The Children's Advocacy Center of Jackson County

Tag: Protect Our Children Training

  • Does child abuse happen in our state? In Jackson County?

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    April is child abuse prevention/awareness month.  This is my traditional April Blog recognizing and focusing on the problem of child abuse.

    I was doing a little research to see what was going on in the world of child abuse.  I found a page on the internet that is nothing but stories of child abuse.  They are all true.  They are all recent.  They are all heartbreaking.

    One tells of a child whose father found out she was having sex and so, as punishment, forced her to become a prostitute at a truck stop.  There are stories of child fatalities; there are stories of parents beating their children.  It is quite disturbing.  It is a true crime website.  I was simply looking for some compelling story to blog about and found a whole site.  All from 2017.

    Some will say that those horrible things do not happen in Oregon.  Those things happen in other countries or other parts of this country. Sadly, this is not accurate.

    There were 964 children abused in Jackson County in 2016.  In the state of Oregon, there were 27 child abuse fatalities.  21 of those were perpetrated by a parent or parent figure.  All 27 of the children who died knew their abuser.  We call it child abuse fatalities, and as awful as that sounds, it does not sound as awful as murder.  We look for words that are softer to describe these heinous acts.

    Child abuse happens in Oregon.  Child abuse happens in Jackson County. 

    The foster parent shortage that has been reported on is not just in other parts of the state.  It is here in our county as well.

    This is not someone else’s problem.  It is ours. The problem has been long established.  What isn’t as clear, is the solution.

    How do we make a meaningful impact?  Where is the catchy child abuse slogan?  You know…like the “War on Drugs” or “No Child Left Behind”.  Where is the rally cry to help keep kids safe from the dangers that lurk within their own homes?

    People who work in the field of child abuse; particularly those who work in prevention, joke about “working themselves out of a job” and “putting the CAC out of business”.  It is a good goal.  But where is the rally cry?  These of course are rhetorical questions.  Unless you have an actual answer.  Then I am all ears!

    There are things that you can do all year long…..long after April has ended. You can:

    • Find an agency that helps to protect children and support them in any way you can. If you can’t donate money, then donate time and talent.  Nonprofit agencies are quite adept at leveraging whatever your gift is, with other gifts, to create the biggest impact.
    • If you suspect abuse, make a report–even if it feels uncomfortable or even if you are unsure. The professionals will figure it out. You don’t have to figure it out.
    • Not sure what abuse looks like? Take a training on recognizing abuse.  The CAC of Jackson County offers several opportunities, either through our Protect Our Children program or through other offerings such as Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment offered this May. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/kwm6qx5
    • Do you see a mom or a dad struggling? Offer to help.
    • Let your legislative representatives know that children and child abuse is a priority for you and you want it to be their priority as well—both at the state and federal level.
    • You can change the conversation from “Why didn’t she tell?” to “Why did he do that?”
    • You can become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and learn how to advocate for children in the foster care system. We have hundreds of children on a waiting list right now who need an advocate.
    • You can teach your children, your grandchildren, your nieces and nephews, your neighbor’s child — all the children in your life — who is allowed to touch what part of their bodies and under what circumstance.
    • You can tell the adults in your life that your child is off limits by being present, by asking the right questions, and by staying in tuned and attentive to your child. If an offender knows you are watching and vigilant, it makes your child less accessible to them.

    You can STOP saying Not My Child; Not My Problem.

     

     

  • Child Abuse: A greater incident rate than cancer

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of The Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    April is Child Abuse Prevention month.  This is the time of year that we use to spread the word about the social and public health issue that plagues our children.  Many people do not generally think about child abuse unless they work in the field or have had it impact their family.

    In the United States, four children die every day as a result of child abuse or neglect. 

    Some reports say that statistic is low and is actually closer to five a day.  Most reports state that a large number of those dying are under the age of one.  One report states that 79% of the children that die as a result of abuse and neglect are under the age of three. That seems incredible!  It is frightening!  It seems epidemic.

    In 2014, according to the Oregon Child Welfare Data Book, 13 children died as a result of abuse or neglect.  There were 10,010 child abuse victims and 46.4% of those victims were under the age of six. Of incidents of abuse, 44.2% were incidents of neglect, 7.1% physical abuse, 6.3% sexual abuse, 1.5% mental injury and 40 % were considered threat of harm which could be related to domestic violence, drug use, sexual abuse, mental injury, or physical abuse.

    This is not happening in some far off place.  This is happening in Oregon.

    Nationally, reports indicate that somewhere in the neighborhood of 90% of perpetrators of abuse are known by the children they abuse. They are people who are considered family or family-like.

    The incidence rate of child abuse and neglect in this country is about ten times as high (40 children per thousand children per year) as the incidence rate for all forms of cancer (3.9 individuals per thousand individuals per year).  This statistic is attributed to The Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence.

    I am also a supporter of cancer research, but when you think about it in terms of our addressing an issue equally in terms of importance; we do not put our money behind child abuse prevention. Not only do we not put our money behind child abuse prevention, we do not put our mouth behind it either.

    While cancer is usually talked about in hushed tones, child abuse is rarely talked about at all. 

    In doing a google search for the top public health issue, child abuse does not even rank in most of the articles I read.  Yet, if we look at the statistics of founded cases on both a national and state level, one can see it is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed.

    Many people do not want to get “involved” in a situation that is considered “family business” by making a report.  Others fear retribution if they make a report.

    Recently, I spoke to a friend who had made report on behalf of a young family member.  It has turned her family upside down.  There has been much anger, fear, and anxiety experienced by all involved—the reporter, the perpetrator, the victim, those who support the perpetrator and those who support the victim.  It is hard when you love both the victim and the perpetrator.

    This friend is a hero of mine.  In spite of all the chaos that ensued after the report was made, she has stood strong.  She made the report.  She protected the children involved.  She has not stopped there.  She is making it her business to protect all children.

    While these statistics make some feel that it is hopeless, it isn’t.  There are some things that we could all do.

    Here is my top ten list in random order:

    • Learn to recognize and respond to the signs of abuse. (Take a Protect Our Children class or host one for a group of your friends.)
    • When you see something that does not seem right, make a report to DHS or law enforcement.
    • Support those who make a disclosure of abuse. This can be as simple as not calling them a liar.
    • Put everyone in your life on notice that you will not tolerate child abuse of any kind.
    • Contact your elected officials on local, state, and national level and tell them keeping children safe from abuse is a priority for you.
    • Vote for candidates that make children a priority.
    • Donate your time, talent or treasure to an organization that works to protect children from abuse.
    • Talk to the children in your life about what abuse is and what they should do if something happens to them. (This should include all kinds of abuse…bullying, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.)
    • BE PRESENT IN YOUR CHILD’S LIFE.
    • When you see a parent struggling with their children in a public place, offer support instead of judgement.

    If you want to learn more about any of these, to include learning “how” to do these,  contact the Children’s Advocacy Center.  If there is enough interest we will schedule a special class.

    Here is a list of some fun activities you can participate in to let your community know that you will not stand for child abuse:

    *Ongoing: The Change for Children Campaign will be taking place throughout the community.

    This is an exciting collaborative project between, CASA, Children’s Advocacy Center and The Family Nurturing Center.  Look for Change for Children donation jars at: The Butcher Shop, all Lithia car dealerships, Wamba Juice, Central Art Supply, Jackson Creek Pizza, Thai Bistro and Sunrise Cafe.

    *April 16th: Panda Express Fundraiser

    *April 23rd:  Gamble for Good Poker Tournament Fundraiser

    *April 25th:  Protect Our Children Child Abuse Prevention Training

    *April 27th and 28th: Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse Training – Contact Ginny Sagal at: vsagal@cacjc.org for more information or to register