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Care
Act of 1999 (HR 2382)
The
following article, written by Anne M. Cox, first appeared in Mississippi
Voices for Children & Youth (September-October 1995) and
is copyrighted © by the CPAC.
Nearly
a decade ago a therapist named Linda Sanford stepped up to the
plate and spoke out for children as she questioned the logic of
leniency afforded to child molesters who offend against their
own children. The year was 1987. Boston Globe reporters
had presented an article -- in a series -- about child abuse,
subtitled "The Crime of the '80s."
"A sex offender is a sex offender
is a sex offender," Sanford said. "Why is it that incest
offenders are put into therapy with their victims...makes no sense...We
don't ask a rapist and a victim to go to couples counseling."
The year is now 1995, and the crime
described in earlier reports is still very much prevalent in the
'90s. Child sexual abuse is no less a crime this decade than it
was ten, twenty, thirty, forty... years ago. What's different
is, an increased number of adults accused of abusing their children
have become more focused, organized and vocal, and have attempted
to reverse the progress, affecting how reports of child abuse
are perceived and ultimately treated. You may recognize this movement
as the backlash.
My eyes recently locked onto the
statements Sanford had offered reporters while I was doing research
about an offenders' "treatment" facility and preparing
to meet with a retired state law enforcement officer [name omitted]
the following day. I couldn't shake the information or sweep it
away; it stayed with me. I met with the former officer-turned
children's advocate and asked for his take on treatment provided
to offenders and the therapist's assessment.
He described for me how the dynamics
of family reunification or preservation efforts appear more favorable
to offenders than to child victims of incest. It's about control:
first, to abuse children; and, second, to minimize the consequences
of criminal conduct. He also explained how children involved in
such programs may feel at various stages during the course of
such family preservation efforts: Confused, intimidated and threatened,
though not necessarily by anything that the offenders might state,
but by physical presence or the goal of treatment aimed at reuniting
a family divided by child abuse.
Following his in-depth explanation,
there were two of us holding an opinion about children getting
lost in the process initiated to help them. I spoke with two more
people: a prosecutor and a (civil case) lawyer. Then, there were
four of us. By the time evening had arrived, there were six adults
-- confident change needs to be recommended and advocated for
children who have been abused -- with voices and forums needed
to make a commitment toward doing much more for children before
the turn of the century.
Before the end of the night, an
idea was birthed: the Children's Protection & Advocacy
Coalition. Ideas were fielded during several phone calls and
discussions with individuals from various organizations and professions.
Data and research were accessed and offered to assess what's been
proposed in years prior, what's been accepted and what's fallen
into an abyss, somewhere by the wayside.
I thought of a business, seen from
a freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area, that analyzes failure
to help set a course for future success. It's done for business
and industry leaders. The same approach may be applied by adults
networking to augment and streamline the approaches aimed at helping
children.
Before a week had elapsed, input
was sought and provided by several therapists, law enforcement
officers, children's service providers, and protection and advocacy
organizations.
More adults called and said how
they feel about affecting goals for a coalition intended to speak
in favor of meeting children's needs and addressing their rights:
"Count me in," the expression heard repeatedly since
the beginning of August (1995).
Had I not devoured information reported
in Mississippi Voices since I started receiving it in 1993,
had I not seen by examples presented on the printed pages what
is entirely possible to accomplish in children's interests, and
had individuals dedicated to providing service to assist in fighting
crime against children not spoken to the issue of all that is
within our potential to change, the idea for the Children's
Protection & Advocacy Coalition would not have surfaced.
Having researched legislation that's
been introduced, whether currently in effect or dismissed rather
quietly and without much fanfare, the following goals have been
recognized as attainable...
A) Legally terminate "reunification
programs" that require child victims to be included in meeting
offenders' treatment needs and aspirations designed to preserve
"the family" (its facade). Adult victims are not mandated
(or asked) to engage, at any point, with offenders, who have motive
and incentive for appearing seemingly contrite and willing to
state that they can change. Adult victims are not expected (or
anticipated) to reunify with offenders. No lesser standard should
be applied to considerations given to child victims than to adults
who have been victimized.
B) Put a (legal) stop to
court ordered visitations in situations where allegations of child
abuse have been raised and brought to authorities' attention.
Adults accusing of abuse are not ordered to have a "visit,"
no matter the outcome of investigation regarding the accusations,
which might be corroborated once responding agencies no longer
schedule and/or delay appointments at the convenience of the accused.
Response time may be a critical and deciding factor in preliminary
investigation and gathering evidence.
C) See cases of felony rape
against children prosecuted as hate crimes, with the potential
for enhancement on sentencing. (The logistics and probability
for affecting this result have been assessed and outlined by prosecutors
and lawyers steeped neck-deep in existing hate crime legislation
and knowledge and application of criminal and civil statutes,
and the language of the law.)
D) Broaden the potential
for child molester identification hotlines by also making the
service accessible to adult survivors of child molestation who
do not have children of their own, who do not work in service
related fields, and who, currently, may not use some ID services,
in spite of having information that meets the criteria for accessing
such hotlines, most especially when they may know the whereabouts
of a sex offender who has failed to self-register following a
relocation. Also, modify the source of funding for child molester
ID services so that none are threatened by financial constraints
in the future. (Put it to a public vote as a safety issue to assign
a service surcharge to telephone bills in order to make the hotlines
sustainable and solvent indefinitely.)
E) Eliminate presenting issues
and ideas affecting children's rights as symbolic gestures to
advance a personal or political agenda. Truth and accuracy in
reporting on pending legislation are warranted. Children are not
political pawns and their lives merit more than lip service and
self-aggrandizement. For example: You may have read in various
resources about the "Children's Equal Protection Act"
(of 1994 or of 1995). The legislation has yet to be introduced
to Congress though it's been publicized for quite some time. Accurate
accounts will not lull adults into acting as if something is on
the horizon, when, in actuality, it is lagging far behind at children's
expense.
The Children's Protection &
Advocacy Coalition aims to pool resources -- knowledge, ideas
and skills -- to create and implement an initial 10-year plan
for children's benefit. The only way child abuse can be affected
-- and children's rights dramatically increased -- is by adults
working toward the same goal, with the same hope in mind, and
with the determination and back bone to stand behind viable ideas
suggested and put on the horizon.
The ambition isn't to ignore suggestions
and plans introduced and relayed by a source; it's to refer an
increased number of people directly to the source and to advocate
for the stated outcome articulated in children's interest. It's
about streamlining, teamwork, and augmenting support for children
and their advocates.
It's equally important to realize
that the goal is not to undermine how prosecutors handle and present
cases; it's to take into consideration and account current law
to affect proposed legislation that may result in increased choices
and stronger results.
Adults who are currently involved
in organizations that enjoy the benefits of holding 501(c)3 status
are asked to seriously consider networking with the Coalition
as private citizens (if you feel that your participation may be
or appear in conflict with your organization's status and avoidance
of lobbying for legislative advancements). Lend your personal
commitment and understanding, and your professional knowledge
to the Coalition.
The CPAC is funded by Coalition
members and supported by volunteer efforts, and does not seek
grants/donations that non-profit entities may need to help children.
Published
in: The Justice Report; Mississippi Voices for Children &
Youth; Challenges Magazine; Write To Tell. The articles are copyrighted
by the CPAC. Not all of the following articles, written for the
CPAC, will be available online; the content may not be appropriate
for all potential readers -- children -- who have access to the
Internet. If you're interested in obtaining the titles (available
through a publication subscription) not accessible Online, please
visit the page: Contacting
The CPAC Offline.
Abuse
v. Reunification
Beware
of the Beast Set for Prison Release
Licensed to
Kill: Treatment Providers Clearing Sexually Dangerous Offenders
Model Murderer
Michael Kelley: Prime Example for New "One Strike, You're
Out" Laws
Parental Rights
or Child Abuse: corporal punishment goes to Congress
In
Plain Site: Pedophiles Online, How to Protect Children
Protest
Prejudice Against A Jewish Family: Release Laura Clem from Prison...
She's Only 6
Pushers
of Paddling Wield A Violent Weapon: Court Ordered, Institutionalized
Child Abuse
Rape... A
Hate Crime?
Rock-Soft
Fences
Stand
Against the Wind
Treatment
of Sexually Dangerous Offenders: A Cruel Hoax
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