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Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.--------------------
Nov 20, 2008, 03:55:30 PM
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News: You must register and login to see all the boards and discussions.
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Author
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Topic: Child Abuse & Neglect (Read 1005 times)
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Sue 
Guest
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Child abuse’s staggering toll
by JEFF SCHMERKER
Staff writer The Mountaineer Enterprise
It’s a rather dubious distinction: For more than a decade, Haywood County has either been at the top, or very close to the top, of North Carolina counties reporting substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect. In the past five years, reported cases have gone up by 26 percent.
That abuse takes a heavy toll, say social workers: It devastates the children as well as their families, and the financial and social cost is one suffered by the community as a whole.
The problem is exacerbated by the limited opportunities for prevention efforts and the ease with which those resources are cut.
And while child abuse is serious, child neglect is more prevalent: For every one child reported abused in Haywood County, more than 12 are neglected.
Back in 2003, the Haywood County Department of Social Services began a concerted effort to investigate the problem of child abuse and neglect, and began to formulate a plan to address and prevent the problem. Monday night, representatives from that coalition reported their findings and invited support from the community.
“We tackled some pretty hard issues,” said Allison Best-Teague, who co-chairs the Haywood County Community Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Collaborative and represents KARE. “Historically, we have had some pretty significant child abuse problems there. That problem is tied to a lot of factors.” One of those factors, according to the report, is the generational cycle of abuse. Abused children often grow up to be abusing adults.
“Although there may be an element of ‘over-reporting’ among people who are disenfranchised,” according to the report, “the rate of children abused and neglected in Haywood County is seriously high.”
Issues contributing to the abuse and neglect problem in Haywood County, according to the report, include the following: • lack of adequate parenting information; • substance abuse; • parental mental health challenges; • employment problems, resulting in economic difficulties for families; • divorce and single family households; • domestic violence. Additional factors of particular concern, the report added, include the following: • patterns of generational child abuse; • social isolation; • lack of accessible and affordable medical and dental care; • limited awareness of community resources.
Best-Teague reported that the coalition came up with several recommendations based on the report, including developing a broader support services system, increasing preventative intervention and treatment, and increasing community knowledge and awareness.
“We are hoping for a more positive outlook for all the children in our community,”Best-Teague said.
On Monday, Best-Teague and Dan Rogers, a Boy Scout official who helped present the report, passed out $1 cards to commissioners. Once signed, the cards remind individuals of their commitment to prevent child abuse and neglect. The funds go toward the prevention program.
BY DEFINITION:
CHILD NEGLECT: A child who does not receive proper care, supervision or discipline, who has been abandoned, or who is not provided necessary medical care or basic needs.
Child physical abuse: A child who suffers from serious physical injury other than by accident, or who parent creates or allows a risk of injury.
Child sexual abuse: A child who suffers fondling, rape, incest, sodomy, indecent exposure, prostitution, or is given obscene materials.
Child emotional abuse: A juvenile who suffers serious emotional damage evidenced by anxiety, depression, withdrawal, or aggressive behavior as a result of a parent’s or caretaker’s actions.
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Logged
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JoLynn |
Education. Education. Education.
Stop paying the executives to stand around thinking about what should be done and put that money into advertising and education.
Advertising can be a very effective educational tool.
Commercials, Billboards, newspaper ads, etc.
If you keep repeating the fact that yelling at your kids is a type of abuse....people will hear, see and think about it which leads to change.
A follow up program should apply, as well, however, advertising seems to be the most cost effective and farthest reaching solution.
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Logged
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“One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who have only interests.” ~Peter Marshall
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