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New Hope CE Notes
April 2000
Dr.
Bill Gaultiere
(714)
971-4213,
DrBill@CrystalCathedral.org
This
is the complete notes from class everything but jokes
and stories! Remember to complete the attached exam, either
for the fun and challenge of it or to get New Hope CE credit.
A. Jesus
and Children
- Read
Matthew 18:1-6 to see an example of how Jesus welcomed
and esteemed children. He taught that children are to be
protected from sin and that those who violate them (without
remorse, repairing the injury, or repentance) should have
a millstone hung around their neck and be thrown into the
sea.
B. Facts
about Child Abuse
1.
Definition: A physical injury intentionally inflicted
on a child under the age of 18 years old by another person.
(Physical or sexual abuse and physical neglect.)
2.
Child Abuse is a Crime
3.
Types of Child Abuse:
- Physical
injury
- Bruises,
cuts, welts, burns, bite marks, broken bones, internal
organ injuries, unjustifiable physical pain, head injuries.
- Spanking
is not child abuse unless it leaves a physical
injury (harsh spanking done with a belt or a whip may
produce injuries).
- Sexual
assault
- Sex
acts with children
- Child
molestation (intentional touching of genitals or breasts)
- Intentional
masturbation in front of a child
- Voluntary
sexual exploration between two children under age 14 and
of similar age is not child abuse.
- Voluntary
sexual activity between two children ages 14 to 17 usually
is not considered child abuse unless the sexual activity
began before the child turned 14. Legally, once the 17
year old turns 18 it is considered child abuse and needs
to be reported.
- Sexual
exploitation
- Preparing,
selling, or distributing pornography involving children
- Involving
children in performances with obscene sexual conduct
- Child
prostitution
- Neglect
- Malnutrition
- Medical
conditions unattended to
- Grossly
inadequate hygiene
- Very
inappropriate dress for weather
- Emotional
abuse
- Not
reportable as child abuse, but still a problem to be confronted
and dealt with for the safety and well-being of the child.
- Childhood
abuse of adults
- In
cases where an adult reports having been abused as a child
this is only reportable if you have a "reasonable
suspicion" that the perpetrator might currently (or
recently) be abusing a child.
4.
Child Abuse is Common:
- 1
in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will have been sexually abused
by the age of 18.
- A
child abuse report is filed every 11 seconds in the U.S.,
every 51 seconds in California (1992 data).
- 6
children per day die from maltreatment in the U.S., 84%
of these are under the age of 5. Child abuse is the leading
cause of death for children. (1995 data).
- 95%
of victims are abused by parents, friends, relatives,
or others whom they know.
- A
research study found that only 8% of child abuse allegations
were fictitious, 53 % were founded, and 41 % were either
not abusive or unclear if they were abusive or not.
5.
Child Abuse is Often Kept Secret:
- Perpetrators
usually threaten, coerce, or bribe children into keeping
abuse secret.
- Victims
feel ashamed, like the abuse is their fault. They are
afraid to tell anyone.
- Victims
may become used to being abused such that they feel "eligible"
to be abused and like it's "okay."
- Young
children don't know any better and may think that the
abuse is normal.
6.
False Claims and False Confessions Occur Occasionally:
-
Sociopathic
adults: may be masturbating or trying to get a reaction
out of you.
-
Pornography
users or others trying to involve you in their inappropriate
fantasies.
-
"Coached"
children in custody disputes.
-
Adolescents
who "make up" convincing reports out of boredom,
infatuation, or in an effort to retaliate.
-
"False
Memory Syndrome"
7.
Increased Severity:
- The
younger the child
- The
longer the abuse occurred
- The
more intense the violation (e.g., intercourse vs. petting,
violent or not)
- The
more important the perpetrator (e.g., father vs. 2nd
cousin)
C.
Indicators of Possible Child Abuse (No "checklist
diagnoses!")
1. Vague,
indirect references to abuse:
- "I
know someone who"; "What would you do if";
"I heard that somebody"
2. Dysfunctional
Family Dynamics:
- Discipline
is overly harsh or rigid (e.g., uses belt, whip, or hanger)
- One
child is singled out as bad
- One
child is singled out for special gifts or trips
- Homicidal
thoughts toward child
- Sexual
statements or attitude regarding child
- Parents
unable or unwilling to meet child's basic needs
- Parents
impulsive and lacking in self-control
3.
(See Effects Below)
D. Effects
of Child Abuse
1. Physical injuries (discussed above)
2.
Sexual trauma, confusion
- May
be unconsciously re-enacted by re-entering abusive relationships
or through promiscuity
3.
Emotional and behavioral problems
- Mistrust:
afraid of parents, caretaker, men or women, or going home
- Fearful
and insecure
- Overly
self-conscious of body (e.g., of showers, restrooms, PE
class)
- Shame,
low self-esteem, depression (may be observed in poor hygiene,
excessive bathing, avoidance of eye contact)
- Internalized
anger, self-destructive behavior, suicidal
- Sleep
problems (nightmares, afraid to go to sleep, sleeping
long hours)
- Overly
compliant and approval-seeking
- Withdrawal,
isolation
- School
problems or deterioration in performance
- Runaway,
aggressive or antisocial behavior
- Alcohol
or drug abuse, eating disorder
E. What
to do When you Suspect Child Abuse
1. Clarify
what happened
- Was
the child abused?
- What
are the details of how the child was abused?
- When
and how often did the abuse happen?
- Who
do you trust the most? Does he or she know about this
2. Offer
support
- Listen
and reflect feelings
- Give
comfort
Sample
statements:
-
"It
sounds like you feel bad, but it wasn't your
fault it happened."
-
"You're
just a child. You didn't understand what was happening."
-
"You
were scared and you couldn't have stopped it."
-
"It
was very brave for you to tell me what happened
and to ask for help."
-
"You
must feel angry about what he or she did to you.
That's normal because what he or she did was wrong
and it hurt you very much."
-
"It's
natural that you were curious about sex."
-
"It's
natural for your body to feel good if it's touched
gently in your private areas."
3.
Establish Safety
-
If
the child is in imminent danger then trace the call
-
Tell
the child that he or she needs to be protected and that
you know some people who can help (Children's Protective
Services).
-
Encourage
the child to talk to the person he or she trusts
the most and ask for help
4.
Record all necessary information and make a report
- Remember
we report whenever we have "a reasonable suspicion
that abuse might have occurred."
- Use
the child abuse reporting forms in the phone room
F. Survivor's
Story
(See
www.angelfire.com/fl/kimssafeplace/kspchildhood.html)
- "My
childhood is gone it was stolen."
- "Only
emptiness inside. Nothing else except self hate, blame,
and inner turmoil. This child learned early that the world
she was brought into was not safe."
- "We
were the perfect picture of a normal upper-class family.
But what was going on inside this facade was something
quite horrible."
- "I
feared my father. He was a strict disciplinarian. He would
spank me on my bare behind, for punishment."
- "He
abused me in several different places. He would come up
to my bedroom most of the time.
I would pretend to be asleep. I believed that if he thought
I was asleep, then he nor I would have to face it. I call
it playing possum." Leave me alone, I'm dead." He didn't."
- "The
person that was suppose to protect me, turned out to be
the person I needed protection from. The monster under
my bed was real.
- "I
requested a guidance pass from one of my teachers and
before I knew it, I was in his [school counselor's] office
spilling my guts. I finally had a trusted adult that I
could tell my secret to. I cried tears that had been hidden
for so long. It was the hardest thing I had ever done
in my fifteen years of life. I reached for help, I told.
I was going to be safe."
- "My
counseling sessions turned into what I thought at the
time was a relationship. Mr. X said that he cared about
me thought I was beautiful. I was recieving the attention
I so desperately craved. Soon, physical contact began,
with kissing and some touching. All of this occurring
on school property in his office, with the door closed.
I began to wish that he would take me away, far from the
daily hell that I lived. I tried to be anything he wanted
me to be. No matter how hard I tried, I could not be his
girlfriend, because I was a child."
- "I
quit school soon after [an incident in which he attempted
intercourse]. I never saw Mr. X again."
- "Just
a few threads holding the ragdoll together now, fit only
for the garbage. All innocence lost. There would be no
proms, no graduation, nothing a normal girl gets to experience.
I was different. I had something wrong with me. No one
cared. No one heard. No one saw. I was alone, and it didn't
matter."
- Kim
has gotten help in therapy and is speaking out and helping
others via her website
G. The Healing
Process for Survivors
-
Finding
a Safe Place
-
Grieving
-
Anger
Work
-
Self-Esteem
Building
-
New
Coping Skills
-
Renewed
Faith
-
Helping
Others
Child
Abuse CE Exam
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