Every Child Matters Essay

Every Child Matters

By Emma Richards

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 Barnet 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

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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>.

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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>.