Boyfriend child abuse a national concern/Alabama Boyfriend child abuse a national concern
December 17, 2006
MARIAN LOFTIN
Not long ago, the headlines in Alabama newspapers read: "Child found murdered; mother and boyfriend arrested."
Little Geontae Glass, only 5 years old, was brutally beaten allegedly by his mother's boyfriend and died as a result of his injuries. A few days before that, the tragic story of 2-year-old Samuel Perryman was in The Birmingham News. His mother's boyfriend allegedly beat him to death, saying he disciplined the toddler while watching him and his siblings.
In both cases, the mothers were out, the boys were left with the boyfriends, and the fathers were apparently not around. Young children who live with one or more unrelated adults are nearly 50 times as likely to die of an inflicted injury, usually being shaken or struck, as children living with two biological parents, according to the November 2005 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.
These two heartbreaking stories highlight the disturbing number of children abused at the hands of live-in boyfriends. In the past two years, there have been eight child deaths in Alabama caused by the "mother's boyfriend," and three of those deaths were in Jefferson County. The epidemic of boyfriend child abuse is not only in Alabama, it is a grave national concern.
It is not the mother's marital status that puts a child at risk, but the presence in the household of unrelated adults, usually a male boyfriend, that dramatically increases the risk. Single mothers, in particular, need to know the danger of leaving their children in the care of untrained, unrelated male caregivers. Many single mothers, for a variety of reasons, leave a child in the care of a man - often with limited child-care experience and little commitment to the child. A moment of rage has too often resulted in serious injuries and even the death of children.
Regrettably, there is no simple answer. The causes of child abuse and neglect are complex and multidimensional. The incidence of child maltreatment crosses all social, racial and economic parameters. One thing that will not solve the tragic occurrence of child abuse and neglect is placing blame on the institutions that are charted to nurture and protect children. Blaming law enforcement, teachers, social workers and government is nonproductive. One example is reporting ongoing stories of a child maltreatment case when the Department of Human Resources has had a past connection with the situation, while only reporting the occurrence of neglect or abuse in a single story where there is no DHR connection.
Where is the moral outrage? Is it for the harming or death of a child or is it looking to blame someone or some group? So-called "criticism from the bleachers" does not prevent socially undesirable behavior that has devastating effects on children.
At the Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention/The Children's Trust Fund, we believe evidence-based child-abuse prevention programs provided by trained citizens in the community are a way to prevent maltreatment of children before it occurs. More than 250 community-based prevention programs are currently funded by the Children's Trust Fund.
The solution to the maltreatment of children requires community awareness and strong community support. If communities will advocate for programs and support services for families, mothers may not have to leave a child with a live-in boyfriend with no child-care skills and little concern for her child. As fathers, especially noncustodial fathers, stay involved in their children's lives, the likelihood of boyfriend violence decreases.
The promise of prevention is out there. DHR and the Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention implement fatherhood programs across the state. The governor's task force to strengthen Alabama families is seeking to establish a family services center in all 67 counties. There is a Children's Policy Council in every county.
There are about 30,000 reports of child abuse and neglect each year in Alabama. The surgeon general has called child abuse and neglect the most underreported crime in our country. The 1,900 state DHR social worker investigators are working to protect children and help guide families, but they cannot do it alone. The departments of Public Health, Mental Health, Education and Children's Affairs are working to meet the needs of children and families, but they cannot do it alone. They must have caring Alabama citizens, faith communities, local legislators and leaders, and the media that will stand with them in their work, not only in the outrage, but in the determination to protect the children in their communities.
Ideally, every citizen will feel responsible for supporting the families in his or her community and preventing all forms of child maltreatment. There are many forms of abuse and neglect, nearly all of which crush a child's spirit as well as physically harm the body. In Alabama, we have the ability to prevent that. Will we? Marian Loftin is director of the Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention/The Children's Trust Fund. E-mail: Marian.Loftin@ctf.alabama.gov. Web site: www.ctf.alabama.gov.
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