Every
Child Matters
Rolling hills of
blue grass, the delicious smell of Kentucky Fried Chicken and the excitement of
fireworks lighting the night sky. These are just a few aspects of Kentucky that
make the commonwealth a great place to live. However, hidden under these
magnificent and delicious characteristics are shocking statistics, ones that
threaten the innocent children of the state and show no signs of improvement. Kentucky
has the highest child abuse rates in the United States, yet we never really
hear about the shocking statistics the state has looming overhead. Children
deserve better, they deserve help. Child abuse in Kentucky is a serious issue,
one that must be more publically emphasized and corrected through increased
funding and resources.
Different people
have different definitions of child abuse, which leads to uncertainty and
confusion. According to Laws.com, child abuse is the mistreatment or neglect of
a child, which typically includes a violation of that child’s rights and
entitled freedoms. These rights and freedoms state that children must be
provided with sufficient food, water and shelter; are entitled to participate –
and have access to – community programs and educational facilities allowing
them the opportunities for learning and information; and are required to be
free from exploitation, harm and danger (Child
Abuse Laws). Spanking is just one form of punishment that people disagree
on. In 2008, Barry Barnet, a father of nine children and minister at the
Lighthouse Family Ministries in Poynette, Wisconsin was charged for abuse after
paddling his son for lying. The punishment left minor bruising and the boy said
it ‘“hurt a little,”’ but the emergency room he was examined at said that “he
was in no pain,” (Belkin). In my opinion Barnet’s behavior alone falls under
the category of abuse because of the bruising his son experienced, but I
believe more than just the simple act of paddling his son should be examined.
After significant research on the Burnet case, it is unlikely that physical
punishment would ever escalate to a point of severity where it is clear that he
is abusing his child, and, therefore, Barnet should not be convicted of child
abuse. Ultimately, the case was dismissed because of indecision and the
unlikely event that the father would be convicted. In the United States,
spanking and paddling a child is legal. However, many people consider this form
of punishment as child abuse. Abuse within the grey area of varying definitions
often goes unreported, and in some cases this leaves the child subject to
increased abuse and suffering. Perhaps this is the root of the problem.
However, without strict child abuse laws, many abusers often fall under the
radar of the justice system and, in turn, more children are left with abusive
parents.
Child abuse is not
just physical, but psychological as well. People often forget about this form
of abuse when thinking of child abuse, even though it is often more damaging
because “psychological abuse, unlike physical abuse, leaves no visible scars or
bruises, making it harder to detect,” (What
Is Psychological Abuse?). Psychological abuse includes accusing, isolating,
degrading, ridiculing and harassing. An article entitled Psychological Child
Abuse says, “if these behaviors are chronic and consistent, and impair a
child's self-worth, they more than likely constitute psychological abuse.” Not
only is it difficult to diagnose psychological abuse because it is often unseen
and unheard, but also because the effects that the abuse has on the child are
more often than not confused with other factors. For example, a child’s shy and
scared demeanor may be attributed to an introverted personality, when really
the child is timid because of continuous emotional and mental abuse. An article
published by the New York Times says that symptoms of psychological abuse
include difficulties in school, eating disorders, low self-esteem, and
rebellious behavior. While indicators of child abuse, these issues can easily
be attributed to other sources.
In an interview,
Andrea Willett, a former social worker in Kentucky, said that it was often
difficult to draw the line between abuse and punishment, whether it is physical
or mental. One report accused a mother of child abuse for punishing her child
by putting soap in her mouth. Mrs. Willet said she thought this was ridiculous
and wasted time that could be spent on a more serious case. However, there is a
law in Kentucky that states only food products can be used for oral punishment,
which means that if the mother had used hot sauce she would not have had to
stand trial for child abuse. Many believe that hot sauce is worse than soap.
Soap has a horrible taste, but hot sauce actually burns the child’s tongue. This
particular case goes to show how some laws may actually hurt the issue of child
abuse. The time Mrs. Willett spent on this case could have been spent removing
a child from a dangerous household.
Another principle
Mrs. Willett said sometimes hinders social worker’s ability to remove children
from harmful situations is the justice systems push to reunite children with
parents. In many cases, she said this leads to children being reunited with
parents who continue to abuse the child. For example, Mrs. Willett described a
case involving a five-year-old girl who admitted that her father hurt her from
time to time. Mrs. Willett said she did everything she could to convince the
judge that this little girl needed to be removed from her father’s custody, but
in the end, the judge decided otherwise. A few months later, the father was
again reported for child abuse, and finally the girl was removed from her
father’s care. Mrs. Willett said that some parents know enough about the
justice system to avoid conviction and regain custody. This allows abuse to
continue and often escalate. In many ways reuniting parents can be a positive
thing, but in other cases it can lead to further harm and more time spent
reinvestigating the same family. If the justice system did not push so hard to
reunite parent and child that they ignored many warning signs, children would
be saved and social workers would have more time to investigate other cases.
In Kentucky, 4.08 in 100,000
children die from child abuse or maltreatment each year (Interactive Map: U.S. Rates Of Child Abuse Fatalities). This is
just 0.69 less than the national statistic and is the highest among all fifty
states. As a state, these statistics are not publicized enough, for if people
knew the severity of this issue, they would feel empowered to help the young
and innocent. In 2008, 74,159 children were reported as abused or neglected,
14,802 of these children were confirmed as victims of abuse or neglect and 30 children
died as the result of child abuse and neglect during the 2008 calendar year (Kentucky Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics). As the chart above illustrates,
neglect and physical abuse constitute the majority of reports in Kentucky. Neglect
refers to a parent’s failure to provide basic physical health care,
supervision, nutrition, emotional nurturing, education or safe housing.
However, there is a difference between intentionally withholding care to a
child and not being able to provide care. Poverty plays a major role. This
means that before deeming behavior neglectful, social workers must examine
circumstances and intentionality. Why are rates of child abuse and neglect in Kentucky so much
higher than other states?
Perhaps the biggest reason
Kentucky has the highest rates of child abuse is because of the lack of
resources social working establishments and other organizations committed to
helping children have to work with. Thomas McAdam of examiner.com reports that
“caseloads for social workers have increased 8 percent since 2008 while
staffing levels have dropped by 12 percent in the same time period.” With so
few social workers, it is no wonder that child abuse cases are over looked and
potentially dangerous situations go unrecognized. Shockingly, supervisors of
social working establishments in Louisville, Kentucky are pulling workers with
little experience from other areas to investigate reports so they can meet
timelines established in state regulations — one hour for an emergency, where a
child's life is believed to be in danger, and 12 to 48 hours for non-emergencies
(Yetter). This is reckless and unfair to children who have no way of escaping
abuse and neglect. Inexperienced or overworked workers likely miss the smaller,
less evident indicators of abuse. No wonder Kentucky has the highest child
abuse rates in the United States.
Another
reason why child abuse in Kentucky is so high may be because of the vicious
cycle parents and children get caught in. This cycle of abuse begins when a
parent cannot elicit a desired behavior or cannot get rid of an undesired
behavior. This inability to create a certain outcome makes the parent angry and
more likely to use physical force. According to studies conducted by Kadushan
and Martin [1981], in 87 percent of cases involving child abuse, the parent’s
first response to the child’s misbehavior was nonphysical; however, abuse
occurred after the parent’s initial intervention was ineffective. Once child
abuse starts, it often escalates to more severe levels. In turn, this increases
the likelihood that the abused child will one day grow up to be an abusive
parent. According to Mrs. Willett, children who experience child abuse do not
get the chance to experience what good parenting is like. “Abuse is all they
have seen, so it is all they know,” she said. Applying the effects of this cycle to Kentucky may
explain why efforts to stop child abuse have not been as successful as
officials would like. Kentucky has the highest rate of child abuse, meaning
there are more parents starting this cycle of abuse and more children growing
up continuing the cycle. In order to stop child abuse, adults should be taught
effective ways to discipline a child – ones that will be successful in altering
undesirable behavior so that situations do not escalate to physical or mental
abuse.
Now that
we know contributing factors to high rates of child abuse, let’s discuss
solutions to the problem. First, the severity of child abuse must be
publicized. If people are kept in the dark about the statistics surrounding
this issue, people will continue to do nothing. However, if mass campaigns are
organized to fight child abuse, ones that reveal statistics and create a strong
call to action, people will begin talking about the issue. The more people
talk, the more these issues find their way into the policy agendas of
influential political figures. Politicians follow their constituency; it is how
they get elected. Therefore, if the public calls for more funding and stricter
child abuse laws, politicians will fight for the cause – that’s what will get
them elected or reelected. For example, Jason Russell, the director of the Kony
2012 video, got the attention of countless politicians and governmental
authority figures by creating a nation-wide uproar with a simple thirty minute
video that was packed with pathos and featured a strong call to action. The
internet provides a quick way of publicizing any topic. Through the web, child
abuse can be exposed, making the issue a hot topic.
In
addition to utilizing modern technology, increased funding and resources to
organizations that fight for children’s well-being will help lower rates of
child abuse. Where is this funding going to come from? Tom LaMarra of the
Blood-Horse Magazine reports that “more than 15
million dollars for horse industry-related projects and financial relief [was] included
in the 2006-07 budget approved April 11 by the Kentucky General Assembly.” The
state of Kentucky needs to get their priorities straight. If some money
budgeted to horseracing was appropriated to social work and child prevention
centers, imagine the good that could be done. Image the lives that could be
saved. In order to help the children of Kentucky, a small portion of money
budgeted to recreational hobbies should be better used. With more money,
organizations can hire more people that can be sent to schools, churches and
other establishments to educate the public about child abuse and to get more
people involved. More money and resources mean further outreach, a better
educated public, and more people to fight for the children of Kentucky. With
more funding and resources, organizations can further their prevention
programs, training programs and better reach out to the public.
Once the
public is aware of the issue and resources increase, training programs must be
established in order to educate teachers and other people working with children
about the warning signs of child abuse. If teachers could more effectively spot
cases of potential abuse and can communicate with these children about issues
at home, child abuse can be caught before it escalates to the point of serious
injury or death. Kids First Incorporated reports that children often tell a
trusted adult about abuse rather than parents or legal guardians. This source
also states that children tend to shut down if they receive a negative or
overly emotional response when telling someone about abuse. Therefore, training
programs educating teachers to effectively recognize abuse, communicate with
children and create positive relationships with students can help prevent child
abuse. In order to do this resources are needed, both people and money. The
money could come from the portion of the budgeted funds given to recreational
activities such as horseracing, and this money could be used to pay individuals
in Kentucky who are currently out of a job and interested in helping children. These
new employs could be sent to schools and organizations to raise awareness about
the seriousness of child abuse. This poses a win-win situation. Those in
desperate need of a job can find relief from economic pressure, child abuse
awareness will increase, and in turn, children in dismal situations will be
helped.
It’s
clear that Kentucky is facing a very serious issue – one that must be stopped.
The innocent children of the state deserve to live in loving, comforting and
encouraging homes, not in homes filled with fear and suffering. Measures must be taken to secure the
well-being of the little ones in the commonwealth. Through increased public
awareness and funding, the state of Kentucky can fight for its children and
stop the detrimental cycle of child abuse. Cooperation of the citizen of
Kentucky, public officials, law enforcement, social working establishments and
nonprofit organizations can bring much needed change to the state. Each person
has the power to help a child; each person has the power to make a difference.
Will you continue to ignore the facts about child abuse, or will you stand up
for the innocent and refuse to let this issue escalate? It is your choice, make
it wisely.
Works Cited
"7 Ways to Prevent Child
Abuse — Kids First Child Abuse Treatment and Prevention Center." Welcome!
— Kids First Child Abuse Treatment and Prevention Center. N.p., n.d. Web.
29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.kidsfirstinc.org/preventing-abuse>.
Belkin,
Lisa. "When Is Spanking Child Abuse? - NYTimes.com." Parenting,
Children and Parents - Motherlode Blog - NYTimes.com. N.p., 21 Oct. 2008.
Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
<http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/when-is-spanking-child-abuse/>.
"Child
Abuse Laws." Child Abuse- Child Abuse Laws, Child Abuse Statistics,
Child Abuse Stories. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://child-abuse.laws.com/child-abuse-laws>.
"Child
Neglect and Psychological Abuse - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment of Child
Neglect and Psychological Abuse - NY Times Health Information ." Health
News - The New York Times. N.p., 2 Nov. 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.
<http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/child-neglect-and-psychological-abuse/overview.html>.
"Interactive
Map: U.S. Rates Of Child Abuse Fatalities : NPR." NPR : National Public
Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. N.p., 2
Mar. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123891714>.
"Kentucky
Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics." pcaky.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 28
Oct. 2012. <www.pcaky.org/images/files/Kentucky%20Child%20Abuse%20and%20.>
LaMarra,
Tom. " Kentucky Budget Includes $15M for Horse Industry |
BloodHorse.com." BloodHorse.com | Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Breeding,
and Sales: News, Data, Analysis, Photos, Video, Blogs. N.p., 13 Apr. 2006.
Web. 2 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/32995/kentucky-budget-includes-15m-for-horse-industry>.
Kadushan
and Martin. "Long-Term Consequences of Childhood Physical Abuse." digitalcommons.unl.edu.
University of Nebraska, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1098&context=psychfacpub>.
McAdam, Thomas. "Kentucky
governor says budget cuts will be painful - Louisville CIty Hall |
Examiner.com." Welcome to Examiner.com | Examiner.com. N.p., 17
Jan. 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.examiner.com/article/kentucky-governor-says-budget-cuts-will-be-painful>.
"Psychological Child
Abuse" Avvo.com - Expert Advice When You Need It Most. N.p., n.d.
Web. 30 Oct. 2012. <http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/psychological-child-abuse>.
"What
Is Psychological Abuse?." Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations
and documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.slideshare.net/k_dorothy/what-is-psychological-abuse>.
Willet,
Andrea. Personal Interview. 6 Nov. 2012
Yetter, Deborah. "As
allegation rate rises, advocates fear Kentucky is missing some abuse." courier-journal.com.
N.p., 10 Dec. 2009. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
<www.courier-journal.com/article/20091214/NEWS01/912140301/As-allegation-rate-rises-advocates-fear-Kentucky-missing-some-abuse>.
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