Topic 5 Chapter 5 Juvenile Victims

Anticipated strain; collective maltreatment; dependency; extrafamilial sexual abuse; individual maltreatment; institutional maltreatment; intrafamilial sexual abuse; maltreatment; maximalist alarmist perspective; minimalist skeptical perspective; neglect; runaway; stereotypical kidnapping; throwaway; vicarious strain.

Introduction: Since 1986 number of children abused, neglected and endangered nearly doubled to about 1 million. Most cases enter system through ACS type agencies. 2005 3.3 Million referrals. Maltreatment Act or omission by parent or care giver that harms or seriously risks harm to a child. Includes neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and psychological maltreatment. Maltreated children are at increased risk to perform poorly in school; mental illness; pregnancy; drugs and delinquency. Types of maltreatment Physical abuse Sexual abuse Physical Lack of supervision Emotional/educational/moral

Three levels of maltreatment Collective maltreatment Maltreatment that results from the effects of poverty, exploitation, and social injustice. Millions of children live in poverty in the US; eat and drink contaminated foods and liquids; exposed to dangerous environmental (i.e. asthma in SoBro). Child pornography; violent exposure; crimes; drugs; illegal child labor; Collective Maltreatment increases chances of being victimized and becoming delinquent. institutional maltreatment AKA: administrative abuse; includes approved use of force and violence against children in the schools; and neglect and denial of children s due process rights in government institutions such as child welfare and correctional institutions;
Some current changes with laws that prohibit corporeal punishment and improves the treatment of juveniles in the system.

Institutionalized maltreatment (continued) Risk groups: Detained youths; youths in foster care; youths being detained on US immigration issues. Individual maltreatment Normally what people think about when we mention abuse of a child. One or more persons abuse a child. Includes sexual abuse.

SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM Maximalist alarmist: Say it is an epidemic and something must be done. Minimalist Skeptical Numbers are grossly inflated not so many problems in reality.

Child neglect Most common form of child maltreatment Defined as inattention to basic needs of a child including appropriate supervision, adequate clothing, and proper nutrition. ACS comes to house looks at house (cleanliness; heat etc) looks at cupboards (food nutrition) figures out who is at the house when child is there. Who is taking care of the child etc. Neglected children often come from poor and disorganized families which have no routine or structure; children roam streets no curfew; family is fragmented through divorce; death; incarceration or desertion/abandonment. Children in neglected homes lack affection, recognition sense of belonging; protection and may lose respect for moral and ethical standards since they have no example of appropriateness to begin with. Children s behavior develop from what they see and understand to be happening around them. If exposed to alcohol; drugs; sex; gambling and other vices by parents or adult role models they may copy the same behaviors. Neglected children often lack food, clothing, shelter, medical care, supervision, education, protection or emotional support they need.

Indicators of neglect (physical) Hunger; poor hygiene; inappropriate dress; lack of supervision; poor health (behavior) begging, stealing food, extending school days (getting there early leaving late) falling asleep at school; alcohol or drug use. Physical or Emotional Child Abuse Child abuse and neglect laws Society for prevention of cruelty to children formed in 1871 after church workers removed beaten children from homes under laws that protected animals. 1940s advances in X-ray allowed physicians to detect patterns of healed fractures on abused children. Two decades later (1960s) battered child syndrome created. Typical abuse/neglect laws have three components 1. Criminal definition; 2. Mandate to report 3. Civil process for removing child

Federal legislation Federal law passed in 1974 Defined elements as: physical and/or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, negligent treatment of a child under circumstances that indicate the child s health or welfare is harmed or threatened. Federal courts ruled that parents free to strike children because the custody and care and nurture of child resides first in the parents.
State laws Since the 60s every state has enacted child abuse and neglect laws. States offer more protection to children by statute than feds. Indicators of physical abuse Unexplained bruises or welts, burns fractures, lacerations and abrasions. Behavioral: wary of adults apprehensive of other children crying; extreme aggressiveness or withdrawal; afraid of parents or caregivers.

Indicators of emotional abuse Speech disorder; underdeveloped physical; fails to thrive; sucking thumb; biting or rocking back and forth; self stimulation. Causes of abuse Parents/caretakers commit most emotional and physical child abuse. Causes usually pass from generation to generation. Leading cause; violence at home and poverty.

Child abuse and the link with delinquency Directly linked to delinquency Largely ignored by juvenile justice and social system Large body of evidence that : those who experience violent abusive childhoods are more likely to become child or spouse abusers than those who did not. Abused/neglected children are 4.8 times more likely to be arrested as juveniles; 2 times more likely to be arrested as adults and 3.1 more

times likely to be arrested for a violent crime.

Child Sexual Harassment and Abuse

Can affect any child; threatens child s physical emotional wellbeing; influences school achievement and has lifetime of consequences. Every year appx. 100,000 child abuse cases reported. (remember dark figure crime).
experts estimate 90 percent of all molestation cases never get reported. As many as 50 percent of young women have been sexually abused before turning 18.

Child Sexual Abuse and the INTERNET

Types of sexual abuse

Intrafamilial sexual abuse
Abuse that is perpetrated by parent/other family member.

SEPARATE SOURCE OF ABUSE OPPORTUNITY. The neighborhood pervert is now coming directly into your home without you even knowing!
Internet provides predators with access to children on a scale that makes the world his local playground. Digital images and documents at unlimited supply. Today s media provides for a child pornographer to be in possession of thousands of pictures while riding the subway sitting next to you. Sex victims are re-victimized when photos of the abuse are circulated around the web.

Extrafamilial sexual abuse

Abuse perpetrated by friend or stranger

Child protection and sexual predator punishment act 1998 imposes tougher penalties for sex crimes against children especially those where the internet is used.

Internet and Child abuse

Allows networking among abuse perpetrators Enables perpetrators to seek and groom victims. Seek chat rooms. Grooming violent sexual language and pornographic images. Promoting child sexual tourism Assisting trafficking of children.

The issue of credibility

Because of absence of physical indicators it is very difficult to prove physical abuse. Allegations sometimes made within custody/divorce conflict which makes allegations suspect. Coercing a child into alleging abuse that never occurred is abuse in itself. 19 in 1000 children below 18 are missing from caregivers. Only a small portion were abducted. Runaway accounts for almost half of all missing. Missing Children s Act 1982 defines missing as
Individual less than 18 years of age whose whereabouts are unknown to the legal custodian; if the circumstances surrounding the disappearance indicate that the child may possibly have been removed by another person without consent; OR the circumstances of the case strongly indicate that the child is likely to be abused or sexually exploited. Child goes missing care taker is alarmed; tries to find child; contacts police. Child s whereabouts are unknown to the child s caretaker and the caretaker is alarmed for at least one hour and tries to locate the child under one of two conditions: the child was trying to get home or make contact but did not due to being lost, stranded or injured or the child was too young to know how to return home or make contact with the caretaker. Runaway: child leaves home without permission and stays away overnight or child 14 years or younger is away from home and chooses not to return or 15 and stays away at least two nights. Thrownaway: child is asked or told to leave by parent or other household member.

Missing and Exploited Children

Indicators of sexual abuse

Physical indicators:
Venereal disease and pregnancy Unwilling to change clothes for gym or participate in gym. Withdrawal fantasy or infantile behavior Bizarre sexual behavior Sexual sophistication beyond age Poor peer relationships

Behavioral indicators

Parent signs
Jealousy overprotectiveness Hesitation to report spouse out of fear for destruction of marriage or fear of retaliation.

Missing Benign Explanation

Missing Involuntary, Lost or Injured

Consequences of being sexually abused

Guilt; shame; anxiety; fear; depression; anger; low self esteem; concerns about secrecy; helplessness; inordinate need to please others. High levels of school absenteeism; less club or activity participation; More likely to be arrested as adults Different view acts differently in terms of what is right and what is wrong.

Cultural Values and Sexual Abuse

Runaway/thrownaway

Nonfamily abduction
Appx 58,200 abductions by nonfamily members (2002). Takes child by force or threat of harm. Detains for at least 1 hour in isolated place.

Youth and Suicide

7 to 17 more likely to be victim of suicide than homicide.
Leading cause: untreated depression. Signs of depression
Poor communication Boredom Crying repeated Increased irritability Sensibility to rejection or failure

Stereotypical kidnapping
Stranger or slight acquaintance takes child and detained overnight. Taken away or held for random.

Family abduction
Custodial interference. Child is taken concealed or transported for the intent to deprive contact with other parent or relative. Usually occurs during ongoing custody battles Also can happen when child is being abused and the nonabuser takes the child to protect it from the abuser.

Programs designed to prevent or reduce child victimization

Nurse family partnership
Targets low income unmarried first time mother. Connects nurses with the mothers to be to achieve healthy pregnancies therefore healthy babies. Seeks to help new moms become better parents. Serves about 20,000 families and is expanding.

International abduction (parental kidnapping)

Child taken from US without consent of other parent. Same as family abduction with the added element that there is an international travel element to it. Problem/obstacle faced by parent is that some countries will not engage in negotiations or enforce court orders to return the child.

Building peaceful families

Silicon valley in California Builds violence free homes through training and events celebrating family responsibility.

Responses
AMBERT alert Nationwide system of alert. Named after child abducted and murdered. Code Adam: Store shuts down no in no out.

Safe kids/Safe Streets

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Helps communities reduce child abuse and neglect.

Juvenile Justice System

Complex set of agencies and institution including police, prosecutors, criminal and civil courts, child protection agencies, advocacy centers, victim services, etc.