Youth at risk: Preventing, combating child abuse in a tough economy
April marks Child Abuse Awareness Month, but local agencies and organizations say it is a growing concern that deserves more attention in this sour economy. Each year more than 100,000 children are reported as being abused or neglected in North Carolina. Last year, 935 parents in Surry County were reported for suspected child abuse and neglect to the Surry County Department of Social Services.
Melissa Hiatt, the director of Surry SCAN, which stands for Stop Child Abuse Now, said she believes the economy is playing a role in child abuse, but not in the way most people would think. The number in need of initial support services have increased, but the number of reports to Child Protective Services have not increased, she said. The economy has caused a change in demographics. We are seeing families in need of services that a year ago, both the parents had jobs and were paying a mortgage, now some of these families have either one income or none at all, and are having to ask for the first time for government assistance. In these cases, there is great deal of stress placed on the parents which in turn affects the children.
According to a 2008 Year End Report by the Surry County Community Child Protection Team, the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Risk and Needs Assessment cited that 42 percent of parents were willing, but unable to supervise their children, while 6 percent were just unwilling to supervise. Experts say such lack of parental involvement can be a gateway to child abuse and neglect, which is why family programs are available to prevent improper care and support healthy family environments.
Surry County is very unique in that it possess an exceptionally strong support system for families. The Department of Social Services provides insurance programs such as Health Choice and Medicaid, Food and Nutrition programs and the Work First program. These programs are what we refer to as our safety net, it is our hope that families would enter into service at this level and not at the Child Protection Services level, Hiatt said.
She said those programs have seen a significant increase quarterly within the past two years. Support agencies have also seen an increase in numbers. At-risk families in need of Surry SCANs family support programs, Parent Aide and our teen programs have increased 47 percent in this last year, she said. As the needs increase in the dawn of recession, support agencies are trying to plan for the coming years. Budget cuts from the state and federal level will affect the number of families that receive services.
In the 2008 Year End Report, the Surry County Community Child Protection Team cited employment and well-paying jobs at the top of its list for gaps in services, along with services in Spanish, affordable housing, domestic violence services, after-school programs, transportation, affordable positive recreational activities and funding source for mental health services for families who are uninsured and do not qualify for Medicaid. The team went before the Surry County Board of Commissioners in January to request its assistance in finding funds and grants to support the communitys needs and gaps in services.
Robin Testerman, who is the executive director of the Childrens Center of Surry, also serves on the Child Protection Team. She said shes observed an increase in child maltreatment, and that child abuse and neglect issues can be influenced even more in a struggling economy. It can really tug on the strings of parenting for some, she said.
As families struggle to make ends meet due to the loss of a job, or are having to work more hours, the stress can result in parents taking their frustration out on their children. Meeting the basic needs of their families can leave parents unable to give their children the emotional support they need, she said. Over the past five years the Community Child Protection Team and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council has seen an increase in chronic substance abuse in parents.
Parents often think they are only hurting themselves and fail to see the chronic neglect of their children.An unstable economy can add risk factors to a family that normally would not be at risk of abusing or neglecting their children, she continued. The stress of wondering how you are going to provide the basic needs of a family can cause a parent to react in elevated state, and may cross the line from discipline to abuse.
She also said during difficult times parents need a support system, which can come from a professional counselor, pastor, co-worker, family member, or other parents that are having a difficult time.
Being able to express their frustration can help parents cope without taking it out on their children, she said. Parenting can be rewarding but it is not easy. We often put children in time out when they are acting out, but parents need to take time out too. As a parent, you have to take care of yourself so you can take care of and provide for your children. Churches , businesses, and civic or community groups can offer free babysitting for a parents night out, or hold parenting support or education groups that can help families during these difficult times.
Dr. Terri Mosley, assistant superintendent for Surry County Schools, said she can see where a tough economy can take a toll on students. In these hard economic times, I see an increase of children living in difficult situations, she said. Sometimes parents are stressed for resources, looking for part-time jobs, limiting time spent with children, dealing with foreclosures, not being able to meet health/medical needs and the issue is carried over to the children, and in turn the children are stressed and making an A on a test becomes secondary.
She said the school tries to be observant of students in difficult or unhealthy home situations, and has ways to provide for them. These are children feeling the downpour from hard economic effects of society, she said. We try to be aware of those situations, counselors work hard to provide agencies to the family, she said. We have a backpack program where we send a backpack of food home to children. The communitys been good to support that program.
We try to work with students to find part-time employment, counseling, there are a lot of programs and we can match families up with additional assistance programs, she continued. We live in a community with people with generous hearts, people are quick to volunteer to help.
Dr. Darrin Hartness, superintendent of Mount Airy City Schools, said teachers and administrators are trained to recognize child abuse and deal with it. Our obligation is when we see signs, its our job as teachers, administrator, and other folks to report, he said. Nurses and others are sensitive to signs of child abuse.
If abuse is suspected
Hiatt, the Surry SCAN director, said if a person believes a
child is being mistreated, a report should be made to the local
department of social service (DSS) office or the local law enforcement
office. They will determine if the family is in need of services, she
said. Parents should talk with their children about reporting abuse,
children tell their friends things they might not share with an adult,
children should also be taught to always tell an adult if someone has
hurt them or touched them in a way that made them feel uncomfortable.
Children should know it is OK to tell parents, a teacher or an adult
they trust.
She said once a report is made and filed with DSS, it is determined if enough information has been provided to open an investigation or if an investigation is not needed. After the investigation is completed, DSS will write a plan with the family. The plan may include state support services to assist the family financially and medically, and support services from outside agencies.
Last year, there were 120,535 reports of abuse or neglect filed in North Carolina, and there were 25 child fatalities. Last year, SCAN received more than 1,300 calls related to maltreatment. The latest numbers from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Social Services indicated that 205 children in Surry County in 2005-06 were assessed for maltreatment.
The most common types of maltreatment included injurious environment (30.7 percent), improper supervision (18 percent), improper care (12.2 percent), injurious environment domestic violence (10.7 percent) and physical abuse (5.9 percent).
Hiatt described the possible signs of physical, emotional abuse or neglect.
Physical abuse
unexplained bruises in various stages of healing
self-destructive behavior
welts, human bite marks, bald spots
unexplained burns, especially cigarette burns or glove-like burns
unexplained fractures, abrasions, or other injuries
nervous, hyperactive, aggressive, disruptive, and destructive behaviors
unusually wary of physical contact
unduly frightened of parent or caretaker
expresses little or no emotion when hurt
unduly shy, withdrawn, and passive
Emotional abuse
speech disorders
delayed physical or emotional development
ulcers, asthma, severe allergies
habit disorders, sucking, rocking
unduly passive and undemanding
very low self-esteem
extremely demanding, aggressive, and angry
antisocial, destructive
depressed and/or suicidal
attention seeking
delinquent behavior, especially in adolescents
Neglect
abandonment by parent or caretaker
unattended medical needs
consistent lack of supervision
consistent hunger, inappropriate dress, poor hygiene, lice, distended stomach
poor social skills
ndiscriminate with affection
pale, listless, begs or steals food, frequently absent from school
falls asleep in class, regularly displays fatigue
self-destructive
Erin C. Perkins
5 March 2009
