Author: Marianne Halterman

Child abuse and parental drug use are very much connected, according to reports by the National Council on Child Abuse & Family Violence. A current report in one of the Child Welfare League of America’s new booklets states, “More than 8 million children live with parents who are substance abusers.”¹ “Substance abuse exists in 40-80 percent of families where there is child abuse.”² “Children whose parents use alcohol and other drugs are three times more likely to be abused and more than four times more likely to be neglected than children from non [substance] abusing families.”³

If the above-mentioned quotes don’t shake you to your very soul, then it’s possible you may be a robot! We have programs to help children in this Country, “No Child Left Behind”, “No Kid Hungry”… Why not “No Kid Abused…Ever!” ? And why not more efforts directed toward prevention, intervention and if abuse is found, stiffer penalties for abusers?

Summing up their August 1-3, 2016, California conference, the CWLA noted on their website: “ Substance use has a significant impact on all child welfare practice areas, and is a major reason that children come into the child welfare system and have trouble returning home.”⁴ (www.cwla.org/2016-post-conference/) But still it frequently seems that law enforcement and public health and welfare agencies are aware of but seem powerless to make the connection between drug use (and abuse) and child abuse and to act and to do what is needed, before the damage to children is done.

Children whose homes are meth labs are in constant danger–you have only to pick up your daily newspaper to see the results in bold headlines. Yesterday, in New Mexico, a 10-year old girl named Victoria was killed… by her mother, and her mother’s boyfriend on meth. They injected the child with meth and committed unspeakable crimes.⁵ Two days before, a 5-year old girl in Minnesota was kidnapped, assaulted and murdered, her body dumped in a field by a “family friend”.⁶ I am listing only two sad examples of what are thought to be drug-related crimes–and there are many, many more.

Children should not have to fear their parents or the quality of their homelife.

This is what Arizona’s Attorney General has posted on the Attorney General’s website, “About Meth”:

“Exposure to meth manufacturing can harm anyone, but it is particularly dangerous to children. Once a meth lab is discovered, children who live in meth labs need special and immediate attention from a variety of professionals, including medical, legal and child welfare. The dangers faced by children who live in and near meth labs include contamination, fire and explosion, child abuse and neglect, hazardous living conditions and other social problems.”⁷ (www.azag.gov/meth#how_meth_endangers)

The longer people keep silent about neighbors they believe are making and/or using and abusing drugs, like methamphetamine, the more children will be abused, injured and worse. Frequently children who come from drug-using and abusive homes are placed, sometimes repeatedly, by the courts in foster care–and in some cases, possibly most cases, they are the lucky ones.
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¹National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence, www.nccafv.org/parentalsubstanceabuse.htm
²Op. Cit.
³Ibid.
⁴Child Welfare League of America, “Advancing Excellence in Practice and Policy, August 1-3, 2016: What Works for Families Affected by Substance Abuse”, Orange, California, website: www.cwla.org/2016-post-conference
⁵“Girl’s Brutal Killing in N.M. Detailed By Police”, Daily News Record, Associated Press, 8/26/16, p. A2.
⁶“Man Jailed in Girl’s Murder”, Daily News Record, Associated Press, 8/23/16, p. A9.
⁷Website of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, 2016, www.azag.gov/meth#how_meth_endangers

With gratitude to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

It’s back-to-school time again, and parents, family members and caregivers who have young children in their charge are thinking about how they can keep their young kids safe. Here are some tips the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) have shared in a publication called “Personal Safety For Children – A Guide for Parents and Guardians”.¹ We hope it’s useful to you as your young ones head to school:

What Your Child Can Do: The Rules for Younger Children:

Young children should be taught:

1. To know their name, address, telephone number and their parents’ or guardians’ names.
2. To check first with parents, guardians or the person in charge, and to tell them before going anywhere or getting into a vehicle, even with someone the child knows.
3. To check first with their parents, guardians, or another trusted adult before accepting anything from anyone, even from someone the child knows.
4. To take a friend along when the child goes places or plays outside.
5. To say “No!” if someone tries to touch or treat the child in a way that makes him or her feel scared, uncomfortable or confused.
6. To know that it’s okay to say “No!” and to keep asking until a child gets the help he or she needs.
7. To know that he or she can tell his or her parents, guardians, or another trusted adult if he or she feels scared, uncomfortable or confused.
8. A child should believe they are strong, smart and have the right to be SAFE.

There are too many tragedies in our world today and the effects of a society in flux spill over onto vulnerable young children. We have only to look at the evening news one night a week to know this. As a parent, family member, caregiver or guardian, please bear in mind the incredible gift of responsibility that has been placed on your shoulders, to protect, guide and keep your children safe. It’s not enough to give birth, feed, clothe, house, educate and love them. If you love them, you want them to be safe and to grow up in as safe and healthy a world as possible. Be with them, listen to them, watch over them. They are the most precious gift of all.

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¹“Personal Safety for Children, A Guide for Parents and Guardians”, c. 1998, 2002, 2005, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Alexandria, VA.

Caleb Schwab was only 10, and, no doubt, he and his family were looking forward to a great time for him at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas. So it is a terrible shock for the family and for the other passengers on the Verruckt water slide when this fun day somehow turned into a tragedy, one that possibly could have been avoided.

At some point in the ride, Caleb was ejected from the raft he was in and he hit the safety netting. There have been mentions about velcro straps that were not working and an inspection that may not have not occurred since 2014. It’s all hearsay at this point. There will be an investigation into this child’s death and the safety of this particular ride. American news and Kansas City police both said, Caleb died of a “neck injury”. (ABC, Associated Press, August 9, 2016 abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/latest-boys-death-water-park-prompts-gofundme-page-41207846). Witnesses on the ride, (according to the UK’s Daily Mail) say this child was “decapitated” and that his body fell 50’ before it landed in the pool at the base of the water slide below. (UK Daily Mail, Tuesday, August 9, 2016 www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3730558/Witnesses-day-ten-year-old-boy-DECAPITATED-flew-world-s-tallest-waterslide-fell-safety-net.html) This is very hard for anyone, much less a parent, grand-parent, family member or friend to accept. The agony of losing a beautiful child compounded by the horrific manner of that loss. There are no words–and our hearts go out over and over again to his family.

This terrible event brings it home to the public, to families with young children, to parents and grandparents, caregivers and friends, that perhaps carnival, fair and amusement park rides may not be as safe as people assume they are. Almost immediately following Caleb’s death, there was a bulletin on our local news station about three children who fell from a ferris wheel at a county fair in Greeneville, Tennessee; the youngest child is in serious condition with a possible brain injury (CBS News, August 9, 11:07 a.m., www.cbsnews.com/news/child-serious-condition-ferris-wheel-accident-tennessee/)

For now, public attention is drawn to these terrible tragedies–which should not have taken place–and the families’ grief shared by the public in the aftermath. One can only hope that what has happened will spur the regulatory agencies which promulgate the safety standards for entertainment rides to be more stringent and diligent in their regulation; and for those organizations which inspect these rides to be more alert to regular inspections and safety requirements of the rides, as well as significant attention paid to maintenance by the owners and providers of those rides.

In these tragedies, there are no do-overs. It should be noted that the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) says, “No federal oversight is needed” of an industry with such an excellent safety record, on their website. “Safety is the foundation of our profession and a top priority.” ASTM International writes the guidelines for Amusement Park Safety, and F-24 Amusement Park Standards are set by the ASTM International Committee on Amusement Rides and Devices. The current standards have been adopted by 32 states and some foreign countries; and 44 of 50 states regulate amusement parks.

To family members, parents and grand-parents who enjoy attending carnivals, fairs, and are users of amusement and entertainment park rides, please be vigilant about what rides you consider to be safe for your children. Ask questions, do your homework. If a ride is too old or appears rickety or looks unsafe, it probably is. I don’t care if it’s a see-saw or a merry-go-round! If you, the parent, spends literally years making sure your kids are safely strapped in booster seats properly fixed in your car, then do you want to risk their safety on these kinds of “terrifying” rides? Think about it: You can say, “No!” I am sure Caleb’s parents wish they had the opportunity to do just that.