Center's abuses didn't deter DHS | Inquirer | 08/05/2007
Every now and then we get a glimpse of what life can be like for some of our youth involved in this nation's child welfare, juvenile justice and youth rehabilitation systems. This story from this past Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer highlights the ways in which some youth "fall through the cracks" while institutions and their leaders look the other way. More than anything, this article and the conditions described highlights the fact that we have come to tolerate so much and demand so little when it comes to supporting those of our youth experiencing difficulties in life.
It is not surprising to me that some youth develop and display so little respect for adults in today's society, given the fact that many adults do so little to shield them from abuse at the hands of this nation's child welfare, juvenile justice and other youth development institutions. Even youth who are in trouble deserve basic rights, levels of respect and decency. We live in such a punitive society that is so unforgiving of youth and otherwise marginalized community members, yet we give a pass to others least deserving. The quality of our society in the future will mirror the quality of our children's developmental experiences today.
I realize that Philadelphia's child welfare system continues to get pounded with negative publicity. Fortunately, the system is undergoing significant reforms at this time. I still thought this story was worth sharing as it really does highlight an ugly reality that so many of us rarely see or hear about.
We have to do better when it comes to protecting our youth. Even if it means protecting them from those whose responsibility it is to support their development.
Showing posts with label child abuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label child abuse. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The Unseen Victims of War... Preventable Maltreatment
Stress of war hits Army kids hard... Study: Child abuse goes up during deployments (USA Today)
USATODAY.com: "The Army-funded study found child neglect was almost four times greater during periods when the husbands were at war. Physical child abuse was nearly twice as high during combat deployments."
I suspect this is really not surprising to many individuals that work in child welfare, social services or (based on the sentiments shared by the family members featured in the article) military families. War is particularly difficult for families that have loved ones deployed. The stress of having a loved one deployed can reasonably be expected to affect both spouses as well as the children, increasingly one could reason, with a longer duration of deployment.
It is under these conditions, without the appropriate types and levels of support present for the family, that child maltreatment is more likely to occur. Many social service professionals would argue that these incidents of child abuse and neglect are largely preventable with the appropriate services and support mechanisms in place.
Ironically, the same can be said about so many children that come to the attention of child protective services in jurisdictions around this country... that many families would be less likely to abuse and neglect their children with more approprite support systems in place.
As tragic as this is, it does not seem too complicated to figure out at least some preliminary strategies for responding to this crisis. If this is true, the challenge is not in understanding the nature of this phenomenon, but in allocating the resources necessary to respond effectively.
Military families deserve it, as do so many families unnecessarily caught up in the often messy web of child welfare in this country.
USATODAY.com: "The Army-funded study found child neglect was almost four times greater during periods when the husbands were at war. Physical child abuse was nearly twice as high during combat deployments."
I suspect this is really not surprising to many individuals that work in child welfare, social services or (based on the sentiments shared by the family members featured in the article) military families. War is particularly difficult for families that have loved ones deployed. The stress of having a loved one deployed can reasonably be expected to affect both spouses as well as the children, increasingly one could reason, with a longer duration of deployment.
It is under these conditions, without the appropriate types and levels of support present for the family, that child maltreatment is more likely to occur. Many social service professionals would argue that these incidents of child abuse and neglect are largely preventable with the appropriate services and support mechanisms in place.
Ironically, the same can be said about so many children that come to the attention of child protective services in jurisdictions around this country... that many families would be less likely to abuse and neglect their children with more approprite support systems in place.
As tragic as this is, it does not seem too complicated to figure out at least some preliminary strategies for responding to this crisis. If this is true, the challenge is not in understanding the nature of this phenomenon, but in allocating the resources necessary to respond effectively.
Military families deserve it, as do so many families unnecessarily caught up in the often messy web of child welfare in this country.
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