New pattern of responsibility

[AZMike]

DeanRx: "AZMike - while idealistic, is very misinformed about how the system really works when / if you report. Unless the report is from an ER doc involving severe bodily injury... you're lucky to get a cop or social worker to come do an indterview within 72hrs of the report being filed. By that time, the perp and victim have already moved on (if they suspect anything) and you've wasted your valuable time doing a report and interview that will likely go nowhere when you could have been using your time to treat other patients who value what you do for them. That is a sad, but very true fact of life. "

 

Uhhhhh... I respect you and BSA24 for being so "street," but yes, I actually do become professionally involved in these cases on a regular, ongoing basis, and yes, I guarantee you I know quite a bit more about how this aspect of the world works than most anyone else. Unfortunately.

 

Like many other social ills, society has tended to sweep this problem under the rug, or to argue that the victims are too unsympathetic or are too messy to provide help to, or that the victims somehow are complicit in their victimization, or that they "want" to be in that position (i.e, multiple incidents of sexual abuse by strangers in a single night, every night; violent physical abuse by pimps for failing to make quota for a night or breaking a pimp's many arcane rules; isolation from any family or friends; complete loss of any income or legitimate job skills or job history for much of their early developmental life; a higher rate of PTSD than returning combat veterans; and a host of common physical trauma like traumatic alopecia, PID, ectopic pregnancies, STDs, unwanted pregnancies, stress-related illnesses such as asthma, and often, homicide (which is not unexpected when you force children to hang out all night in high-crime areas such as red-light districts, and submit to sex acts with the dregs of humanity). All the rationalizations you hear for not helping such children are complete and utter B.S., but I am old enough to remember hearing the same rationalizations made about domestic violence, about the physical abuse of children, about the sexual abuse of children, etc.

 

The system actually works quite well to respond to child prostitution IF the mandated reporters do their effin' jobs (including Planned Parenthood, which has its own agenda that prevents helping kids) and IF people have enough of a backbone to help a child who is being regularly physically and sexually abused. The best practices and new laws that have been developed over the last decade, including modification of the forensic interview protocol for the special needs of this group of offenders to obtain legally admissible and defensible interviews, as well as the effective use of the victim specialist system, had made making arrests and getting convictions MUCH easier...but there are still a lot of old-school (and good ol' boy) attitudes that make the job harder.

[DeanRx]

AZMIke-

 

You may be correct about Planned Parenthood... I don't have enough interaction to make an educated judgement on their policies and procedures. However, in the very limited times in my professional life I've been involved in a mandatory report (about 3 total in 15 years - one of which involved suspected sexual abuse), the cops didn't even send someone out the same day. When they did send out a deputy (or social services worker in one case), it was standard interview... who was it, their address (which may or may not be legit), and other contact info, and WHY we suspected abuse was being done. No follow up, no arrest, certainly nothing that seemed urgent on the part of the report taker. I've had more input / feedback and urgency from the local sheriff's deputy when they were taking a report on cars being broken into in my neighborhood.

 

Now, if a youth (or anyone for that matter), "victim makes an outcry" - then I would never hesitate to act. I just don't see this as being a realistic senerio in real life. I do not work in the ER, maybe then I would see more of this type of thing. I'm certain most hospitals and urgent care clinics have protocols on how to respond to that type of reporting.

 

I just don't think its fair to lay the blame or paint others outside the abusive relationship at fault for lack of action. If someone wants help, you intervene. If they are not willing to report, you are really wasting the limited resources we all have in our professions. Guess we just see the issue from two different sides of the coin.

 

The state I live and practice in has chosen to have the age of consent for reproductive services placed at age 13, not that I agree with all these laws. This means that once 13, a girl can be referred for abortion services without parental notification, STD treatment, birth control, etc... mom and dad do not have to be told unless the youth agrees to it. Heck, they can get an Rx for PlanB without parent notice at age 13, and ANYONE can buy it over the counter if they show proof of ID over age 18 - no prescription needed.

 

The pimp just needs to stroll into the local WalMart pharmacy and plunk down their $50 for the PlanB pill. They can be male and are not required to make any declaration as to who the intended end user is (obviously not for themselves). Not sure how the abused is even in a position to make an outcry for help at that point?

 

I agree that society would rather sweep this type of social ill under the rug, just like many other ugly realities of life that "polite" society doesn't really have a solution for. Much easier to pretend it doesn't exist / happen than develop solutions to deal with the issue.

 

Dean

[packsaddle]

Recent local news: Adult male engages in sexual intercourse with girl under age 13 multiple separate occasions at a secluded location near her school. Law enforcement was contacted when her pregnancy was discovered. A year later, law enforcement has yet to make an arrest, they do know where the perp is. Baby born, no news on its fate. Girl declines social services. The legal charges in this case are multiple and the concept of 'consent' is not applicable. It is clear that a crime has been committed, law enforcement knows of this and yet, almost nothing has been done in response. That is the real world this day, this place. Have a nice one.

[skeptic]

Interesting Packsaddle; what response would there be if there was some connection to Scouting or the Catholic Church?

[Eamonn]

Here in PA In the light of what happened lately the legislators are looking at many aspects of child abuse and things like who reports to whom.

While I've not read any of the recommendations that an appointed panel has come up with. Having only heard what has been said on the local NPR station.

The recommendations, from what have been said are very far reaching. Covering volunteer organizations, schools, Internet sites and a really wide area.

It is yet to be seen what happens when all of this is debated and what becomes law and what doesn't.

 

Over the past year or so, here in this forum a lot of time has been spend looking at what is and what isn't hazing or bullying.

If the message parents pass on to their kids is one that states: Do as I tell you or I'm going to hurt you!

My fear is that we will never be able to come to grips with bullying.

 

If I see a kid that has marks on his or her body that look in any way suspect. I feel it is my duty to report what I've seen to the authorities.

I don't have any ax to grind, I'm not worried about me looking silly and I'm happy to let things play the way they play. If the authorities say that it wasn't abuse. That's fine. If they decide that action needs to be taken then that's fine as well.

I will walk away feeling /knowing that I've done my bit.

 

I'm no spring chicken.

Coming from an Irish Catholic family and educated in mostly R/C schools, you bet I got my fair share of being whacked.

While I like to think that I'm OK??

To this day I'm not sure if I did the right thing because it was the right thing to do?

Or if I did the right thing because I feared being whacked if I didn't?

We don't build anything out of fear.

Lord help us. I hope that no normal kid lives in fear of his parents, teachers. In fact kids have the right not to live in any sort of fear what so ever.

While this might very well be an impossible dream?

It's a dream that I refuse 100% to ever give up on.

 

My great hope is that when we do get our new laws here in PA. Is that they cover parents beating, hitting or harming their kids.

I don't hit, beat or abuse my dogs. I sure as heck refuse to stand idly by and see any kid harmed.

Not sure if this is the black side or the white side? But I don't see any gray areas. Harming others is just plain wrong. It doesn't matter if they are your children or not.

Ea.

[BSA24]

>>>

 

 

The system actually works quite well to respond to child prostitution IF the mandated reporters do their effin' jobs (including Planned Parenthood, which has its own agenda that prevents helping kids) and IF people have enough of a backbone to help a child who is being regularly physically and sexually abused.

 

 

 

[Eamonn]

BSA24

I don't know where you live. I really don't care to know.

But I'm glad that I don't live there.

 

Over the years I've read a lot of twaddle in these forums.

But this last post of yours beat just about all and every piece of twaddle ever posted.

 

"There's no way in hades that I would try to work with the cops on something like this. Half of them are on the take from the mob (which is who runs these operations), and they are the ones that get sent out to burn your house down and shoot your family if you become perceived as a threat"

 

My great fear is that you might voice this balderdash near some poor little fellow who looks to you as an example of what it's like to be a good citizen.

Lord Help Us.

I can only hope that this was posted very much with tongue in cheek.

I really am in shock.

Eamonn

[BSA24]

>>>>

 

My great fear is that you might voice this balderdash near some poor little fellow who looks to you as an example of what it's like to be a good citizen.