Letter: Don’t let Child Abuse go under the radar
Chicago – A few pages after yet another story about the latest in the Harvey Weinstein saga, I read a Tribune editorial entitled: “The toughest job in state government,” and came upon a paragraph that reduced me nearly to tears.
It read: “The mother of a 2-year-old toddler from Charleston allegedly left him alone for days in a playpen with two peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and a bottle of vitamin water with a small hole pricked in the top. He was discovered days later, dead from dehydration and starvation or a combination, according to the medical examiner.”
While the Dec. 19 Tribune editorial focused on the problems within the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, child abuse problems in America are pandemic.
The latest 2015 Child Maltreatment Report from The Children’s Bureau was published in January 2017. The CB report “shows an increase in child abuse referrals from 3.6 million to 4 million. The number of children involved subsequently increased to 7.2 million from 6.6 million,” according to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children. “The report also indicates an increase in child deaths from abuse and neglect to 1,670 in 2015, up from 1,580 in 2014. Some reports estimate child abuse fatalities at 1,740 or even higher. The United States has one of the worst records among industrialized nations – losing on average almost five children every day to child abuse and neglect.”
It got me to thinking. Is child abuse getting its proper coverage in the media and attention from officials? Or is it being shoved aside because it doesn’t wear a celebrity face and status?
I cannot know the trauma caused by sexual harassment. But I do know it can be survived. A child’s maltreatment and death, however, cannot.
— Jim Dudas, Naperville
What a terrible way, it is going Robert. Poor, poor and innocent kids.
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Irene, I was going to tell you that part 2 is going to get some attention…
Sincerely,
Robert
Mistreated children are not celebrity status so not media headlines unfortunately, regardless of the magnitude of numbers. Even when celebrity parents are involved, the poor children are soon forgotten such as the little Ramsey girl. Money talks children into silenced graves although they may have grown up to become great leaders or celebrities. Their sufferings are silenced. Trafficked children of the poor? 2018 is to be the year to end this. No, wait. January 2018 the month of freedom? Something political like that. Not in my world! Every child matters and should be accounted for.
I do not condone sexual harassment by anyone to anyone, and yes I have encountered it. But I dealt with it with my knee, woman to man quickly and in my young career. Now I’m retired so admit what I didn’t speak of at the time. But we all react differently. No celebrities involved and I wasn’t interested in lawsuits, simply doing my job. He didn’t show up for work anymore so no need to mention it.
Children don’t have the option to defend themselves, quit, or protect themselves, so should be the top priority of every American, especially the media. It’s sad that this isn’t the case. Sad that children don’t have the resources the pay for protection.
Crystal, I really dislike differing with you, you say trafficking is going to end???? First read part 2 that I published about midnight.
I will wait for your response before I tell you what is going to happen….
Sincerely,
Robert
Robert I apologize for losing this conversation. My comment about 2018 ending the problem was just political sarcasm. I knew when I quoted it that this is a growing problem so that was said in frustration. You and I don’t disagree on this at all I’m sure. Either of us would protect any child we have the opportunity to protect. That’s why I said, “No, wait”. We remain on the same page.
Sincerely;
Crystal
Yes Crystal, we are on the same page.
Robert