The Lesser Known Form of Child Abuse – Neglect

There are many crimes that are heinous and wicked, but none as bad as the ones committed against children who don’t even understand them. An adult who takes advantage of a child and abuses him/her because of their insecurity and self-confidence issues is the lowest kind of human being, the very dregs of society. Child abuse takes various forms – the child is physically abused as in he/she is hit or hurt in various ways, the child is sexually abused either by touch or more, the child is mentally tortured with words or actions, and/or the child is neglected and not cared for properly.

While the first three forms of child abuse are generally visible offences, not many people consider neglect to be a serious issue. They feel for children who have been abused physically, sexually and emotionally because the scars are either visible or have manifested themselves in other forms (like disrespect, disobedience, belligerence, depression, withdrawal, and many more). But neglected children seem almost normal, except that their needs are not being met.

But just because the signs of neglect are not readily visible immediately or otherwise, that doesn’t mean that neglected children are better off than those who have been abused in more serious ways. Parents who neglect the physical and/or emotional needs of their children are not fit to be parents – when they fail to ensure that their child is well-fed, in good health, clothed and educated, they are neglecting their responsibilities as parents.

Neglect is a curious form of child abuse in that some parents cannot help neglecting their children because of their circumstances – they are too poor to provide them with regular meals and adequate clothing, leave alone ensure their good health and send them to school. When poverty becomes a cause for neglect, the children tend to migrate to the wrong side of the law – they steal, get into street fights, and sometimes even sell drugs or themselves for money. This makes poverty-induced neglect a very sensitive issue because it becomes a danger to society at large.

But even with poverty being a millstone around their necks, some parents are determined that their children will lead better lives than they have, and so they strive to keep their kids in school and out of the streets even though they live in unsavoury neighbourhoods. Their efforts are augmented by free education initiatives and healthcare schemes for minorities and people who are considered the lower strata of society. If more parents gave the idea considerable thought before having children, the issue of neglect would never arise.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Brooklyn White, who writes on the topic of Forensic Science Technician Programs  . She can be reached at brookwhite26-AT-Gmail.com.

How Often Do Children’s Reports of Abuse Turn Out to be False?

Another good one from RightsForMothers 

Research has consistently shown that false allegations of child sexual abuse by children are rare.

Jones and McGraw examined 576 consecutive referrals of child sexual abuse to the Denver Department of Social Services, and categorized the reports as either reliable or fictitious. In only 1% of the total cases were children judged to have advanced a fictitious allegation. Jones, D. P. H., and J. M. McGraw: Reliable and Fictitious Accounts of Sexual Abuse to Children.Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2, 27-45, 1987.

In a more recent study, investigators reviewed case notes of all child sexual abuse reports to the Denver Department of Social Services over 12 months. Of the 551 cases reviewed, there were only 14 (2.5%) instances of erroneous concerns about abuse emanating from children. These consisted of three cases of allegations made in collusion with a parent, three cases where an innocent event was misinterpreted as sexual abuse and eight cases (1.5%) of false allegations of sexual abuse. Oates, R. K., D.P. Jones, D. Denson, A. Sirotnak, N. Gary, and R.D. Krugman: Erroneous Concerns about Child Sexual Abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect 24:149-57, 2000.

Everson and Boat interviewed child protective service workers and found an estimated rate of false allegations that fell between 4.7 to 7.6% of all child and adolescent reports of sexual abuse. Everson, M.D., and B.W. Boat: False Allegations of Sexual Abuse by Children and Adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 28, 230-5, 1989.

After reviewing the empirical literature concerning the frequency of false allegations of sexual abuse, Mikkelsen, Gutheil, and Emens concluded: “False allegations of sexual abuse by children and adolescents are statistically uncommon, occurring at the rate of 2 to 10 percent of all cases.” Mikkelsen, E.J., T.G. Gutheil, and M Emens: False Sexual-Abuse Allegations by Children and Adolescents: Contextual Factors and Clinical Subtypes. American Journal of Psychotherapy 46: 556-70, 1992.

When four different states (Florida, Missouri, Vermont, and Virginia) reviewed Child Protective Service (CPS) records to determine the extent of false reporting, they found intentionally false reports to comprise less than 1% of all unsubstantiated reports of child abuse (0.00999634 or less than 1 out of 100 unsubstantiated reports)

 

1997 NCANDS REPORT, Statistics on Intentionally False Reports

STATES	TOTAL REPORTS	UNSUBSTANTIATED	INTENTIONALLY FALSE
Florida	186,726	92,337	868
Missouri	80,185	49,490	460
Vermont	2,309	1,257	18
Virginia	51,227	37,282	457
TOTAL	320,447	180,366	1,803

Section D-9, adapted from Tables 3.1 and 3.2.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau. (1999). Child Maltreatment 1997: Reports from the States to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/publications/
ncands97/apd.htm

Children Tend to Understate Rather than Overstate the Extent of Any Abuse Experienced

Research with children whose sexual abuse has been proven has shown that children tend to minimize and deny abuse, not exaggerate or over-report such incidents.

In one study, researchers examined 28 cases in which children had tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease by forensically accepted procedures. To be included in the study, the children had to have presented for a physical problem with no prior disclosure or suspicion of sexual abuse. In addition, subjects were required to be over the age of three but prepubescent and were required to have adequate expressive language capabilities. Each of the 28 children was interviewed by a social worker trained in abuse disclosure techniques and use of anatomically correct dolls. Only 12 of the 28 (43%) of the abused children interviewed gave any verbal confirmation of sexual contact. Lawson, L., & Chaffin, M. False negatives in sexual abuse disclosure interviews. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 7(4), 532-42, 1992.

The “gold standard” study in this area comes from Sweden. This case involved a lone perpetrator who pled guilty after videotapes of his abuse of ten children were found by authorities. Because of these detailed videotape recordings, researchers knew exactly what happened to these children and were able to compare it to what the children told investigators when they interviewed. The researchers found here was a significant tendency among the children to deny or minimize their experiences. Some children simply did not want to disclose their experiences, some had difficulties remembering them, and one child lacked adequate concepts to understand and describe them. Despite the fact that some of the interviews included leading questions, there were no false allegations. Sjoberg, R. L., & Lindblad, F. Limited disclosure of sexual abuse in children whose experiences were documented by videotape. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(2), 312-4, 2002.

Some people believe that recantations are a sure sign that a child lied about the abuse. However, a recent study found that pressure from family members play a significant role in recantations. Mallory et al. (2007) examined the prevalence and predictors of recantation among 2- to 17-year-old child sexual abuse victims. Case files (n = 257) were randomly selected from all substantiated cases resulting in a dependency court filing in a large urban county between 1999 and 2000. Recantation (i.e., denial of abuse postdisclosure) was scored across formal and informal interviews. Cases were also coded for characteristics of the child, family, and abuse. The researchers found a 23.1% recantation rate. The study looked for but did not find evidence that these recantations resulted from potential inclusion of cases involving false allegations. Instead, multivariate analyses supported a filial dependency model of recantation, whereby abuse victims who were more vulnerable to familial adult influences (i.e., younger children, those abused by a parent figure and who lacked support from the nonoffending caregiver) were more likely to recant.alloy, L.C. , Lyon, T.D. , & Quas, J.A. (2007). Filial dependency and recantation of child sexual abuse allegations. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46, 162-70.

From The Leadership Council

Children rescued, hundreds charged in child prostitution crackdown - BostonHerald.com

 

By Joe Markman / Tribune Washington Bureau

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - Added 8h ago

WASHINGTON — Federal officials announced Monday that 52 children had been saved and nearly 700 people had been arrested and charged over the past three days in a nationwide crackdown on child prostitution.

Officials of the FBI, along with representatives of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and police agencies throughout the country, said the arrests were the results of investigations in 36 cities.

The sweep, dubbed Operation Cross Country, is part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, started in 2003 to addr...More: 

Children rescued, hundreds charged in child prostitution crackdown - BostonHerald.com

Mom who fled Iowa for safety ordered back

Please just read this!  Stories like this are being printed all across America and no one seems to realize that women who try to protect themselves only end up getting abused again by the Family Court system.  When are people in this country going to wake up?  Battered women and children are dying all over this country and yet, judges see nothing wrong with what they are doing when they force a woman and her kids back into an area where they are probably going to be killed.

Battered women do not flee the area for shits and grins!  No one likes moving. So, why in the hell would someone do so without a good reason?  I can answer that one...THEY WOULDN’T!  No mother is going to drag her kids all over the place and keep them in totally upheaval for anything less than to save their lives!  Even the most well planned out moves that ordinary people make for good reasons are stressful and no one really likes it.  If a mother didn’t care about her children she would just stay in the area and not go through it all!

 

A Decatur County woman who said she fled the state fearing for her life and that of her 7-year-old son is being required to return or risk being arrested.
Ringgold County Attorney Clint Spurrier has thus far rejected pleas from advocates of domestic-violence victims to drop a criminal complaint against Hannah Newberry for violating the visitation arrangement from her divorce in June. If Newberry returns to Iowa for a family court hearing today, she could be arrested - and possibly lose custody of her son, she said.

"This to me is blackmail," said Newberry, who was awarded sole physical custody of the couple's son. "I left to protect myself. They're trying to make me a criminal even though I'm not the one who has done anything wrong."
Newberry, 47, originally of Lamoni, said she fled to Ohio on June 12 because of escalating harassment by her former husband, Timothy Newberry.
Iowa's Department of Human Services has confirmed several cases of abusive behavior by Timothy Newberry. Two alleged violations of protection orders brought by Hannah Newberry were dropped this summer because she would not return to Iowa to testify against her ex-husband.

Timothy Newberry could not be reached for comment.
Spurrier said he was appointed to the case only recently because Decatur's county attorney had a conflict. Spurrier also said that until Hannah Newberry appears in court, where she will be represented by an attorney, there is little he can do. A charge is already on file, and a warrant for her arrest was issued.
"When she returns, it would be my anticipation that she turns herself in so arrangements can be made for her release," Spurrier said.

He added that he is restricted in what he can say to a defendant without an attorney present. "I don't think there's any intention to hold her in jail," he said.
A national organization called Stop Family Violence has made appeals to Iowa's attorney general, Gov. Chet Culver and Chief Justice Arthur Gamble to intervene in the case. The organization's members also pleaded to Spurrier in letters, saying Hannah Newberry is in a no-win situation: If she returns, she can be arrested and puts herself or her son at risk. If she is jailed, Timothy Newberry can petition the court to regain custody of their son.

Timothy Newberry "has a long, documented history of severe domestic and child abuse spanning 30 years and two additional wives," the group wrote Culver on Sept. 4.
Miller and Culver did not respond; Gamble wrote back saying he could not intervene under state law, the organization said.
Stop Family Violence said all three of Timothy Newberry's previous wives obtained orders of protection from him. A child-abuse report written four years ago said Newberry's violent temper "appears to be becoming progressively worse." The social worker said she feared for the safety of his children and recommended that Newberry, 51, have only supervised visits with his children.

A copy of an Iowa Department of Human Services child-abuse assessment obtained by The Des Moines Register shows Timothy Newberry was found responsible for child abuse for trying to choke his wife while she was holding their 3-year-old son in March 2005. He had three similar confirmed, or founded, child-abuse reports, in November 1990, in 1998 and in 2004.

According to a social worker's report, the 2005 incident was spurred when Hannah Newberry tried to leave the home because her husband was in such a foul mood. He began to choke her, blocked the door and smiled as she struggled, saying " 'Oh, good - struggle. Go ahead. I bet you want to call 911, don't you?' " according to the DHS report.
Eventually Hannah Newberry managed to escape, and the police arrived.

Mom who fled Iowa, ex-spouse risks jail on return | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

Take a look at the figures; 90% of families being killed by dear dad

 

Over 90% of Familicides are Fathers Killing Their Families

from RightsForMothers.com by justice4mothers

Can’t say that I agree the with this explantion of motivating factor for familicide. But the fact that 196 of 211 familicides were committed by men (92.89%) shows that murder of family members are being committed by MALES more than 90% of the time. True to the Violence Policy Center’s prior studies.

Expert: Rate Of Familicides Rising

Peter Busch
Reporter, KPHO.com

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A criminal justice professor said familicide, a crime in which a parent kills his or her family, is on the rise.”We’ve noticed over the past year a marked increase in familicides nationally,” said Neil Websdale, a professor at Northern Arizona University.Websdale believes the recession is one of the reasons behind the spike.”I think what’s happening is perpetrators are killing because they somehow perceive that they have failed as providers, lovers, fathers, and in a small number of cases, wives and mothers,” he said.

Websdale just wrote the book Familicidal Hearts, which will be released in January. In the book, he looked at 211 cases of familicide. In 196 of those cases, the father was the killer.Websdale said the recent murder-suicide in Mesa where a mother apparently killed her two teenage sons before killing herself is the exception to the rule.”Without knowing all the facts, it’s tough to say what was behind it — but it definitely looks like a rare case,” he said.

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What a mother goes through to save her child from neglect and abuse

I received this email from a mother that is desperately trying to free her daughter from an abusive father... I posted yesterday on this case as well:  Butterflies & Hurricanes

I have done nothing wrong, but try to protect my daughter against a flawed system and now I am prepared to be possibly jailed for my crime,  "protection". If I am incarcerated for this I want to bring awareness to the Family Court system by standing up against it, I need help.

I have been involved in several groups of other mothers who have been in my same situation and some that have lost more horribly than I, with their children dying at the hands of their father. We have a common thread of nightmares of cold, uncaring court officials.

Family Court throws women and children off of the sinking ship of custody disputes with an abusive man. They continue to make the wheels of abuse go round and round. I have been ignored, chastised, intimidated and now I am not going to take it anymore. I will not allow my daughter or I become a statistic.

All my friends and family will agree with me that the characteristic I most employ is strength and the will  to do what is right.

I am a mother who is helping her child in pain, to comfort my child and keep her safe, I am no different than any other loving mother who would also never allow their child to be hurt  or tormented by a man who is suppose to love and protect her or anyone else for that matter.

I have been stalked in Family Court by my ex abuser, Craig Hensberger. His court actions against me have escalated since I met and married my best friend, the man of my dreams, my husband, Chad Tipton. Now that I have found true happiness I am certain that my ex abuser is not as happy and since he can no longer abuse me the way he use to, he now resorts to several devious tactics towards our daughter, Michaela.

My ex abuser has now taken another action to  have me jailed for contempt as our daughter does not want to live with him and his mother. My child has admitted that they make her sleep on the floor in the living room or the basement. My daughter is 11 yrs old who is leaving adolescence, she is a pre-teen, she is a young woman who needs to have her own room and bed, like she does here. 

My ex abuser continues to accuse that I have "brainwashed" our daughter against him. That all the abuse she witnessed against her and myself are a distant memory. That the time that she was videotaped by a child advocacy center and told about the way that he would touch her inappropriately and where and how many times is just a lie.

This man has done nothing but lie, cheat and steal to make my life and his daughter's living hell. Including fraudulently signing her up to win money in a fishing derby.

I intend to stand up once again in Marinette County Family Court with presiding Judge David Miron. I am hoping that my plea for the court to help protect my child from the ongoing harassment and abuse.

She does not want to be forced to live with her abuser, I do not blame her, I've been there.

I intend to expose the insanity of Family Court and how a mother can be jailed or punished for allowing my child to stay in a stable, sober, loving environment.

All that know me I mean what I say and I say what I mean. If on September 24, 2009 at 10:00am I am required to appear before Judge Miron to answer why my daughter has once again refused visitation I will, with dignity and respect, fight for what is right.

If this judge follows through with his threat that the next time a motion of contempt was brought before him I would be "put in jail" and that if our daughter was so stressed and having emotional problems that maybe she does need to be placed in foster care.

If jailed I will not take food until the judge releases me, I will hunger strike for justice.

I hope that my family, friends, and other advocates will also help expose by contacting local Green Bay TV media as well as national.

My husband, Chad, can be reached at ottobooboo@yahoo.com or (920) 785-0328. He is in possession of several documents and recordings proving the corruption of a small county with a God Complex, which is also a non-clinical term that does not appear in the DSM but neither does the pseudo scientific theory, Parental Alieanation Syndrome (PAS) or "brainwashing" from which I am accused.

I thank each and everyone of you that have advocated for me in the past and hope for your continued support as I face a fight for life, me and my daughters'.

With Good Grace,
Lorraine Tipton
a.k.a. Mama Liberty

Oconto County Case #99-PA-06
Judge David G. Miron
1926 Hall Avenue
Marinette, WI 54143-1717
(715) 732-7655

BUTTERFLIES & HURRICANES

Cross-posted from Mama Liberty 

“Children say that people are hung sometimes for speaking the truth.” St. Joan of Arc

“I AM NOT AFRAID, I WAS BORN TO DO THIS”

St. Joan of Arc & Mama Liberty

“My child and I have been threatened and intimidated by the possibility that I may go to jail and be held in contempt due to my child refusing to have visitation with her abusive father and she may go to foster care.” Her father has told her this over and over again, as well as Judge David Miron.

This is not the first time that this mother has had to protect her child from the father. Oconto County CPS did substantiate sexual abuse allegations against the the father, he found a loop hole and had the recused Family Court Commissioner, Frank M. Calvert unsubstantiated the sexual abuse allegations.

The system has failed my child, from Oconto County and its CPS worker, Carrie Silbernagel-Burke to Marinette County Circuit Court Judge, David Miron.

This father does not have the means to care for her. She has no bed or a bedroom due to the fact he lives with his mother who only has two bedrooms.

The 11 yr old child is given the choice to sleep either on the floor in the living room or down in the basement. She has no privacy or space to call her own while she is in her fathers care. She is continually tormented and tortured by both her paternal grandmother and father, this is nothing new.

This child has been exposed to domestic violence by her father towards her mother several times. She was also a passenger in his car when he was arrested for driving drunk in the middle of the day. The CPS worker, Carrie Silbernagel-Burke told the mother:

“drinking and driving with his daughter did not make him a bad father, he made a bad choice.”

This was nothing compared to the sexual abuse my child endured and other court ordered abuse.

My child has taken her stand against her abuser, the court ordered abuse and threats of foster care by Judge David Miron.

My child is not an empty vessel, she KNOWS where she is safe. She has not lied to social workers, even with her father prodding her to.

All her needs are provided by her loving Mother and she knows that

“I am not going to shut up, give up or go away!”

“My only wish is for my daughter to be safe and sane.”

If this mother is jailed for doing what any mother would do for her child

the consequences to my accusers and judges will be as follows.

There will be a hunger strike (Troscadh), and all the battles up until now were training for we intend to win the war and expose the dirty little secrets of family court and the criminals that run it.

Change
Everything you are
And everything you were
Your number has been called
Fights, battles have begun
Revenge will surely come
Your hard times are ahead
Best
You’ve got to be the best
You’ve got to change the world
And use this chance to be heard
Your time is nowChange
Everything you are
And everything you were
Your number has been called
Fights and battles ‘ve begun
Revenge will surely come
Your hard times are ahead

Best
You’ve got to be the best
You’ve got to change the world
And use this chance to be heard
Your time is now

Don’t
Let yourself down
Don’t let yourself go
Your last chance has arrived

Best
You’ve got to be the best
You’ve got to change the world
And use this chance to be heard
Your time is now

BUTTERFLIES & HURRICANES « MamaLiberty’s Weblog

Shared Parenting with an abuser is like playing Russian Roulette

I came across this and it really hit me...this IS what shared parenting is like.  With all of the murder-suicides that have happened this year and with so many abusive fathers killing their kids...this is it...

If you aren't convinced please start following these blogs:

Dastardly Dads     The Shared Parenting Disaster  

Intimate and Domestic Violence Homicides in the News

I have always been told that a picture is worth a 1000 words.  In this case I do hope this makes someone (hell even several someone’s) open their eyes and SEE why child around the world are dying daily!

Educate the baby shakers, may save a life

justice4mothers from RightsForMothers.com posted this a couple days ago...I am behind, just now seeing it.  Link for the original post at the end.

 

Educating Dads May Help Protect Babies From Abuse: New 2009 Study

Filed under: Activism, Best interest of the child, Child Abuse, Child Custody, Child custody for fathers, Children and Domestic Violence, Children's rights, Civil rights, Domestic Abuse, Domestic Violence, Fathers who murder their children, Human Rights — justice4mothers @ 8:33 pm

A new study paints a heartbreaking portrait of babies who die from child abuse — and suggests new ways to protect children.  More than half of the babies and toddlers showed signs of previous abuse, according to a study of 72 deaths of children under age 2, published online this week in Pediatrics. The study included data from five states and seven cities.

Babies this age, who are vulnerable in so many ways, are also among the most likely of all children to be victims of homicide, the study says.

More than 2,400 children under 2 were murdered in the USA from 2001 to 2005, almost twice the number killed in car accidents, the study says. Children this age account for about half of all homicides of children under 14. The murder rate for babies this age — 6 per 100,000 children — is 10 times higher than the rate for children 7 to 8 years old, and even higher than the rate for 15- and 16-year-olds, the study says.

In the study, the largest number of babies died after being shaken to death, often because of crying.

Many of these deaths may be preventable, because evidence suggests that the perpetrators act out of frustration and ignorance rather than a desire to harm, says co-author Takeo Fujiwara the of Harvard School of Public Health.

The study also shows that child advocates need to do a better job of educating men about ways to cope with crying, says Carole Jenny, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics on child abuse.

More than 70% of perpetrators in the study were male. That’s striking, given that women often spend more time with infants, says co-author Catherine Barber, also of Harvard.

There’s no national system to educate parents about shaken baby syndrome before they leave the hospital, Jenny says. Although 14 states require that new parents receive information before leaving the hospital, states rarely provide money to fund these programs, says Philip Scribano, medical director of the Center for Child and Family Advocacy at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Although home visiting and hospital-based educational programs have had some success, many efforts fail to include fathers, he says.

“The message to fathers should be, ‘Don’t shake a baby,’ ” says Jenny, who notes that for every baby that dies from being shaken, seven or eight suffer brain damage, blindness or other injuries. “If you get angry, put the baby down and ask for help.”

Educating Dads May Help Protect Babies From Abuse: New 2009 Study « RightsForMothers.com

Biologically, mothers and babies belong together

Original: http://mommyerin.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-do-i.html

 

Why do I...

...keep my babies with me all the time? As in, why don't I leave them with babysitters, or drop them off at daycare or at least a mother's morning out, take trips without them, or even leave them with my husband when I want to go out shopping for a few hours?

The short answer: I'd miss them too much. That and the whole feeding issue.

The long answer:

Biologically, mothers and babies belong together, as one unit. The mother remains the primary habitat for the baby beyond the months of pregnancy. Her body continues to completely nourish the baby for at least the first six months, and then should continue to be the main source of nutrition for at least the next ix months. The baby forms its primary attachment to the mother by being in close constant contact with her.

One of La Leche League's ten belief statements is as follows: "In the early years, the baby has an intense need to be with his mother which is as basic as his need for food." So it is not just about nutrition. Nutrition may be what helps begin the bonding of mother and baby: baby must eat frequently, and mother keeps him close. they experience skin-to-skin contact through nursing, and they begin to form a bond. The baby is learning about love and life from his mother - who he thinks he is actually a part of - through the physical closeness. He is learning to trust, and that consistent person being there all the time for him brings him security. This is what "attachment" is all about.

A baby first becomes attached to his mother, and she to him, in these early months. But the LLL statement above said the early years. This means that baby is not suddenly ready to spend a lot less time with his mother once he hits the end of his first year. The statement is vague on the exact number of years since that will vary from child to child. Independence from the mother is not something that can be forced on a child - it is a gradual process.

Personally, it seems to me that a child any less than about 18-24 months old is not going to understand about long separations from his mother. Some mothers have to work eight hours a day - yes, this is a reality for some. But it is not ideal, in my opinion. As unpopular as it may be for me to say this, I think babies and young children should be at home with their mothers. This is the person they were designed to be with for the vast majority of the time in their early years, and it has been shown to be optimal for their well-being.

Some people say that a mother who will not release her baby or toddler into the care of others is being "overprotective." They try to make it about the mother's needs more than the child's needs. So many mothers are brushed off, saying, "Oh, he doesn't need you - it sounds like you're the one who is needy!" True, a mother does feel a need to be with her nursing baby, because of the need to feed him, and also because of the bond that is there. But most mothers - myself included - are genuinely concerned for their baby's well-being in wanting to keep him close. This is not to say that other people are incompetent and can't care for a baby properly (like great Aunt Ethel who's been after you to keep the baby for a couple days while you go out of town)... just that the mother believes that it is in the baby's best interest to remain with his mother.

This reaction is somewhat understandable in our culture. We are basically taught through our experiences that toddlers, even infants, who cry for their mothers are spoiled and trying to manipulate them. That mothers are replaceable by any child care provider, at any age, and for any length of time. That toddlers who don't fall asleep alone are going to have horrible sleep problems in the future. So, I don't fault people who say, "You need to get a break from that baby!" They usually don't mean any harm - it is just ingrained in our culture, the same way any old lady who sees you with your baby in a store will ask you, "Is he a good baby?"

Babies lack object permanence. When a baby's mother leaves, he does not understand that she will be back. His brain isn't developed to the point of knowing that once she is out of sight, she still exists. It as if she has ceased to exist. The longer the separation, the harder it is on the baby. The baby can even begin to mourn for his mother as if she were dead (I wish I remember where I had read that so I could quote it directly). Even as babies gain object permanence - realizing that things still exist even when not in sight - they still think they are a part of the mother. They don't begin to really view them....MORE

Seed Newsvine

Is America really this gullible? Parental Alienation Syndrome

 

From RightsForMothers.com 

Parental Alienation Syndrome: How Gullible Are We?

Up for inclusion in the new DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the most widely used psychiatric reference in the world) is the so-called “Parental Alienation Syndrome,” a syndrome invented by the pedophile-loving psychologist Dr. Richard Gardner, who committed suicide eventually.  Also up for inclusion again is making women’s menstrual cycles a psychiatric syndrome. Geezzzzz.

Money-grubbing nutcase lawyers and/or psychologists (in some cases they have both degrees!) work to get these so-called syndromes included so they can use them as a basis for taking children from protective parents (and make more money).  They use this twisted science as a basis for their claims…just how gullible do they think we all are?  Apparently many judges are, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges are trying to correct this: see Family Courts are Warned They Should Not Accept So-called “Parental Alienation Syndrome”.

Here is a good example of how gullible people can be when you start throwing out so-called “scientific claims”:

Dihydrogen Monoxide

A student at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.”

And for plenty of good reasons, since:

1. it can cause excessive sweating and vomiting 2. it is a major component in acid rain 3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state 4. accidental inhalation can kill you 5. it contributes to erosion 6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes 7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical.

Forty-three (43) said yes, six (6) were undecided, and only one (1) knew that the chemical was actually just plain old water.

The title of his prize winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?”

He feels the conclusion is obvious.

http://www.snopes.com/science/dhmo.asp

Two Sept 2009 Conferences dealing with Domestic Violence and Abuse

Both of the above are copied from:  http://uaadvnewsblog.blogspot.com/

The 7^th Preventing Abuse conference, Helping Protect Women, Children, Families and the Nation from Human Trafficking, Child Abduction, Pornography and Internet Predators, will be held September 11–13, 2009 at the Irvine Hilton in CA. www.preventingabuse.org (866) 454-1776. Noreen Gosch will be a speaker.

For more information about this conference please go here:  http://www.preventingabuse.org/about.html

Conference Overview

1.  Geographic Focus

2.  Impact on America

3.  Examples of Areas Affected by Human Trafficking/Abduction of Women and Children.

1. Health care costs

2. Society and social values

3. Economic costs and impact on

4. Legal--resource drain, etc.

5. Social services and more

6. Victim, and Victim's Family

7. National Security

4.  The Demand:

Areas to be addressed relating to the demand:

1. Demographics of the customers and the perpetrators

2. What is the fuel of the kidnap and trafficking problem?

3. What role does the popular culture have?

4. How the entertainment industry can assist?

5. What role does pornography (hard-core and "soft-core") play?

6. The role terrorism.

7. The impact of the Internet.

5.  Legislative

6.  Law Enforcement

7.  Child Abduction Prevention:

8.  Rescue and Recovery

9.  The Reality of the Problem: The Responsibility to Act.

http://uaadvnewsblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/preventing-abuse-conference.html

AND

The below is copied from:  http://www.ivatcenters.org/Conferences.htm if the links to the info below aren’t working here please visit their website to obtain the information you are looking for!

14th International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Trauma

September 21- 26, 2009
Town and Country Resort & Convention Center
San Diego, CA

CONFERENCE VENUE
Town and Country Resort & Convention Center
500 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, CA 92108
T: 619-291-7131   F: 619-291-3584

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

QUESTIONS
IVAT Conferences
Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma
10065 Old Grove Road San Diego, CA 92131
858-527-1860 ext. 4030 or ivatconf@alliant.edu

Save The Dates Flyer
Conference Program Booklet
Registration Information
Call for Submissions
Call for Posters Online Submission
Schedule at a Glance
Accommondation Information
Volunteer Opportunities
Sponsorship Opportunities
Collaborator Agreement
Exhibitor/Advertisement Application Volunteer Packet

http://www.ivatcenters.org/Conferences.htm

http://uaadvnewsblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/violence-abuse-and-trauma-conference.html