 1874.
“Mary Ellen, was a nine-year-old child in New York City, neighbors contacted a church social worker, Etta Angell Wheeler, when they heard disturbances from the little girl’s residence. Upon investigating the child’s home, the social worker found her suffering from malnutrition, serious physical abuse, and neglect. Mary Ellen was living with Mary and Francis Connolly. The girl, who was said to be the illegitimate daughter of Mrs. Connolly’s first husband, was apprenticed to the couple. At that time there were laws protecting animals, but no local, state, or federal laws protected children. Consequently, Wheeler turned to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) for help. The case was presented to the court on the theory that the child was a member of the animal kingdom and therefore entitled to the same protection from abuse that the law gave to animals. The court agreed, and the child, because she was considered an animal, was taken from her brutal foster mother. In court Mary Ellen related how her foster mother beat her daily with a leather whip and cut her face with scissors. She was not allowed to play with other children and was locked in the bedroom whenever her “mamma” left the house. The court placed the child in an orphanage. She was later adopted by the social worker’s family. The court found Mary Connolly guilty of assault and battery for felonious assault with scissors and for beatings that took place during 1873 and 1874. She was sentenced to one year of hard labor in a penitentiary.”
Mary Ellen Wilson’s case led to the founding of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) in 1875.
1
The first child protective agency in the world, the NYSPCC continues in the twenty-first century to work for the best interests of children. Similar societies were soon organized in other U.S. cities. By 1922, fifty-seven societies for the prevention of cruelty to children and 307 other humane societies had been established to tend to the welfare of children. After the federal government began intervening in child welfare, the number of these societies declined. In 1974 Congress passed the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA; Public Law 93-247).
The law stated: “[Child abuse and neglect refer to] the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child under age eighteen, or the age specified by the child protection law of the state in question, by a person who is responsible for the child’s welfare under circumstances which indicate the child’s health or welfare is harmed or threatened thereby, as determined in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.” http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1361/Child-Abuse-History-ABUSEDURING-INDUSTRIAL-REVOLUTION.html”>Child Abuse—A History - Abuse during the Industrial Revolution http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1360/Child-Abuse-History-OVERVIEW.html”>Child Abuse—A History - Overview
Child Abuse: A Problem Today Children deserve to live in homes where they are loved and well cared for without any fear of being harmed physically, psychologically, or sexually. Although child abuse has its roots in Anglo-American common law (Gale Encyclopedia) yet today has developed into a crisis of endemic proportions. In 1853 the Reverend Charles Loring Brace founded the New York Children’s Aid Society (Gale). “Reformers of the Progressive Era (circa 1880–1920) worked to rationalize the provision of social welfare services and sought an increased role for the state in addressing the abuse and neglect of dependent individuals” (Gale). By the mid-twentieth century, the medical profession began to take a more prominent role in policing child abuse. In 1961, the American Academy of Pediatrics held a conference on “battered child syndrome,” and a sub-sequent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association published guidelines for identifying physical and emotional signs of abuse in patients (Gale). The federal Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 established new guidelines for the states that included mandatory termination of a parent’s rights to all of his or her chil-
2
dren when the parent had murdered, committed a felony assault on, or conspired, aided, or abetted the abuse of any of his or her children (Gale). Even with all of the attempts by government to remedy the indignity of child abuse, it continues today. Research has shown that child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education. However, there are some risk factors involved in the different types of child abuse which can increase the chances of occurrence: Sexual Abuse is defined as the deliberate exposure of minor children to sexual activity. This means a child is forced or talked into sex or sexual activities by another person (Chase). 1. Alcohol and drug abuse 2. Family troubles 3. Poverty 4. History of physical or sexual abuse by abuser 5.Psychiatric disorder 6.Pedophilia
Psychological Abuse is defined as child neglect and is a form of child abuse that occurs when someone intentionally does not provide a child with food, water, shelter, clothing, medical care, or other necessities: 1. Mental illness 2. Poverty 3. Stresses in the family 4. Substance abuse by parents or caregivers
Physical Abuse is defined as non-accidental child trauma which refers to fractures and other signs of injury that occur when a child is hit in anger: 1. Alcoholism 2. Drug Abuse 3. Being a Single Parent 4. Lack of Education 5. Poverty
A Big Problem
The statistics surrounding the effects of child abuse are very alarming. The biggest problem of all is that the incidence of child abuse does not merely affect the child but also his or her contribution to society. It has been suggested that for every child that is raised properly, the contribution to this country is one million dollars over the lifetime of that child. Those children who have been abused contribute negatively to the economy by a total average of two million dollars. This leaves us with a very large financial burden that can never be recouped, not to mention the physical and psychological damage to the individual them self. Consider the following statistics: • Four percent of parents in the United States are grossly incompetent and some seven million children have been abused or neglected (Insight Magazine) • Parents are free to neglect and abuse the child until the child demonstrates sufficient evidence of damage to warrant state intervention (Insight Magazine) • A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds(www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics • More than five children die every day as a result of child abuse (www.childhelp.org/pages/ statistics) • The estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States for 2007 is $104 billion (www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics) • About 80% of 21 year olds that were abused as children met criteria for at least one
•
• • •
psychological disorder (www.childhelp.org/ pages/statistics) About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse(www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics) Approximately 80% of children that die from abuse are under the age of four (www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics) Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy (www.childhelp.org/ pages/statistics) Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime (www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics)
3
The Effects of Child Abuse
“Abused Girl”
• Vitcims of child abuse are more likely to experience bouts of depression and anxiety A current study exposed abused and non-abused children (age range 7-12) to visual and auditory stimuli that contained some level of emotional intensity. They monitored the reactions of the children to these stimuli through brain imaging and other methods, and were particularly concerned with how attention to certain material was different between the groups. The authors summarized the results this way: “…we found that abused children (a) exhibited increased voluntary attention toward both facial and vocal anger cues, (b) were involuntarily drawn to vocal anger cues, and (c) were especially responsive to facial signals of anger from their own parent. These features of children’s cognitive processing of emotion appear related to children’s problems with anxiety.” This gives some very sound scientific data to how abuse can change a child’s cognitive processing of information (Shackman et al (2007). Physical abuse amplifies attention to threat and increases anxiety in children. Emotion, 7, 838-852). In one long-term study, as many as 80 percent of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21. These young adults exhibited many problems, including depression,
anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide attempts (Silverman, Reinherz, & Giaconia, 1996). • Victims of child abuse can have language deficits Children who are neglected had more problems in receptive and expressive language than physically abused children and the nonabused control group (Augoustinos, 1987; Gauthier et al., 1996). Child abuse and neglect have been shown, in some cases, to cause important regions of the brain to fail to form properly, resulting in impaired physical, mental, and emotional development (Perry, 2002; Shore, 1997). • Victims of child abuse can have disruptive disorders A common problem found in children who have been abused is disruptive disorders. It has been shown that at least 30% of people who have been physically abused have lifetime disruptive disorder diagnosis, such as oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder (Kaplan et al., 1999). Individuals who were physically abused also showed higher aggressive and delinquent behaviours (Kaplan et al., 1999; Briere & Runtz, 1990). A National Institute of Justice study indicated being abused or neglected as a child increased the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 59 percent. Abuse and neglect increased the likelihood of adult criminal behavior by 28 percent and violent crime by 30 percent (Widom & Maxfield, 2001).
“A lot of people in our community don’t want to believe that child abuse happens in their neighborhoods — but it does.” -Shari Pulliam
4
Interview Interview with with Sue Sue Somsen Somsen “This past week I interviewed Sue Somsen who is currently the Teacher Specialist at an elementary school in the local school district where I live. She has been in education for 40 years and has served in several leadership positions in elementary, middle, and high schools. She was more than thrilled to offer her time in order for me to complete this assignment but as soon as I mentioned it was about child abuse her countenance changed. She dreads child abuse cases and says it’s definitely the worst part of being in education. The most common type of abuse she witnesses is neglect and sadly, even though it’s reported, not much can be done. By law you must report abuse if you suspect it but if the child is not in immediate life or death situations it’s usually prolonged and pushed to the side. Naturally, the most serious forms of abuse take precedent. She noted that teachers are usually the first to see signs of abuse such as attendance, general appearance and cleanliness, aggression, and language. The “team approach” is usually best in addressing abuse problems to make sure teachers, resource administrators, and leading administrations are all on the same page and all have the same information. When I asked her question 4 she said that usually the lower class families and those of other cultures have frequented abuse. When I mentioned my solution of anger management classes for the problem she wholeheartedly agreed. She said that although you can’t change the amount of money families make, you can change lifestyles and change the way they deal with life stressors.” -Whitni Staheli
• Victims of child abuse are susceptible to increased health problems Research has revealed that sexually abused children have sleep disruption. They had higher levels and percentages of nocturnal activity, were twice as active at night and they emitted a higher percentage of their total daily activity during the night than the control groups. They took three times longer to fall asleep and had significantly poorer mean sleep efficiency (Glod, Teicher, Hartman & Harakal, 1997). A study of 700 children who had been in foster care for 1 year found more than one-
quarter of the children had some kind of recurring physical or mental health problem (National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being). A study of 9,500 HMO participants showed a relationship between various forms of household dysfunction (including childhood abuse) and long-term health problems such as sexually transmitted diseases, heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, skeletal fractures, and liver disease (Hillis, Anda, Felitti, Nordenberg, & Marchbanks, 2000; Felitti, Anda, Nordenberg, Williamson, Spitz, Edwards, Koss, & Marks, 1998).
5
Solution One Providing classes on child care and family relationships to help create parenting-rich communities and prevent future mistreatment of children. Child care classes: A state required course that is completed in high school. This would help teenagers to understand the impact of their choices and the magnitude of parenthood. Family relationship classes: Available in mainly low-income communities or possibly
required completion of course in order to meet welfare or subsidized housing requirements. Parenting-rich communities: “Parenting-rich communities are those where parents have the internal and external resources needed to support the optimal development of all children at every stage of life.”
Key Components of the Program Explained Emphasis on primary prevention. These programs are intended to inform indi¬viduals with potentially high risk of becoming child abuse perpetrators and change their out¬look on and understanding of parenting, before those individuals cause harm to their children. This may also relate to reducing teenage sexual promiscuity, as child bearing directly relates to students’ sexual activity. Addressing these two problem areas will help to stop the cycle of violence before it repeats itself. Each of the Five Protective Factors is met. Five Protective Factors are given to help parents identify and build their own strengths and help them enhance their parenting capacity. (“Child Welfare Information Gateway: Protecting Children, Strengthening Families”) The Five Protective Factors 1. Nurturing and attachment—Building a close bond helps parents better understand, respond to, and communicate with their children. Family relationship classes can help to develop nurturing and attachment between parents and children. 2. Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development—Parents learn what to look for at each age and how to help their children reach their full potential. Both
6
family relationship and child care classes can address knowledge of child development. 3. Parental resilience—recognizing the signs of stress and enhancing problem-solving skills can help parents build their capacity to cope.Both family relationship and child care classes can address parental resilience. 4. Social connections—Parents with an extensive network of family, friends, and neighbors have better support in times of need. Family relationship classes can build social connections among local parents. 5. Concrete supports for parents—Caregivers with access to financial, housing, and other concrete resources and services that help them meet their basic needs can better attend to their role as parents. Because family relationship class enrollment is generally based on financial supplement and housing need, resources and services will be able to be offered and provided with the knowledge that they are reaching their targeted audience.
Supplying readily available information to those that otherwise may not seek it out. • High-risk individuals are those that may have experienced abuse or neglect in their childhood and are more likely to view those practices as acceptable behavior. • Low income families are at a higher risk for abusing or neglecting their children. Requiring completion of child care and family relationship classes would ensure that this group is targeted to eliminate or reduce the likelihood of abuse and neglect of children. • “One study found that a child living in a family with an annual income of $15,000 or less was 22 times more likely to be abused than one in a family with an income of $30,000 or more.” (“We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America.”) • Teenage parents are at a higher risk for abusing or neglecting their children. Teenage parents are generally inexperienced and have high levels of stress, due to their own necessary development. Child care classes would help to open the eyes of high school students to the realities of parenthood and the expectations placed upon them.
Measuring impact and effect. • These programs could run in trial areas, and their effectiveness could then be accounted for. With adjustment as necessary, it could then be rolled out into a nationwide endeavor. • In order to measure impact and effectiveness of a particular program, data must be tracked and obtained. Before, during, and after each cycle of classes, documentation will be made in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. • Measure impact and effectiveness of other current programs. Those that are not meeting the need or providing significant changes can be cut and the funding used instead to support this program. • “Substantial reductions in the prevalence and incidence of child abuse and neglect and the alleviation of its consequences are matters of the highest national priority.” [CAPTA (Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act)] • As a matter of highest national priority, any additional cost would be justified, and of course, accounted for as necessary.
Solution Two
Parental Licensure • Parental licensure would provide a way for unskilled parents to learn about child rearing before they actually become parents which in turn would lower the increasing rate of child abuse in our nation. • Licensing would require prospective parents to learn correct principles and practices of child-rearing so that they could apply this knowledge in the nurture and care of their
children. • Parents would be required to obtain a license before having children. Parents not complying would lose their children to the state and parents deemed unfit by the state would not be allowed to have children. • If our society is to appropriately value parenthood, a new paradigm for parenting is needed
7
Key Components of Parental Licensing
• The existing paradigm is that children are the property of their biological parents. Anyone who conceives and gives birth to a child has the full care and custody of that child until the child is damaged by abuse or neglect. No one asks if that person is capable of parenting that child (Westman). • Because the society must contend with the social repercussions of incompetent parenting, the government has a role in preventing child neglect and abuse (Westman). • The time has come to consider protecting children from incompetent parenting by setting parenting standards through licensing before they are damaged by abuse and neglect (Westman). • Parent licensing would not attempt to
distinguish between good and less good parenting or to prescribe parenting styles. It would exclude only those who are obviously unqualified (Westman). • It would not be a birth control measure, although it probably would influence procreation by conveying the message that society holds expectations for child rearing (Westman) • Many people have not been raised in homes where they learned the skills necessary for proficient parenting and need the education necessary to obtain a license as in other professional disciplines. (It is important to note that there are no statistics regarding parental licensure because it is a hypothetical solution/theory with not very much research available)
Solution Three Anger management and/or emotional redirection classes • While anger is a common emotion and familiar among all, many parents struggle with conveying feelings of anger and dealing with their anger constructively. • Classes will aid parents in recognizing personal anger, addressing underlying causes
and triggers, and identifying alternate channels of expression to manage anger issues in a positive manner. • By learning how to effectively deal with anger, parents can improve their relationships with their children.
Key Components of Anger management and/or emotional redirection classes
8
Have parents participate in the RETHINK program created by Dr. Eva Feindler, founder of the Psychological Services Centre at Long Island University • RETHINK teaches parents clear, developmentally appropriate information about infants, toddlers, preschoolers, children ages 6 to 11, and adolescents. Parents can learn about anger triggers, developmental tasks, practical parenting tips, and how to channel their child’s or youth’s anger as well
as their own. R - recognizing when you are angry E - empathizing and seeing other’s point of view T - thinking about what gets you angry H - hearing where the other person is coming from I - integrating anger with love and respect N - noticing what your body feels like when you’re angry K - keeping the conversation in the present
• 100% of those who have participated in a RETHINK program have reported that their knowledge about parenting and anger management had increased as a direct result of participating in RETHINK. • 68% of them have reported on the posttest that they now have more realistic expectations of their children/youth. • Participants’ family conflict levels fell; overall anger levels fell, reasoning levels rose, verbal aggression levels fell, and physical aggression levels fell. How to deal with anger Expressing Expressing your angry feelings in an assertive—not aggressive—manner is the healthiest way to express anger. To do this, you have to learn how to make clear what your needs are, and how to get them met, without hurting oth-
ers. Suppressing Anger can be suppressed, and then converted or redirected. This happens when you hold in your anger, stop thinking about it, and focus on something positive. The aim is to inhibit or suppress your anger and convert it into more constructive behavior. Calming Calm down inside. This means not just controlling your outward behavior, but also controlling your internal responses, taking steps to lower your heart rate, calm yourself down, and let the feelings subside. Dr. Spielberger, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in the study of anger notes, “when none of these three techniques work, that’s when someone—or something—is going to get hurt.”
Interview Interview with with Cynthia Cynthia “I interviewed Cynthia from Lake Sumpter Children’s Advocacy Center here in Florida. Because it was Thanksgiving week we were unable to meet in person so I scheduled a telephone interview for Monday morning at 11:30. I emailed my list of questions to Cynthia in advance so she would have time to prepare her answers. She was very accommodating and genuine and we had a nice discussion about her company and what they do for children of abuse. Their mission statement is to provide a child friendly, communitybased facility where a child victim can be safely interviewed, provided with crisis counseling and therapy, and receive specialized medical exams where needed. They are a non-profit and accredited by the National Children’s Alliance. Children’s Advocacy Center provides many services to children who have been abused. Specialized counseling, community prevention programs, medical exams after the abuse has been reported, child protection teams, and they coordinate with other agencies in the investigation process. The state has to follow protocol and although the Center can sometimes be frustrated by the process, they always believe the child and provide services whether the state can prove abuse or not. Cynthia said that she feels the biggest cause of abuse is generational meaning children learn from their parents, are influenced by the home environment and boundary issues within the family. Although she had never heard of parental licensure she felt that it was not a practical solution although positive in nature especially because she believes that education is the most important prevention tool. She felt that one of the most important things others can do is be a good neighbor and report any abuse that you believe might be taking place. It can be done anonymously so there is really no reason not to help in this small but significant way.” -Ramona Montgomery
“No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.” -- George Jean Nathan 9
Pros and Cons Solution One • These programs target areas that are proven to be high risk for child abuse and neglect. • It would help raise national attention to the cause of reducing child abuse, as well as increasing awareness of parents. • The programs would be able to prevent child abuse before it starts, much more effective than trying to reverse the physical and emotional ramifications a lifetime of abusiveness towards a child.
• Teaching high school students about child care could be argued among advocates for abstinence vs. sexual education. The specifics of the curriculum would need to be approved by both sides of the argument in order to be taught. • As with all programs, funding must come from somewhere. While it’s easy to say that we would cut unnecessary programs to divert funds into a more useful setting, there’s serious time and effort put into doing so. • There may be concerns as to whether or not it is constitutional or not to target specific groups and require their completion of courses. Also, this doesn’t address child abuse and neglect in other economic groups.
Interview with with Wendy Wendy Shepard Shepard Interview
I interviewed Wendy Shepherd, the founder and CEO of Voices Empowered, a company that focuses on empowering survivors of violence and/or trauma by creating a space in which the vulnerable can speak, allowing healing, wellness, and hope. We talked about the importance that individuals, family members, community members, and government play in helping with the issue of child abuse. She mentioned that there are only two ways of dealing with child abuse: either prevention or intervention, while prevention is the preferred method, it the least funded. Intervention is typically done by courts, police, Child Protective Services, medical, mental health, foster care, and criminal justice systems. However, she felt that the most important things that can be done to prevent child abuse are “community involvement for prevention, and giving people (adults and children) coping skills and interpersonal communication skills.” Her favorite question that I asked was directed at what I can do as a community member in order to help prevent or stop child abuse. I’d like to share her comments below: First, recognize that it affects EVERYONE (at least economically). Because it is a community problem, it demands a community response. Everyone can do something. Here are some examples: • Offer to watch a newborn for an hour so a new parent can take a needed nap • Hold a crying baby to relieve a stressed parent • LISTEN • Ask, “How can I help?” • Find out about local resources and refer families • Give out a crisis number, such as 1-800-4-A-CHILD
• Read to a child • Bring a family a meal • Smile at a child • Get involved: Support prevention programs by voting, talking to legislators and community leaders. Be active in policy change making decisions. • Be a foster parent • Be an adoptive parent
• Be a mentor • Listen to and support children and families • Join your local regional child abuse prevention council • SPONSOR A CHILD • Donate: Support sparsely funded programs as much as you can – give to families in need • Volunteer: Understaffed
programs value your time and effort. • Become a partner with VOICES EMPOWERED • Vote for leaders who put children first • Provide a Safe Place: Be a support, a friend, and a listener to families • Recognize signs and symptoms of abuse
And her final comments were these: “If you are not doing anything about it, you are allowing it to continue. We must value children in our society.” What a powerful reminder of our responsibility in helping end the vicious cycle of child abuse. -Tracy Sarmiento
10
Solution Two • Implementing parental licensure would drastically lower the rate of child abuse by providing education in order to obtain the license and also isolate those individuals who are either not prepared for parenthood or unfit to be parents. It would keep many people from having children before they are prepared to do so. • According to government statistics, the percentage of children who are abused and then go on to commit crimes warranting incarceration is excessive. These statistics could be reduced through proper education through licensing for the parents of these children and in turn would decrease crime in this country. • A very high percentage of the child deaths in this country are due to neglect and/or abuse. By instituting parental licensure this statistic would be drastically reduced through proper education and preparation of parents before their children are born.
• There would be some fear that the government control of licensing parents could lead to denial of a license to some people who are actually fit to parent. What would be the remedy to repair this scenario and how would this be implemented? Most people feel there are already too many governmental controls currently.Could establish population control • One of the biggest objections to parental licensure is that it could lead to population control and critics claim that we could wind up like China where the government regulates how many children a family can have. This combined with the fear that the government could discriminate against certain persons and deny licensure without cause forces people to reject this idea. • Parental licensure is not a politically viable solution. Who would determine what the criterion for a “fit” parent is and who would be qualified to teach the required education classes? Would the individual states mandate the licensure as with marriage licenses or would the federal government impose their will against the people? Political parties would not be able to reach a consensus on this proposed solution.
Solution Three • As parents learn how to channel their negative feelings into proactive ways, child abuse can be reduced • This solution has no bounds as it is reaches all races, socioeconomic statuses, etc. • The information parents would learn from taking such classes provide them with lifelong learning
• Some parents may participate in such courses but do so halfheartedly, knowing deep down they aren’t planning on changing • Taking such a class may be an embarrassment to a parent and therefore would prevent them from taking it, they don’t want others to know about their problems • Who would teach such classes, where would they be taught, how much would they cost, etc. AKA unorganized logistics
11
Additional Resources Websites • • • • •
http://www.futureofchildren.org/ http://www.parentsanonymous.org/ http://www.childabuseprevention.org/ http://child-abuse.com/ www.voicesempowered.org.
Organizations • U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect • Administration for Children, Youth, and Families.; United States. • Parents Anonymous • Child Abuse Prevention
You can prevent it. 12
Appendix The following pages provide a biography of each member of the team. It also explains why they chose to develop an issue book on the subject of child abuse. You will find the details of what task each team member completed along with a personal refelction on the lessons they learned while completing this project.
Biographies
1
Why Child Abuse?
2
What We Did
3
Strategic Research
4
Interview Questions
8
Personal Reflections
9
Biographies Tracy Sarmiento Hi there! My name is Tracy Sarmiento and I live in Glendale, Arizona. I’ve been married to my very best friend, Freddy, for just over four years and we have an adorable two year old son, Nathan. I love spending time with my family and nothing makes me happier than seeing how our son learns and develops as he grows. I’m currently in my senior year at Brigham Young University-Idaho, and can’t wait until I graduate this April. Some of my favorite things include traveling, cleaning up around the house, be-
Rose Smith Hi! My name is Rose Smith. I recently married the most wonderful man! We are having a blast being newlyweds! I love to be with my husband. We both love to be outdoors. I love to hike, run, and travel. Currently I am starting my own photography business, which will just add to the craziness of our lives! I have a couple more semesters at BYU-I before I graduate. I also love music! I play the guitar and the piano and am trying to learn how to play the harmonica. I also love any kind of sports, especially
Ramona Montgomery Ramona Montgomery is a senior at Brigham Young University Idaho and will be graduating this spring with a degree in English and Communications. Ramona has been married to Robert Montgomery for twenty-eight years and they have four children; Maryssa, Jesse, Robby, and Sarah. She and her family reside in Eustis, Florida which is a small town just outside of Orlando. Ramona’s aspirations are to become a professional writer and in the interim teach high school English and Journalism upon graduation.
Whitni Staheli My name is Whitni Staheli and I’m a senior finally on the road to graduation and real life (aka freedom!) with a degree in Marriage & Family/Communications. Ya baby! I’ve been married to my very own personal Prince Charming for the past 2 ½ years. I enjoy pomegranates, playing soccer, kicking my husband’s tush in cards, cottage cheese with apples, making bread, singing at the top of my lungs to any and every song even though I lack the melodious capacity, and playing practical jokes.
1
Why Child Abuse? “As a parent of a two year old, I understand the importance of my role as a parent. Unfortunately, with the overwhelming number of child abuse and neglect cases broadcast in the news each night, it’s clear that not every parent has that same understanding. With our values project, we discussed the option of introducing parental licensing in order to help protect children and help ensure that they would be able to be raised with competent parents. When it came to our issue book, parental licensing seemed to be a bit of a theory and to still lack concrete research that would result in a solid argument for our cause. Changing our argument to instead addressing child abuse seemed like a natural course that would still help to improve the lives of children across the country.”
-Tracy Sarmiento
“For our values presentation project we chose to address the issue of parental licensing. When choosing a topic for our issue book we wanted to stay in the realm of family issues, but felt it was better to choose a topic with more information. We all agreed on addressing the issue of child abuse. I feel that we all hope this will one day cease and my team members have come up with great ways that could help curtail and prevent child abuse from occurring.”
-Rose Smith
“For our Policy Presentation our group originally selected the interesting and little known subject of parental licensure as a solution to the ever increasing problem of child abuse in this country. We decided to expand this to the overall subject of child abuse and the different solutions to the problem for our Issue Book. We feel that child abuse has reached endemic proportions in the United States and that something must be done to intervene in the lives of so many innocent children. My individual topic will include the above mentioned parental licensure as one way to solve the problem of child abuse and I will also be writing about the overall scope of the problem.”
-Ramona Montgomery
“My team selected the issue of child abuse because of the tragedy it is and because so many lives are affected by it each and every day. We came upon this specific concern after discussing potential tangents based off of our previous values presentation. There we addressed the issue of parental licensing or in other words, the idea that parents should have to obtain a license in order to have children. With that came several positive and several negative sides, one of which was the prevention of child abuse. Knowing how serious child abuse is and being intrigued in addressing ways to prevent it, our team took on the issue.”
-Whitni Staheli
2
What We Did Tracy
“I researched the history and nature of child abuse, as well as proposing the first of three solutions: to provide classes on child care and family relationships to help create parenting-rich communities and prevent future mistreatment of children. I also gave input on other team members’ solutions and contributions to help better our issue book overall.�
Ramona
My basic task was to complete the strategic research regarding the overall scope and understanding of the issue of child abuse. I also did the strategic research for parental licensure as a possible solution for the problem. I was also responsible for completing an interview with a practitioner connected with the field of child abuse in my area. I was accountable to the members of my group to help provide feedback for their individual research assignments as well as feedback to our editor regarding the Issue Book basic design and layout. Other tasks I completed were; to provide three organizations involved with the issue of child abuse, suggest three websites which contained pertinent information about our topic, and list eight different sources which are related to the problem of child abuse. I volunteered to help our editor with the editing of the articles because this is one of my strengths.
Rose
I created the layout for our issue book. I spent many hours hoping to convey through images and the layout the importance yet hopefulness of the issue of child abuse. I watched tutorials that would help me to learn how to create a more interesting and pleasing layout for our book. I gathered all the information my team member completed and compiled them in the book and placed them in a manner that would be easy to read.
Whitni
I researched the ramifications of the child abuse and proposed the solution of struggling parents taking anger management/emotional redirection classes as a way to learn how to display anger/emotions in a constructive way.
3
Strategic Research Tracy Daro, Deborah. “Public Opinion and Behaviors Regarding Child Abuse Prevention: 1999 Survey.”Prevent Child Abuse America. Nov. 1999. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. “Creating Parenting-Rich Communities.” Child Welfare League of America. n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. Peddle, Nancy, et. al. “Current Trends in Child Abuse Prevention and Fatalities: THE 2000 FIFTY STATE SURVEY.”Prevent Child Abuse America. Sep. 2002. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2010). Child Maltreatment 2009. Web. 15 Nov. 2011.
“Preventing Child Maltreatment: a guide to taking action and generating evidence.” World Health Organization. International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. 2006. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. “Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. “Child Welfare Information Gateway: Protecting Children, Strengthening Families.” U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. “We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America.” Every Child Matters Education Fund, Washington D.C. Sep 2010. Web. 14 Nov 2011.
Ramona 1. Insight Magazine. “Licensing Parents Would Help Children” by Jack C.Westman: Parental licensure would provide a way for unskilled parents to learn about child rearing before they actually become parents which in turn would lower the increasing rate of child abuse in our nation. Licensing would require prospective parents to learn correct principles and practices of child-rearing so that they could apply this knowledge in the nurture and care of their children. Key Facts: A. Cases of child maltreatment rose from 690,840 in 1985 to 1,016,000 in 1993, an increase of 47 percent.
4
B. Four percent of parents in the United States are grossly incompetent and some seven million children have been abused or neglected. C. Parents are free to neglect and abuse the child until the child demonstrates sufficient evidence of damage to warrant state intervention. D. The ethical thing to do is to prevent the abuse of children before it happens.E. Society must engender within its citizens the awareness of what it is to be a good parent and the high calling of parenthood must be more adequately recognized, respected and honored by our society. Therein lies the future of our nation.
2. “Gale Encyclopedia of US History: Child Abuse”: The history of child abuse in the United States. Key facts: A. The treatment of child abuse in law has its origins in Anglo-American common law. B. In the nineteenth century the forces of industrialization and urbanization loosened the community ties that had traditionally served as important regulators of child abuse and neglect. In 1853 the Reverend Charles Loring Brace founded the New York Children’s Aid Society. C. Reformers of the Progressive Era (circa 1880–1920) worked to rationalize the provision of social welfare services and sought an increased role for the state in addressing the abuse and neglect of dependent individuals under the doctrine of parens patriae (the state as parent). D. By the mid-twentieth century, the medical profession began to take a more prominent role in policing child abuse. In 1961, the American Academy of Pediatrics held a conference on “battered child syndrome,” and a sub-sequent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association published guidelines for identifying physical and emotional signs of abuse in patients. E. The federal Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 established new guidelines for the states that included mandatory termination of a parent’s rights to all of his or her children when the parent had murdered, committed a felony assault on, or conspired, aided, or abetted the abuse of any of his or her children. 3.Westman, Jack. “The Rationale and Feasibility of Licensing Parents”. Society: If our society is to appropriately value parenthood, a new paradigm for parenting is needed. Key facts: A. The existing paradigm is that children are the property of their biological parents. Anyone who conceives and gives birth to a child has the full care and custody of that child until the child is damaged by abuse or neglect. No one asks if that person is capable of parenting that child.
B. Because the society must contend with the social repercussions of incompetent parenting, the government has a role in preventing child neglect and abuse. C. The time has come to consider protecting children from incompetent parenting by setting parenting standards through licensing before they are damaged by abuse and neglect. D. Parent licensing would not attempt to distinguish between good and less good parenting or to prescribe parenting styles. It would exclude only those who are obviously unqualified. E. It would not be a birth control measure, although it probably would influence procreation by conveying the message that society holds expectations for child rearing. 4. Chase, Gregory M. “Child Abuse-Sexual”. Childabuse.com; Prevention through Education and Awareness This is a thorough explanation and overall scope of what sexual child abuse is. Key Facts: A.Definition: Child sexual abuse is the deliberate exposure of minor children to sexual activity. This means a child is forced or talked into sex or sexual activities by another person. B. Causes and Risk Factors: Alcohol and drug abuse, Family troubles, Poverty, History of physical or sexual abuse by abuser, Psychiatric disorder, pedophilia C. Symptoms: Bowel disorders, Eating disorders, Genital or rectal symptoms, Repeated headaches, Sleep problems, Stomach aches, Display disruptive behaviors, Do poorly in school, Have excessive fears, Withdraw from normal activities. D. Signs and Tests: The child should be examined as soon as possible by a trained health care professional, Affected areas may include the mouth, throat, penis, anus, and vagina, Blood tests to check for sexually transmitted diseases, Photographs of injuries. E. Treatment: Treatment for the physical signs of sexual abuse is the same as for any types of cuts, bruises, or scrapes. The patient may need medicines to prevent or treat sexually transmitted diseases. Older females may receive medicines to prevent pregnancy.
5
6
5. Chase, Gregory M. “Child Abuse-Psychological or Neglect: This is a thorough explanation and overall scope of what psychological child abuse is. Key facts: A.Definition: Child neglect (also called psychological abuse) is a form of child abuse that occurs when someone intentionally does not provide a child with food, water, shelter, clothing, medical care, or other necessities. B.Causes and Risks: Mental illness, Poverty, Stresses in the family, Substance abuse by parents or caregivers. C.Symptoms: Difficulties in school, Eating disorders, leading to weight loss or poor weight gain, Emotional issues such as low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, Rebellious behavior, Sleep disorders, Vague physical complaints, Failure to Thrive. D.Signs and Tests: Children with suspected emotional abuse should be examined by a trained mental health professional. E. Treatment: Treatment of the abused child may include nutritional and mental health therapy. It may be necessary to remove the child from the home to prevent further abuse. 6. Chase, Gregory M. “Child Abuse-Physical”: This is a thorough explanation and overall scope of what physical child abuse is. Key facts: A. Definition: Physical child abuse or nonaccidental child trauma refers to fractures and other signs of injury that occur when a child is hit in anger. B. Major Risk Factors: Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, Being a Single Parent, Lack of Education, and Poverty. C. Symptoms: Black eyes, Broken bones, Bruise marks shaped like hands, fingers, or objects (such as a belt), Bruises in areas where normal childhood activities would not usually result in bruising, Bulging fontanel, Burns, Choke marks around the neck, Cigarette burns, Circular marks around the wrists or ankles, Human bite marks, Lash marks, Separated sutures, Unexplained unconsciousness in an infant. D. Signs and Tests: Any fracture in an infant, Bleeding in the back of the eye, Evidence of fractures at the tip of long bones, Evidence of
skull fracture, Fractured ribs, Internal damage, Multiple bruises that occurred at different times, Other unusual skin damage, Collection of blood in the brain. E. Treatment: The parents will need counseling or an intervention of some type. In some cases, the child may be temporarily or permanently removed from the home to prevent further danger. Life-threatening abuse or abuse resulting in permanent damage to the infant or child may result in legal action. 7. Redding, Richard E. “The Impossibility of Parental Licensure”. American Psychologist Alternatives to parental licensure that can help protect children from abuse. Key facts: A.Rather than parental licensing, psychologists should support mandatory parenting education classes in schools. B.Child protection services need to be greatly improved. C.There needs to be more research on the effectiveness of public policies and intervention programs aimed at enhancing parent-child relationships and decreasing the rates of divorce and father absence. D.Although children deserve to be raised by fit and able parents, parental licensure is neither legally nor politically viable E.The government should impose tougher child abuse laws. 8. “West’s Encyclopedia of American Law: Child Abuse” How the laws of the United States deal with the crime of child abuse. Key facts: A. Child abuse has been defined as an act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker that results in the death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation of a child, or which places the child in an imminent risk of serious harm (42 U.S.C.A. § 5106g). B. One of the first cases to bring national attention to child abuse arose in the early 1870s. An eight-year-old New York orphan named Mary Ellen Wilson complained of being whipped and beaten nearly every day by her foster family. C. In 1974 the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C.A. §§ 5105-5106) became law, authorizing federal funding for
states to identify child abuse and offer protective services for abused children. When allegations of abuse meet the statutory definitions, the state child protective services agency or a law enforcement agency steps in to investigate. D. Another function of state child protective services is record keeping, which is accomplished through a system known as the central registry. The central registry contains information about child abuse reports — both substantiated and unsubstantiated — such as the
names of the child and of the suspected abuser and the final determination made by the child protective services worker. E. The backlash against child protective services spurred the establishment, in 1984, of an information and support group known as Victims of Child Abuse Laws (VOCAL). Legislation at the state and federal levels continues to change to meet the goal of protecting children from abuse and neglect while protecting families from the damage of false accusations.
Whitni “Controlling Anger Before It Controls You.” American Pyschological Association. APA, 2011. Web. 15 Nov 2011. <http://www.apa.org/ topics/anger/control.asp&xgt;.> Fetsch, Robert J., Carol J. Schultz, and James J. Wahler. “A Preliminary Evaluation Of The Colorado Rethink Parenting And Anger Management Program.” Child Abuse & Neglect 23.4 (1999): 353-360. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Nov. 2011 “Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect.” US Department of Health & Human Services. Child Welfare Information Gateway , 2008. Web. 14 Nov 2011. <http://www. childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_ consequences.cfm>. M. Russo, et al.
“The Effects Of Child Abuse And Exposure To Domestic Violence On Adolescent Internalizing And Externalizing Behavior Problems.” Journal Of Family Violence 25.1 (2010): 53-63. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. “Prevent Child Abuse American.” . PCA, 19952011. Web. 15 Nov 2011. <www.preventchildabuse.org>. Saisan, Joanna, Melinda Smith, and Jeanne Segal. “Child Abuse & Neglect.” Helpguide.org. N.p., June 2011. Web. 14 Nov 2011. <http://helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm>.
7
Interview Questions Interview Questions by Ramona 1. What is the mission of your company and your specific job? 2. What are some of the programs used to address the problem of child abuse? 3. Are there any laws, either federal or state that interfere with you helping the children, possibly ones that tie your hands legally? 4. What is the one thing that you think most contributes to the problem of child abuse? 5. In your experience what do you think the most important thing that can be done to help prevent child abuse is? 6. Have you heard of the theory of parental licensure and if so what is your opinion about this remedy? 7. What can I do as a community member to learn more about the problem of child abuse and possibly help? Interview Questions by Whitni 1. How long have you been working in education? 2. How often have you seen child abuse in your career? 3. What steps do you personally have to take when you suspect child abuse and what is the process to solve the problem? 4. Do you see a trend and/or certain characteristics (monetarily, culturally or otherwise) in families where child abuse is present? 5. What symptoms do you look for? 6. What is the most common type of abuse that you witness? 7. What do you think is the answer to ending child abuse? Interview Questions by Tracy 1. What is the mission of your company and your specific position? 2. What are some of the programs used to address the problem of child abuse? 3. Are there any laws, either federal or state that interfere with you helping the children, possibly ones that tie your hands legally? 4. What is the one thing that you think most contributes to the problem of child abuse? 5. In your experience what do you think the most important thing that can be done to help prevent child abuse is? 6. What can I do as a community member to learn more about the problem of child abuse and possibly help? 7. Are there any other important stories, comments, or facts that you would like to share?
8
Personal Reflections “As a parent, I take my role incredibly seriously. I recognize the influence that I have on my son and how he looks to me as an example. Because of this, it’s heartbreaking to see children around me that suffer the effects of having incompetent parents. I watch the stories on the news of small children that endure situations that include abuse, neglect, and even sometimes death. I feel like as parents, we have a sacred and special role to teach our children, to raise them in a safe and secure environment, and above all, to do everything we can to ensure that they are protected from anyone that would do them harm. Because of this, I simply cannot understand some of the situations that are reported on the news in which those parents, entrusted with those beautiful children, are the very ones that lay their hands on them in frustration and anger. This simply cannot be. We, as a family, community, society, and world, must do better. With the research that I found while preparing my portion of this project, I realized that the resources are out there. Many cities and communities have resources to help families and parents, but they simply don’t have the community voice in order to reach those families and children that need it most. Often the support and help comes far too late, after the damage has been done. With children’s lives at stake, we simply cannot sit back, relax, and wait for someone else to step in. We must be the individual that makes the difference, that calls attention where needed, that is the voice for a helpless child. That is our role and we need to be aware of those needs, rather than standing by, we need to get up and help those that cannot help themselves.” -Tracy “This assignment was definitely eye opening. One of my team members submitted a story that was simply heart wrenching. It told of one of the first known accounts of child abuse and how the child was protected under the law for the protection of animals. I didn’t know that animals were given protection rights before children. I have never really researched much about child abuse and the effects that it has on the children, so while reading everyone’s research I was made more aware of the problem and how devastating it truly is to all who are affected by it. Something that was hard for me was inserting images into the issue book. I didn’t want to put anything to graphic, but I also wanted people to feel how terrible child abuse is. As I was searching for images I came across really sad ones and it made my heart reach out to children who are neglected or abused in any way. When reading the solutions my team members presented I really feel that those will help prevent child abuse. It has made me more aware of how I handle my anger and will be forever conscience of how I treat everyone around me when my emotions get the better of me. I realize how important it is to become aware of hard things so that I may be prepared to help someone in need, if the time ever comes. Also while completing this project, I was able to hone in on my talents in Adobe InDesign. This was a very fun experience and I learned a lot through trial and error. I am grateful for assignments like these that stretch out ability to think, to do, and to act. It is so important to be aware of social issues so that when there is trouble we will be able to help our friends around us.” -Rose
9
“Since I was unable to use most of the information from my interview in my actual research I would like to talk about a few of the things I discussed with Cynthia Brown at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Leesburg, Florida. Cynthia works directly with children who come to the non-profit center to obtain help and advice because they have been abused. The mission statement for the center is: “To provide a child friendly, community-based facility where a child victim can be safely interviewed, provided with crisis counseling and therapy, and receive specialized medical exams where needed”. Since Cynthia works directly with these children, I felt she had a good picture of the scope of the problem in our area. She believed that the biggest cause of child abuse was “generational” meaning that children learn from their parents and are influenced by the home environment and boundary issues within the family. There are of course other contributing factors but she believes that this is the most influential cause of abuse. This was interesting to me because my topic of parental licensure really could help to diminish this particular cause of abuse and combined with education could really make a difference. Even though I am not completely on board with licensing, it does seem to have its strengths, most especially because it involves education before people become parents. Cynthia had never heard of parental licensure and although she felt it was a good idea in theory and could work in an ideal world, she did not believe it was an actual viable solution. Cynthia said that education is definitely the most important tool to help alleviate child abuse and believed that many incidents could be prevented simply by citizens being “good neighbors” and anonymously reporting any abuse that they believe is taking place or that they actually witness. In conclusion, the scope of child abuse is more far reaching than I ever imagined. Personally I feel that from my research I have developed a great desire to somehow get involved in my community to help fight this insidious disease which is spreading like a cancer across our great nation. (One really cool side note is that my daughter Sarah is studying to become an art therapist and we have been trying to find a place that she can intern. The Children’s Advocacy Center just happens to have an art therapist on staff to work with these abused children and because of my interview my daughter will probably be able to intern with the organization this summer!)” -Ramona “By participating in the creation of this issue booklet I have learned a great deal about the repercussions child abuse brings upon children all over the world. Its effects are devastating and heartbreaking. If only abusers could see their dreadful actions are not just singular events or isolated acts. No, they evolve and progress as the abuse of a child affects not only the victim but all the lives the victim will eventually brush shoulders with as they grow up. Its ramifications are endless. Child abuse takes a poor child and changes them. Forever. Without their consent it takes away a child’s freedom, their self-worth, their innocence, and strips them of confidence in love. What a tragedy. After reading and researching I came across several stories of children, now grown, who experienced abuse. For some their lives were forever tainted from the darkness that was thrust upon them and a life of problems has ensued; drugs, alcohol, suicides, a life of loss. However, there were some who decided to take this experience and use it to be better. Abuse changed them of course, but they decided how it changed them. Through determination and tenacity several have been able to beat the statistics and overcome failures by choosing to
10
not let their circumstances define who they are. I found these stories inspirational and heroic. I have learned that it’s common for abuse to take place because parents struggle in understanding their children’s wants or needs and are unsure how to answer them. Instead, they lash out in anger and frustration. Life stressors also take a toll on parents and subsequently, the only release they have from worries about economic anxieties is violence towards their children. They can’t control their salary but they can control their children. If we could help parents to recognize personal anger, address underlying causes and triggers, and identify alternate channels of expression to manage anger issues it could be a step towards ending abuse. We can’t change stress, can’t change family incomes, or prevent loss of jobs but we can change the way people deal with emotions.“ -Whitni
Remember:
You can prevent it!
11