Zilch #AtoZChallenge

Zilch. Zero. Nada.

Every year, between 133 million and 275 million children witness domestic violence in their home. What should this number be? Zilch.

In the United States, EACH DAY four children die as a result of child abuse or child neglect. How many children should die because of this? Zilch.

In the United States, four women per day are killed by someone who is supposed to love them and honor them. How many of these women should be killed? Zilch.

In the United States, 78% of the child fatalities due to child abuse and/or neglect are are a direct result of the parents. What should this number be? Zilch.

The statistics go on and on and on.

What can YOU do? Listen and watch for opportunities to make a difference in your community. Is there an election involving domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, or any other kind of abuse in your area? If so, speak up. Vote. Make a difference. Local communities need to do what they can do to make a difference. They can set up shelters, community centers, and inform the public. You can help make that happen. If you know someone who is being abused, you can help support them through it. You can make a difference in their life. You can help inform them. You can help make an escape plan. You can.

Until the statistics reach “zilch” we have to keep on working toward that number, doing anything we can to help the problem; to help the victims; to make survivors out of victims.

For the rest of the posts in this series, click here.

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Mandated Reporters — #AtoZChallenge

“All citizens have a responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

“Without a meaningful consequence for violating Oregon’s mandatory reporting law, there is little incentive for compliance. Without a real risk of meaningful punishment, laws that impose a duty to act have no deterrent effect.”— Erin K. Olson, Portland attorney and a co-founder of the Oregon Crime Victims Law Center. 

What is a mandated reporter? A mandated reporter is someone who is required by law to report suspected abuse (child abuse, domestic violence, child neglect, and elder abuse all have specific lists of those who are mandated to report such abuse). In the case of child abuse and child neglect, the list of mandated reporters encompasses many specific people in the medical, educational, legal, law enforcement fields as well as other fields. Some states also make any adult working with a children’s club or organization (Cub Scouts, Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, Campfire, Y, etc.) a mandated reporter.

Mandated reporters are required to report when they suspect abuse or when they are told by a potential victim that abuse has/is occurred/occurring. That means that if a child comes to school and tells a teacher that his/her parents are abusing them, that teacher is required to make the report to the local agency for child protective services. They don’t have to have actual first hand knowledge of the abuse. They are required to make the call and let another professional make the decision as to whether it will be investigated or not. The identity of the reporters is supposed to be kept confidential. That doesn’t always happen. Most states have laws and penalties against anyone in a “mandated reporter category” NOT making a report.

I have been a mandated reporter in my teaching capacity as well as a Scout leader. I have made those calls to Child Protective Services several times. In one case it was investigated and found to be true. In the others, it was either not investigated at all or investigated and not found to be credible. And, although my identity was supposed to be kept confidential, it wasn’t. As a result, in two cases, parents came into my classroom and confronted me and verbally abused me in the presence of my students (this was in California which, incidentally, has a law on the books making it illegal for anyone to verbally or physically attack a school teacher or administrator in the presence of students) and no one backed me up. Administrators are supposed to do that yet in both cases, they failed to do so. It left a bitter taste in my mouth but I don’t regret having made those calls. I will do anything in my power to protect a child from any kind of abuse. Any day. Every day.

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Killers — #AtoZChallenge

Did you know that in 2013 (the most recent year for which national statistics are available) an average of 4 children died EACH DAY as a result of physical abuse and/or neglect? The estimated number is 1,520 deaths in the United States that year. This shows a slight decrease from 2012 statistics.

Did you know that 46.5% of those 1,520 deaths were children under the age of one? An additional 34.5% were aged 1 to 3. The youngest children are the most vulnerable, probably due to their dependency on the adults around them, their size, and their inability to report what is happening to them. Children aged 4 to 7 accounted for 11.7% while those aged 8 to 11 account for 3.5%. The remaining number is the total of those aged 12 to 17 years of age.

Did you know that in 2013 parents were responsible for 78.% of the fatalities?

Did you know that the FBI estimates that 30% of fatalities among women are committed by their husbands, boyfriends, or exes? This also translates into 4 women per day killed by someone who is supposed to love them and honor them. In most cases, when a woman is killed by a partner or former partner, it is after they have left the abusive partner; after they have made their escape. They are stalked and attacked, just as they are beginning to feel safe.

Did you know that when a battered woman kills her abuser, it is most often due to self-defense or to protect their children? Statistics vary from agency to agency and state to state but the high numbers for these self-defense/defense of others murders is 67% in California.

“When domestic violence results in homicide, it is often a reflection of the community’s failure to recognize the severity and potential lethality of the problem, and to address its critical role in early intervention.” – Strengthen Our Sisters

These posts have been increasingly difficult to write because of their subjects. However, I do feel it is important to highlight some of these issues. I’ve resorted to some dry statistics and some fictionalized case studies, along with some true events. I hope you forgive me for not being more creative. My hope is that someone will be helped, either by reading these posts or by having the information shared with them.

If you’re inclined to do so, please read this important news story of a current case in California. It highlights how some children are failed by they system.

When parents abuse and kill and the system covers it up

My 2016 A to Z Challenge Posts

Abuse

Because

Child Abuse

Dad

Elder Abuse

Families & Domestic Violence

Gloria

Hush

Ignoring

Jasmine

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Jasmine — #AtoZChallenge

Jasmine is 9. She loves school, especially her language arts class because her teacher, Miss Gregory, has a lot of creative writing assignments and Jasmine loves creative writing. She is writing the story of her life.

Today, she is at home, not at school. She couldn’t go to school because her mother is asleep and can’t get up to take care of Jasmine’s little brother, Danny. Danny is almost 5. Sometimes, when her mom goes out at night, Jasmine takes care of Danny. Her mom doesn’t believe in spending money on a babysitter. Most of the time, her mom gets home very, very late and Jasmine has to help her mom get to bed. That’s when Jasmine knows her mom will be too sick and sleepy to take care of Danny so Jasmine knows she will be staying home.

Jasmine doesn’t like to stay home and miss school but it’s okay because she doesn’t want Danny to be alone all day while their mother sleeps. Besides, it gives her a chance to wash her clothes. Jasmine doesn’t have a lot of school that still fit her. Her shoes are tight, too, but her mom says there is no money for shoes or clothes so Jasmine has to wash her clothes every day after school or she will have to wear it dirty. Sometimes, when she’s at home with Danny and their mom is in her room, Jasmine wonders why her mom can’t get money for clothes and shoes for her and Danny at the same place her mom gets money to buy clothes that fit her and money to go out and to drink and come home sick. Oh well, Jasmine will stay home and take care of Danny this year but next year Danny will be in school so Jasmine won’t have to stay home. She hopes her mom will have money for clothes for Jasmine next year because Jasmine is growing very fast. She doesn’t want to have to stay home all the time again.

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Ignoring — #AtoZChallenge

Ignoring, or better known as child neglect,  in the United States is the most prevalent form of child abuse. Approximately 900,000 children in the United States who were victims of abuse and neglect in 2005, more than 62% were victims of neglect alone, including medical neglect. (US Dept. Of Human Health & Services [USDHHS])

According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data Systems (NCANDS), more than 42% of fatalities due to child abuse are the result of child neglect alone. An additional 24% of child abuse fatalities are a result of physical abuse and neglect together.

NCANDS defines neglect as “a type of maltreatment that refers to the failure by the caregiver to provide needed, age-appropriate care although financially able to do so or offered financial or other means to do so” (USDHHS, 2007).

There are four basic types of child neglect: physical neglect (ongoing failure to provide for the physical needs of a child, such as food, clothing, and shelter), medical neglect (refusal to seek medical care for a child when doing so would result in physical deformity or death, including refusal to act on medical recommendations for treatment to prevent such, even though financially able to), educational neglect (failure to enroll a child in age appropriate mandatory education or enforcing attendance at such) and emotional neglect (includes engaging in chronic spousal abuse in the presence of a child; threatening a child; failure to respond to a child’s basic needs for attention or affection; constant name-calling and bullying; isolating a child from normal age appropriate social involvement.

Neglect leads to issues of low self-esteem, lack of trust, relationship difficulties, feelings of worthlessness or being damaged, trouble regulating emotions, violence, and suicide. It happens in all socio-economic strata, not just low income situations. When the victims of this abuse are children younger than school age, the neglect often goes undetected because no one sees the child on a regular basis. Once in school, those around a child (teachers and other school personnel, medical personnel, scout leaders, etc.) that suffers from neglect will often notice poor hygiene, low weight or height (failure to thrive), unkempt clothing, lack of a lunch for school, etc. It is then that it is reported.

My 2016 A to Z Challenge Posts

Abuse

Because

Child Abuse

Dad

Elder Abuse

Families & Domestic Violence

Gloria

Hush

Links:

Frequently Asked Questions About Child Abuse & Neglect

Administration for Children and Families, Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect

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