Just who's abusing the kids?

The handling of suspected child abuse can be problematic. The Lancet reported that the over all validation rate of child abuse, that was reported, to be at 50%-70%.(1) The validation rate for anonymous reporting of child abuse is worse, these rates between have been as low as 27.4% in 1977, the following year (1978) rate was 25%.(2)

These numbers seem to correspond with Alaska's reported "substantiated" child abuse cases. The following are from 3 months in 1998 picked at random

July-1998

Total 829

substantiated 332

August 1998

Total 1061

substantiated 402

September 1998

Total 523

substantiated 253

Granted, these numbers do not reflect realistic figures of child abuse. DFYS (Department of Family and Youth Services) "could not locate" numbers for children they couldn't find, for the months reported are July, 12 children, August15, children, September 8 children.(3)

Even when you take the unable to locate numbers, this still does not reflect the total numbers of valid child abuse cases reported. You also must consider the numbers of children who are abused and DFYS refuses to validate their cases, and you must consider the number parents who are unjustly prosecuted. The following is how investigations, even the best intentioned investigations can go awry. The following research could either show how parents can be falsely accused or allow the children to remain in abusive homes. The bottom line is this is how the state can ignore the best interest of the child

SUGGESTIBILITY

Preschoolers are capable of recounting events accurately, when non-suggestive techniques are use. But researches also said "Thus, the question of whether a young child's report is accurate can be answered tentatively 'maybe, maybe not,' depending on the type, number and severity of suggestive techniques they have been exposed to."(4)

Research has shown that children can be influenced 'social requirements'(what the interviewer believes to be true) of the interviewer. Researchers also found that children have a greater understanding of 'social requirements' than frequently believed.(5)

Repeated questioning of children can produce changes in the style and content of eyewitness testimony. This can happen even with the absence of more direct pressure to change testimony.(6)

The effect of suggestibility can be powerful, of children who were lead to believe they experienced fictitious events up to 27% to 35% of children could not be convinced the event never happened.(7)

A few tactics that can be use to get someone (adults and/or children) to confess to actions they don't remember, or don't believe are true

1. Repeated displays of the interrogators certainty of the victims guilt through frequent accusations and statements of the interrogators confidence in his position.

2. Isolation from information and social support that differ from the interrogators's position about the victims guilt.

3. Lengthy interrogation under conditions of great emotional intensity.

4.(In some cases) repeated claims of seemingly incontrovertible, scientific proof of the victim's guilt.

5.( In some cases) repeated reminders about aspects of the victims's history which would tend diminish his confidence in his ability to accurately remember the occurrence of the crime.

6. Collective development by the police and the victim of an ad hoc explanation that seems to account for why the victim does not remember the crime.

7. (In some cases) straightforward demands that the victim publicly accept the ad hoc explanation.

8.(In some cases) tactics designed to induce fear that if the victim does not immediately comply with the interrogator demands for a confession, the most severe of the possible punishments for the crime will result.(8)

Polygraphs

A study was done on the use of the polygraphs in prosecution of child abuse cases. The researchers said the following "The findings reinforce already expressed reservations about the polygraph's utility in sexual abuse cases decision making."(9)

The national center for the prosecution of child abuse, has shown concern about abused children who were subjected to the polygraph, because of possible misuse and abuse of the polygraph. and said because of this abused children "should never be subjected to the use of a polygraph.".(10)

Researchers have also raised concern about the accused being given a polygraph because offenders may have a distorted sense of reality, or the nature of the accusation, innocent people may give deceptive results.(11)

Once a child is taken into state custody and place in foster care, the picture isn't always bright

Almost two thirds of children in foster care reported maltreatment, and reported being threaten of they report it. Many fail to form a bond to foster parents, of these some fail to for a bond to any parent at all.(12) Researchers say that children who face serious developmental risk when they face the uncertainty of protracted foster placement.(13)

As a country we teach beg and implore our children to stay away from drugs. Yet for even unclear reasons we allow our children, or make our children take drugs. Many, if not most of these drugs have harsher side effects than illicit drugs. How can we have a sane and rational youth and drug policy when many times we give children drugs and don't know why

A review records of foster children in Los Angles county, showed nearly half are given psychiatric medication. "We sometimes don't know who put kids on drugs or why" said Nathan Nishimoto, who was until recently was in charge of tracking children in county care. In addition a county grand Jury found in 1997 that nearly half group home children were drugged without parents consent.(14)

To my cites

Back to Child abuse