Thursday, April 12, 2012

Child Abuse

In November 2000, a San Jose man was riding in a female coworker’s car when he thought he heard a child moaning. According to Sergeant Steve Dixon of the San Jose Police Department, the man “looked in the back seat. There was no one there. He looked at her [his coworker]. She looked very nervous. She began talking very loudly. He heard the moaning several times. She turned up the radio, apparently to drown out the sounds.” The man later called the police, and the woman was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment after her two sons, ages five and seven, told authorities that their mother would sometimes lock them in the trunk of her Honda Civic when she went to work. In describing this incident, Dixon stated, “It’s almost unbelievable.”
Indeed, what is perhaps most shocking about this story is that it is only “almost” unbelievable. Due to the frequency with which one hears of child abuse cases—even cases much more serious than children being locked in the trunk of a car—the incident is frighteningly believable.
Statistics suggest that child abuse is not a rare occurrence. According to the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, a resource office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 2,806,000 reports of possible child maltreatment in 1998. About one-third of these (34 percent) were “screened out,” and about two-thirds (66 percent) were investigated. Of those investigated, about 540,000 (29.9 percent) resulted in a finding of “either substantiated or indicated child maltreatment.”
The clearinghouse estimates that in 1998 903,000 children were victims of maltreatment, defined as “children who are found to have experienced or be at risk of experiencing substantiated or indicated maltreatment.” This number includes 1,100 children who died of abuse and neglect. Of these 903,000 victims, over one-half (54 percent) experienced neglect, about one-fourth (23 percent) suffered physical abuse, and 12 percent were victims of sexual abuse. The remaining 11 percent were subjected to psychological abuse and medical neglect in roughly equal numbers. The vast majority (87 percent) were maltreated by one or both parents.
Advocates for abused children point to these and other statistics to support their argument that child abuse is a serious problem in America—although some insist that the problem is much more widespread than these numbers suggest. For example, Jim Hopper, a research associate at Boston University School of Medicine, asserts that the majority of child abuse victims are not counted in official statistics because “most abused and neglected children never come to the attention of authorities.” Hopper claims that sexual abuse is especially unlikely to be reported to authorities because “there may be no physical signs of harm, there is always intense shame, and secrecy is often maintained, even by adults who know of the abuse, for fear of destroying a family.” For these reasons, Hopper concludes, “the statistics on ‘substantiated’ cases of child abuse and neglect collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are not indicative of actual rates of child abuse in the United States.”
Others argue that the numbers actually create the impression that the problem is more severe than it actually is. Child abuse activists often cite the fact that there are about 2.8 million child abuse reports each year—an increase of about 41 percent since 1988. However, as previously stated, more than half of such reports are either screened out or found to be unsubstantiated. Moreover, the large increase since the late 1980s is largely the result of new laws that require certain professionals—such as social workers and teachers—to report every suspected case of child abuse. Since these professionals are shielded from litigation for making unsubstantiated reports, while at the same time face severe punishment if they fail to report substantiated abuse, they have an incentive to report even the most questionable cases. Douglas J. Besharov and Jacob W. Dembosky, writing in Slate magazine, attribute the increase in reports to a “growing reportorial sensitivity of professionals.” They suggest that “professionals who become more sensitive to possible abuse, or more adept at noticing it, would make more reports . . . even if the actual incidence had not risen.”
While experts debate the accuracy of the statistics, few dispute the harm that child abuse can cause. While some children die of neglect and abuse, most victims survive with psychic scars that stay with them throughout their lives. As stated by the National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence, “Abuse robs children of the opportunity to develop healthy, trusting relationships with adults, contributes to low self-esteem, and impairs healthy psycho-social development. Indeed, the effects of childhood abuse often last a lifetime.” A problem with such potentially devastating consequences deserves thoughtful scrutiny. To that end, the authors of Child Abuse: Current Controversies take a close look at many of the contentious debates that surround this issue, including the severity of the problem, its causes, and how best to prevent it. Throughout these pages, contributors grapple with the challenge of protecting society’s most vulnerable members.

Child Abuse: It Sets Children Up To Be Violent

Child Abuse: It Sets Children Up To Be Violent

Violence has, unfortunately, become a common occurrence of today's society. Everywhere we turn, all we see are visions of violence that are wrongly showcased as solutions to problems. This makes it even more difficult for parents to teach their children proper morals and behaviors when the media projects violent acts in ways that children view as normal. However, some parents aren't even trying to halt this wave of aggression. These parents choose to put this epidemic of violence in the express lane. One or both parents are involved in more than half of the astounding 3 million reported cases of child abuse each year (Kim). This number doesn't include the hundreds of cases that are left unreported. How are children to learn how to effectively solve everyday dilemmas, sans violence, when role models are using brutality to solve problems in the home? Abused children are more likely to lead a life that involves violence than children who have a stable, normal upbringing.
While there isn't a nailed down definition of child abuse and neglect, and different states and localities have their own definitions, it can be simplified to a general explanation. “Child abuse, or neglect, is the failure of a parent or caretaker to act, which results in physical, emotional or sexual maltreatment or death (Salus). Abuse can take many different forms. One type is physical abuse, which obviously involves an infliction of physical harm on the child. Another is sexual abuse, which not only entails physical sexual activity, but also includes non-physical, sexual exploitation (Salus). Emotional abuse is another form, which results when someone is verbally threatened and or humiliated. There are also several different levels of neglect. A child can be subject to physical neglect, which means the caretaker fails to provide for the child physically. Educational and emotional neglects can also be inflicted on a child. Educational neglect occurs when a parent fails to provide a child with the opportunity to gain an education. Emotional abuse is when a child doesn't receive the proper amount of affection or nurturing (Salus). No specific type of abuse can be labeled as the most severe or damaging. However, we know that all types of abuse and neglect can influence a child in a negative manner.
As said above, when a parent abuses a child, they start a circle of violence in that child's life. A parent could be driven into abusive behavior by many different factors. Depression is one of the main factors leading up to abuse. Twelve percent of mothers with young children are depressed (Kim). Depressed mothers are also more inclined to notice and correct the child's poor behaviors, while ignoring the pleasant behaviors (Embry). Mothers can then children in emotional and physical distress by ignoring their needs. Taking care of a child, or multiple children, can be a very stressful task. People who are paid as caretakers for children are shown to have higher depression rate than those in high-risk professions such as police officers and firemen (Embry). When a child is cared for in a depressed environment, the chances of the child experiencing with substance abuse and falling into delinquency are three times more likely (Embry). Depression is more or less a communicable disease. While it may not be directly visible, depression will hurt and affect everyone that comes into contact with it. Another factor is substance abuse by the parent. Parental drug addiction can lead to child neglect or abuse if the parent becomes angry as a result of the drug (Kim). Also, over half of the assaults and homicides of domestic abuse cases involve alcohol (Elliott).
Other acts of domestic violence in a household also contribute to child abuse. In a household where domestic violence occurs, child abuse is fifteen times more likely to happen (Kim). Horribly, domestic violence has practically become an ordinary and familiar part of our lives. The statistics show that it continues to be on the rise in the United States. Spousal abuse occurs every fifteen seconds, solely in the U.S. Half of the nation's couples have encountered at least one violent event between them. Also, of all assault cases, a shocking 70% involve spousal abuse (Bledsoe).
As sad as it seems, battered mothers often turn into abusers. These mothers often take the stress caused by the abuse out on their children. In 50% of all households that contain spousal abuse, child abuse is also present (Bledsoe). Therefore, the conclusion can be made that the more domestic abuse there is in the world, the more child abuse there will be. An excuse often used for this mother-to-child abuse is that the children need to learn to behave better in order to avoid agitation of the abusive father (Kim).
However, even if the abused mother does not inflict abuse on the child, he or she can still be in danger in an environment that contains domestic abuse. The child may get injured in an attempt to break up the altercation (Kim). Psychological damage is also common in this situation. The child will begin to think that abuse is a normal part of a relationship, and they will feel unsafe in the relationships of their future (Minerbrook). Furthermore, it is dangerous for a child to be exposed to any of these factors in the home as they may lead to abuse, neglect, psychological issues or even death.
Many child abuse cases turn into child fatalities. This is true in the child abuse case of Kelsey Briggs. Kelsey, a two and a half year old girl, died in 2005 as a result of brutal child abuse. The abuse had begun months earlier, consisting of many broken bones and full-body bruising. Attempts were made to have Kelsey relocated to another family member, but each time she eventually returned back to the house of her mother, where her stepfather continued to abuse her. After ten months of enduring maltreatment, Kelsey died of her wounds. Her father, who was serving in Iraq at the time, came home shortly after this, only finding he had to bury his little girl. The stepfather and mother were both found at fault for Kelsey's premature death (Ballard). 1,400 child fatalities were reported in the United States in 2002 (Child Abuse in the United States). However, an estimated 60% of child fatalities go unreported, according to a study conducted in Colorado and North Carolina. This leaves us to wonder exactly why these terrible crimes are so rarely reported. Each state has its own official definition of child abuse and neglect. How can it be possible to determine the presence of a crime if there are many opinions on what the crime is? The review process of child fatalities also varies from place to place, and the process is often extensive and conducted by people who aren't specialized in recognizing child fatalities. Research concludes that children younger than five years of age are the most at risk. Children under a year old add up to 40% of fatalities. 76% of fatalities are made up of children younger than four years old. Both parents were involved in an astounding 79% of child fatalities (Child Abuse in the United States). Yes, these children obviously cannot become violent, as their abuse ended in death. However, this shows that more and more children are growing into violent adults, whose brutal acts are escalating. While so many innocent children die from abuse and neglect each year, even more victims of abuse survive, equipped with a subconscious pull towards violent behavior.
While not all child abuse cases result in a circle of violence, the statistics show that the chances of that happening are very high. Studies also show that the risk of violent behavior is raised by 40% in children who are exposed to violence early in life. Children learn how to react to situations through social learning. They imitate the actions that they see others do. Children then, regrettably, conclude that violence helps them gain power and that it is the best way to achieve respect (Elliott). They also see their parents who are unable to control anger and often have the same inability to control their own emotions in adulthood. Their aggressiveness builds as the years pass and they begin to only think of solutions that involve violent behavior (Minerbrook). While one would think that now, as adults, these individuals would realize that abusive behavior is cruel, the conclusion is quite the opposite. Parents who were subject abuse as children are six times more likely to abuse their own children than parents who had a “normal” childhood (Kim). They may know that the behavior is wrong, but they subconsciously act with violence to solve issues that arise with their children. The children then pick up the behaviors and begin to become belligerent. These behaviors typically launch in the first few years of the child's schooling.
The preschool years are a period of time where the early signs of aggressive behavior can be seen. While kindergarteners rarely commit felonies, they do often interrupt. The interruptions can take place at home or in the classroom. These interruptions can be disrupting the class lesson or just acting out in an attempt to get attention. Yes, it is normal for a younger child to interrupt activities. However, if the interruptions are excessive, this information can be used to predict more violent behavior many years later (Embry). A person who grew up in an abusive environment has a greater chance of continuing the violence in adulthood.
It has become a common fact that many serial killers and violent offenders had childhoods that were scarred with child abuse. Children often become depressed as a result of abuse. Boys in particular, show aggressive and sometimes unstable behavior while depressed (Embry). This erratic behavior leads them to act impulsively and begin a life of violence that could quickly turn into a life of crime. A common occurrence in our society is the rising number of violent teenagers. In a study of fourteen juveniles on death row, in several different states, twelve had experienced ruthless physical and sexual abuse (Minerbrook). The chance is 40% greater that abused children, versus non-abused children, will be arrested as juveniles and or in adulthood (Stephens). Violence seems inevitable for an abused child to develop.
The statistics are clearly up against those of us who have endured abuse as children. Some say that everyone has free will and that it is their decision to continue the circle of abuse. I cannot argue this fact. However, even as adults, those who have been abused are now subconsciously and maybe even genetically built to produce violence. Without therapy or something of the like, these individuals will be inclined to act violently to situations in their life. In my opinion, those with a history of abuse endure an everyday struggle to overcome their thoughts of brutality. While the majority of these individuals will continue the cycle of violence, there are a few success stories. Some of us overcome the struggles and lead normal and even successful lives. However, the number of people who prolong the sphere of abuse will remain and continue on.

Protection From Abuse And Neglect

Protection From Abuse and Neglect


I have recently been elected in a new statewide project in Minnesota to
create and provide leadership in a small scale voluntary association for
children . The focus of the small scale association is based on the United
Nations General Assembly that adopted a Convention on the rights of the Child.
It is a program to provide information and knowledge on the substantive right
for "Protection from abuse and neglect" designed specifically for children. The
right states that " the State shall protect the child from all forms of
maltreatment by parents or others responsible for the care of the child and
establish appropriate social programs for the prevention of abuse and the
treatment of victim".
The purpose of the new state-wide small scale association is to inform
children through first-hand knowledge and example on the protection from abuse
and neglect. The substantive right is very important for children to know and
understand in case they, or someone they know is ever involved in an abusive
situation. The small scale association is limited to children so they can feel
free to express their experiences and ask questions openly to others without
having to worry about adult supervision. This may interest children to comment
on situations and on general conversation that they normally would be scared to
ask their parents. I feel that this is relevant to children in today's society
because these situations of abuse and neglect occur in many households, and
children either do not know their rights or fail to take action to them.
The kinds of topics and issues discussed in the association and in
connection with children's rights will vary according to importance. The
beginning stages of the meetings will consist of examples and definitions of
what abuse and neglect constitute. We will then as a group apply what we know
to everyday situations in which these forms of maltreatment by parents or others
responsible for them. Next we would apply these situations to the substantive
right for Children according to what the United Nations Generally assemble
established. In connection with the "Bill of Rights" and through discussion,
children will learn that they might have been involved in a situation of abuse
or neglect and failed to realize it. This gets aback to the focus of the small
scale association which is to inform children what the "Protection from abuse
and neglect" really means and what they can do about it.
After the early stages of the meetings where we introduce the
substantive right, the group will become further involved in field trips and
activities. This will aid the children to learn through first hand experience
and in interactive activities what the State considers "Protection from abuse
and neglect." Once every two months, the group will take a field trip to an
area correctional abuse center where we will hear first hand from counselors who
help abusive adults deal with their problems. The counselors will provide such
useful information as warning signs for children in abusive and neglect
situations, advice on how to approach adults who abuse them , and who to tell
and talk to about there kinds of situations. Through experience with abusive
adults, counselors will stress the point to children that maltreatment is not
uncommon in households and is usually repetitive. Children need to learn that
it is not their fault in neglect situations and they should not blame themselves
for the harm they receive.
     Another activity that the group will participate in is through
interactive group skits. Individuals will be assigned a role in which they must
respond actively to the situation. For example, a child may play a frustrated
adult who returns home after l long day of work. The adult might swear and then
strike the child, and the child will practice to act responsively by talking to
his parents and go as far as reporting it if the situation continues to occur.
After months of studying and learning, the children will take their knowledge to
the public.
     The projects that the children will be involved in is a variety of
surveys of other peers and children to provide statistical information about
adolescents in the area. From there, children will be asked to pass out
information to parents and children in the neighborhood about abusive and
neglect situations, warning signs, and whom to contact in social programs for
the prevention of abuse and the treatment of victims. By doing this, will also
promote the strength of our program to other children in the area and convince
them to become involved in our small scale voluntary association.
II.

For those of you who may have missed last week's meeting, I have here an
overview of what we covered. The two hour meeting was broken down into six
different twenty minute topics about what have been covering lately.

1) The first block was designated to small group discussion about
everyday family disorders. In other words, we talked about what was going on at
home. Discussion questions included: " Are there any stressful situations that
your parents have been having that you've noticed?" " What sort of extra stress,
if any, have you been putting on your parents?" "Describe the relationship you
have been having with your family, is it open and comfortable?"
2) Large group discussion about defining abuse and neglect and the
rights we as children have. In this section we stressed that abuse and neglect
are common, however, not realized. We also discussed our rights under the
"Convention on the rights of the Child" and what that means to us.
3) Large group discussion of warning signs of abuse and neglect. Here
we talked about ways in which adults handle certain kinds of family situations.
Also how parents handle family crises. Discussion questions included: "Give two
examples of warning signs; are there ways of stopping the problem before it is
too late?"
4) Group discussion on how to approach abusive adults. We talked about
ways we can talk to parents and adults about what is it that they're doing that
bothers us. Also, how important it is that we do mention the problem to the
adult so the situation does not continue to occur.
     5) A guest speaker talked about area social programs for the prevention
of abuse and the treatment of victims. Here we became more aware of people to
talk to or seek help if we are put in an abusive situation. The speaker
stressed the importance of telling someone else if something at home is
bothering us because there are others out there who are experiencing the same
thing.
     6) The last twenty minutes was designated to questions and answers.
This was time set aside at the end for children to ask questions about things
covered during the meeting, or anything else.

Abuse of the Innocent

Abuse of the Innocent

Is it right to force a mouse to live it's live in a laboratory cage to test anti-cancer drug? How would you like to be squeezed in a cage with many other animals, not being able to touch the grass, run around and play,smell the flowers, or go for a walk in the warmth of the sunshine? Animal cruelty is wrong because we are hurting the Innocent. Animals experience and feel pain, fear , anxiety, stress, depression, boredom, joy and happiness.

Animals are very intelligent, some ever learn our own language. Most people experience their first bond with an animal. Not only do they bring a companion and a friend into our lives, but also unconditional love and comfort. Pet shops and puppy mills mass produce, kennels are overcrowded and dirty, with very little nutrition. Cats/dogs are held in metal cages and lead miserable lives breeding continuously. Animals suffer and are neglected, some are sold to research laboratories. A large number of animals are raised for slaughter each year. A cow "has a natural life span of twenty- five to thirty years, but only survives for an average of five".1

An estimated "seventeen million raccoons, beavers, bobcats, lynx, coyotes, muskrats, nutria, and other animals are trapped each year in the United States for fur".2 They suffer from unbearable pain for several hours before their lives are ended by the trapper's club. Is the price of live worth the price of fur? Psalm 104, 27-30. All creatures depend on you to feed them throughout the year: you provide the food they eat,
with generous hands you satisfy their hunger. You turn your face away, they suffer. You stop their breath, they die and revert to dust. You give breath, fresh life begins, you keep renewing the world. Disections have been practiced in biology classes for many years. Critics accuse some teachers of killing and argue that disection teaches nothing but cruelty. Nothing is learned by cutting up an animal that cannot be learned from photographs or drawings. Children do not learn about the human body by killing and
disecting a person, they learn from diagrams and textbooks. Vivisection means "cutting alive". It is a worldwide practice involving millions of animals. Scientists say that vivisections may not necessarily be painful.

Every living being with a brain, spinal column, and central nervous system feels pain.
Animals were not created for entertainment. What do zoos really teach children? The animals are stolen from their natural habitats and are brutally transferred. They suffer from boredom and have natural needs such as running, climbing, flying, and natural mating. All of the magic and glitter of the circus hides the true animal cruelty. Several animals are confined to small cages, muzzled, and repeatedly whipped in training.

They are declawed, have their teeth removed, and drugged to be obedient.

Military research on animals include monkeys, baboons, rats, guinea pigs, sheep, dogs, cats, rabbits, and mice. "... when I see my closest relative locked in a restraining box, his head filled with electrodes, and all he has got to reach out to you is with his eyes, then how can we respond to that if we close ours?".3 Weapons are tested on innocent animals, nerve gas, bullets, and bombs are all used. "One sad insight is gleaned
from this statement, made by a Porton workman who lost his bearings: 'I thought I was ill, I thought I was seeing things. It was a little monkey enclosed In a glass cage. Its eyes seemed to be falling out and it couldn't breathe. It was in dreadful, dreadful distress. I forgot everything and went near it and said something to it, and it buried its head in it's arms and sobbed like a child. I never slept that night, and the next day managed to go back to the same room, but it was nearly finished by then. It had
sunk to a little heap at the bottom of the glass cage.'."4 Animal cruelty is wrong, we are hurting the innocent. Cruelty of animals can be stopped, not only do we have to open our eyes, but open our mouths as well.

Read a book, write a letter, join a group or start a group, either way, an animal will be grateful for the chance of a happy life.

The Correlation Between Multiple Personality Disorder and Child Abuse

Behind Closed Doors: The Correlation Between Multiple Personality Disorder and
Child Abuse


"Each day that we pretended,
we replaced reality
with lies, or dreams,
or angry schemes,
in search of dignity…
until our lies
got bigger than the truth,
and we had no one real to be"

From "For Children Who Were Broken"

by Elia Wise

Have you ever wanted to be someone else? Throughout history the idea of not
being just us has intrigued everyone from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. But imagine
having no control over who you are. Imagine having 30 people inside of you, and
every one of them wanting to be in control. This is the case with Multiple
Personality Disorder, and it effects thousands of people in the United States
alone. But why does MPD fascinate us? It has often been found quite
interesting. Movies, books, and even talk shows have been made trying to show
the harsh reality of the disorder, but how seriously are we expected to take
Truddi Chase and the "Troops" when they are on The Oprah Show? How worried are
we for Sybil when we remember Sally Field as Gidget? As grim as this disorder
is we often don't realize the severity unless we hear it from "the voices."

Using the psychoanalytical approach, I will show how past abusive experiences
have driven some to MPD. Citing case studies from such books as When Rabbit
Howls, The Truddi Chase Story, Sybil, and Jennifer and Herselves the correlation
between MPD and abuse will be made. There are more similarities to these
examples than just MPD, all were driven to MPD due to excessive physical, ual,
or emotional abuse from a parental figure. Also, each of these studies show the
cause and effects this disorder has on .

Most MPD sufferers are , in fact female MPD sufferers outnumber men by a
ratio of nine to one (Hales, 1993). This may be true because will keep
their feelings of hostility toward others to themselves, whereas men would be
more likely to lash out in random acts of . For instance, Anna doesn't
want to believe that she is getting beaten, so she believes if she becomes
someone else, it is not really her that is taking the abuse. However, it is
only a matter of time before the abuse increases or takes another form. The
effect compounds, one more personality develops, and so on until "the voices"
have consumed Anna and left her broken, with every facet of her personality now
being an independent mind.

With statistics showing that some form of abuse happens to as many as one out of
every four s (Hales , 1993) it is almost impossible not to understand why so
many are affected by MPD. Not every form of abuse causes as dramatic of results
as MPD. Children who survive less personal traumas, such as concentration camps,
are far less likely to develop the disorder than someone who is suffering at the
hands of a loved one. Since 1970, the reported rate of growth in multiples and
incest cases has been parallel. Almost as if when the bond breaks, the
personality shatters. The alter personalities create a safe haven where the
pain cannot reach. Each personality is specially equipped to deal with a
specific type of crisis, depending on whatever was happening when they came into
existence. The make-up of most multiples is usually the same. Each body
generally consists of the same people. There is a small child, who was born
when the abuse started. A flirtatious side who exhibits the repressed ual
feelings. A male, who is either protector or abuser. A strong female, who
doesn't need anyone, and assorted other personalities.

But are the personalities just personalities? Not in their mind. Multiples
believe that they are all different people, they just happen to be sharing the
same body, they can be brothers, sisters, or just close friends. As strange as
it sounds, this statement may have some bearing. Psychologists have long been
able to tell their patients apart from "the others," just by their faces, body
language and posture change, they actually look like someone else. Tests have
also shown that each personality has its own blood pressure, heart rate, and so
on. It appears that multiples go through some sort of self-hypnotism when they
can no longer handle reality. They go into hiding and someone else, who is more
capable to handle the situation takes over. When later questioned about what
happened while they were not in control, most multiples are clueless. They
report long blackout periods, if they admit to "losing time" at all. Losing time
is one of the most obvious signs of MPD. When multiples "wake up" wearing
different clothing or eating food they know they did not buy, admission of the
disorder is easier. It is when multiples begin to want their lives back that
they start to wonder what caused them to end up the way they did.

Scientists have long wondered what causes MPD. The cause was first thought to
be the result of mental deficiencies or a defective gene in the make-up of
multiples. After extensive testing proved that multiples are extremely gifted,
few with an IQ of less than 120 (Schoenewolf, 1991), that possibility was thrown
out. It has now been shown that traumatic experiences in life cause Multiple
Personality Disorder. The pattern seems to be that for every severely troubling
episode in life, a new personality is born to help with that particular incident.
The subconscious will withdrawal the conscious and take over whenever the
threat of abuse surfaced. The anxiety of the subversion would frighten the
children to the point were they could not function without the help of others.
When beaten by her father Jennifer turned into Margaret, a very independent
woman, with a deeply rooted fear of men. While Jennifer was being ually
abused by her mother, Jenny appeared, because Jenny was strong and would just
goaway. To Jennifer, they weren't alter personalities, rather friends who
needed a place to stay. Many would dismiss it as an overactive imagination.
Sybil's parents would call her "moody" when she changed. Many others believed
it was all just make-believe, most were psychologists. With no clinical
definition of this mystery disorder, many patients were misdiagnosed.

Before MPD was identified as a disorder in 1980, the majority of patients were
diagnosed as Schizophrenics or Manic Depressives, therefore it was believed that
there was no cure. Today, through extensive therapy, there is hope for
multiples. Treatment is a three-step process, which is usually just as trying
on the therapist as the patient. The first stage is just being aware that you
have the disorder, about 80 percent of MPD sufferers do not realize they have
the disease, most don't want to. The hardest part of the healing process is
getting the patient to admit that there is something wrong with them. Multiples
have spent so much time denying the fact that they have problems, asking them to
admit to having the disorder is like asking them to admit that they are crazy.
However, this stage must be secured before any treatment is possible. The
second stage is co-consciousness. While there is no interaction between the
personalities and their "host," there are fewer blackout periods, and there is
anawareness of what the others are doing at times. The third step is
integration. The goal in this step is all of the personalities merging into one
root, or base personality, but first patients go through a draining process
called abreaction. In abreaction the acts of abuse are relived under the
watchful eye of a therapist. This process causes patients to relive the abuse
that they have been through, and deal with it head on. Ideally, this step
allows multiples to become a well-rounded individual who is capable of handling
problems on their own without help from the alters. However, it is not an ideal
world. Very few MPD sufferers ever achieve total integration. The
personalities that have integrated disappear, leaving behind their best traits.
Those personalities that have resisted tend to regress until their presence is
no longer felt. While it's not perfect, this is the most common cure.
Fortunately, once this step is reached, the chance of relapse is slim, if
therapy is continued.

The majority of multiples do require continued therapy after integration. In a
15 year study, it was shown that of multiples that continued seeing a therapist
on a regular basis 96% no longer had multiple personalities (Hales, 1993). Of
the remaining four percent, only one or two personalities resurfaced. They were
usually the more developed, or older personalities that the base had come to
depend on, and refused to live without. While therapy is the only cure, it is
not a cure-all. There are some who will never lose their alters, whether it be
safety reasons or an act of habit. Some multiples are unable to deal with the
emotional trauma of therapy, without losing whatever grasp they still have on
reality. Therapy is about the most painful thing that multiples can go through.
It is more painful than the abuse because they are forced to face it, they
cannot become someone else. For the first time in their lives, they are
actually feeling. One patient was quoted as saying, "Our entire self is
beginning to thaw after a long, long time of being completely frozen."

Multiple Personality Disorder is one of the most treatable defects of the human
brain. Through empathy MPD virtually disappears, multiples just need to realize
that they are not the only one. In a study conducted at the Indiana University
School of Medicine, Researchers were able to confirm allegations of parental
abuse in 17 out of 20 reported cases.

The earlier treatment begins the easier it is to recover, but it isn't commonly
until early hood that the world of multiples begins to collapse. While
many multiples continue to deny that there is anything wrong with them, those
who are brave enough to seek help are among the strongest individuals known.
They risk their entire world, but what they gain is immeasurable. They need to
recognize that they are worthy, and understand that they are heroes just to be
alive.

Child Abuse: Frank and Ileana Fuster

The term child abuse was once as rarely heard as that of pink elephants. However rare the term has once been, it is now a term used consistently throughout the news and various other publications today. Along with the progressing decline in society's morals, has come the rapid increase of crime. One such crime is child abuse. Although child abuse is common, the act is defiling. As a result of the abuse, children who fall victim to this often need psychological treatment and counseling. Often, the child is never the same as he or she once was before. The dictionary defines child abuse as: "the physical, or emotional, or sexual mistreatment of children" (Dictionary.com). Everyday thousands of children are the victims of this abuse. The abusers range from parents, friends, total strangers, to even day-care workers.
One case involving the abuse of children in their care is that of Frank and Ileana Fuster. The two were accused in 1984 of molesting children in their home. Frank was a 36-year-old Cuban immigrant and was married to 17-year-old Ileana who was Honduran. Frank and Ileana Fuster were residents of Country Walk, Florida where they held a home-based babysitting service (Pendergrast). The case was then known as "Country Walk" because of the city in which the two, Frank and Ileana resided. "The case began when a 3-year-old boy asked his mother to "kiss my body" when she was giving him a bath. He said, "Ileana kisses all the babies' bodies." The mother became concerned and reported the comments to the Dade County child protection authorities ("A Summary of the Frank Fuster..." NP).
Fuster seemed to be living the American dream before the accusations were presented against him. Frank and Ileana were newly weds, owned a new home in the suburbs and a landscaping business that was doing well. However, Frank was not living the American dream. He was still on probation for a 1982 child molestation conviction for fondling a nine-year-old girl and manglaughter, for shooting a man after a traffic accident ("Debunking Frontline's Did Daddy Do It?" NP). Frank had been "arrested on September 21, 1982 for lewd and lascivious assault on a minor - a nine-year-old girl whose breasts and genitals Fuster fondled while driving her home. The jury heard from the girl, who was cross-examined at length. They found her credible and convicted Fuster" ("Fuster's Manslaughter Conviction" NP).
On August 9, 1984, Frank was arrested on charges of violating his probation. Ileana was then arrested on August 23, 1984 and was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor ("Statement of Facts And..." NP). Both Frank and Ileana denied the charges against them. Frank had already been convicted for the manslaughter in 1969 and for the 1982 condling of a child ("A Summary of the Frank Fuster..." NP). His case was not looking hopeful. Over 20 children came forward concerning the charges and told police that they had been raped and molested by Frank and Ileana. The state attorney, Janet Reno's office built its case against Frank and Ileana based on testimonies from children, a medical test, and a confession from Ileana ("A Summary of the Frank Fuster..." NP).
The children that came forward and were interviewed went through tremendous questioning. The "Miami Method" was a method invented because the methods of interviewing children were hurting the cases because of being interviewed so may times by different individuals. Parents of the children would begin to tell authorities that they were not going to allow their children to be a part of the cases anymore because of the psychological effects the various interviewing was having on their children. The courts also treated the children that were testifying as if they had no competence at all. Therefore, the "Miami Method" was introduced and children were videotaped in their interview and the interview played during the trial. The interivew were the first and only interview conducted with the child and were expected to be believable. This method was first introduced in the Frank Fuster case. Shortly after the method was first introduced, a "state law was changed to allow children to testify from the judge's chambers. The method was also required physical evidence and the testimony of an adult eyewitness" ("The 'Miami Method' of Prosecuting..." NP).
The medical test in which Janet Reno and her team used as evidence against the Fusters' was that of Frank and Ileana's own son, Noel. Noel was the only child that physically showed signs of abuse. The other children than had come forth showed no signs of sexual abuse. Noel, however, when tested, tested positiv for gonorrhea of the throat. The test has been questioned, because the evidence was destroyed three days after the test and the ability to retest the evidence was now unable to occur ("A Summary of the Frank Fuster..." NP). Noel told Dr. Joseph Braga, the interviewer, that his father had not molested him. However, after repeated questioning and coercing, Noel told Dr. Braga that he had fellated Frank Fuster, his father. But when questioned a few months later, Noel swore that his father had not molested him and that the reason he told Dr. Braga he had, is because Dr. Braga refused to end the interview until he told him that his father had (Nathan).
The Bragas, Drs. Joseph and Laurie Braga, were hired to inverview the children ("Techniques in Interviewing..." NP). Often, the media has referred to them as psychologists or psychiatrists, but neither are true. According to Boston University, Laurie Braga has a doctorate in child development. Her husband, Joseph, has a doctorate in education. The two "have experience around designing early childhood education programs for publicly funded, inner-city-style day cares and preschools" (Nathan).
A confession was also used as evidence against Frank Fuster. The confession Reno's team presented as a main form of evidence was from Ileana Fuster, Frank's wife. Von Kamft began to devise a plan that would make Ileana appear to be an offender, only because she herself was a victim of her husband (Nathan). Janet Reno's office offered Ileana a reduced sentence in exchange for her confession that would convict her husband. Ileana did not want to confess at first, but after spending time in solitary confinement as well as multip interview with Behavior Changers, Inc., who "used relaxation techniques to help Ileana 'recover memories,' she confessed" (Rosenthal). Sometime later, Ileana recanted her confession stating:
Judge, I would like you to know that I am pleading guity not because I feel guiltry, butbecause I think - I think it's the best interest ... for my own interest and for the children and for the court and all the people that are working on the case. But I am not pleading guilty because I feel guilty ... I am innocent of all those charges. I wouln't have done anything to harm any children. I have never done anything in my life ... I am
innocent. I am just doing it - I am pleading guilty to get all of this over ... for my own good ... (Nathan).
Because of Ileana's testimony, Frank was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Ileana received a 10-year sentence, but only served three and was the deported to Honduras ("A Summary of the Frank Fuster..." NP).
The confession that Ileana had given had convicted her husband and set her free. However, while in Honduras, she recanted her confession at Frank's trial. She stated that the Behavior Changers that had met with her some 30 times while she was in prison had used "visualization" techniques to recover and change her memory ("A Summary of the Frank Fuster..." NP). Some time after Ileana made her public statement recanting her confession, she sent a letter through clergyman, Rev. Tommy Watson. In the letter, she states:
Frank Fuster is guilty, not only of hurting the children but also of hurting me when I was only 16 years of age. I'm not a little girl anymore and now as an adult I can protect myself from him. I am sorry for the embarrassment that I may have caused to anyone that try to help me in time past. I do not wish to give any other deposition that could be different than the one given 10 years ago. Again, Frank Fuster did horrible things to me I know he did the same to the children, he deserves to be where he is now. I don't want to be a victim anymore... ("Ileana Flores' Letter of Recantation" NP).Ileana then changes her viewpoint back and forth several times. Upon repeated questioning, Ileana would, because scared of further conviction, give the interviewer varying stories.
"While incarcerated, she divorced Frank and became a self-professed born again Christian" (Nathan). After serving her three years and being deported to Honduras, she was befriended by members of a church in Florida. Because Ileana now refuses to speak publicly about the case, the members of the church both in Florida and in Honduras have refused to let anyone talk to Ileana directly (Nathan). As of today, Frank Fuster is still in prison in Florida. Frank still insists that he is innocent.
Whether Frank and Ileana Fuster actually committed the crimes of child abuse charged against them is still unknown. The two both hold tightly to their statements that they are innocent. The evidence that had been presented against them was mostly circumstantial. The prosecutors found little or no factual evidence against the two of them ("The Innocence Case of..." NP). There was no real reason to hold them other than the confession given by Ileana after being forced into a plea bargain. The interviews had even been tainted, for the fact that the questioners asked questions that would persuade the children's minds. Also, they threatened that they would not stop until given the answer for which they were searching. Any child would tell the adult what they wanted to hear in order to get something they did not want to do or say over with. Also, interviewing techniques have come a long way since 1985 when this trial began. New knowledge and technology has aided the assistance of law enforecement and criminologists in interviewing and collecting evidence. Mistakes that were made in the Country Walk case are not as likely to be made with the knowledge that is available in this decade. The mistakes that were made regarding the Frank and Ileana Fuster case could have been avoided had the interviewers and investigators thought things through before questioning children as they did. Mandy child abuse cases have ended in merely false accusations. One child says something and it become a domino effect and things spiral into a huge problem. Some, however, are not as likely to be false. The sick act of child abuse does occur all over the world today. Sadly enough, most of those incidents are never made known to the police or even prosecuted. Children go day in and day out carrying this huge secret of abuse because they have been threatened or feel ashamed. It makes one wonder why can we place behind bars the innocent and let the truly guilty go free.

Abuse

Abuse

“Brenda Spencer fired forty shots at San Diego school children, fatally wounding two and injuring nine others, neighbors later informed police that Spencer had repeatedly abused dogs and cats often setting their tails on fire” (Finch 1). The situation of Spencer of abuse at a young age and carried on through her adult life. “Domestic abuse is directed toward the powerless, animal abuse and child abuse often go hand in hand. Parents who neglect an animal’s need for proper care or abuse animals may also abuse or neglect their own children. Some abusive adults who know better than to abuse a child in public have no such qualms about abusing an animal publicly”(PETA). At an early age children are effected throughout their lives by images and situations, and are very fragile in their way of thinking. The emotional impact of right and wrong are very important to the children’s attitude.

The harsh images children see when they are young, forces the child to react to images in different ways. The situation of abuse from parents or siblings to a young child can bring out rage, and anger to others or to defenseless animals. Parents have a strong duty to their children when they are at an age of not knowing how to control their actions, and still learning how to express their emotions in a positive way. There are many tips for parents to learn how to control their abuse towards their children. Many times children are not taught properly by their parents and then they impersonate their parents do, such as hitting to solve problems and hurting others to raise self esteem. The children need good role models to tell them what they see is wrong, or right. The Abuse children go through or see when they are young could lead to a child needing to visit a therapists throughout the course of their adult lives. The situation of Brenda Spencer exhibits how much of an impact that animal abuse has on their lives as an adult if the child isn’t corrected when they were younger.

The impact of animal abuse shows many different situations of people that have been effected by this problem. “Alberto Desalvo, the self-confessed Boston Strangler who killed thirteen women had, as a youth, trapped dogs and cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes” (Finch 1). Another perpetrator of animal abuse is a man named “Carroll Edward Cole, executed in 1985, who was one of the most prolific killers in modern history, his first act of violence as a child was to strangle a cat”(Mead1).

There have been many studies that have taken place to understand if the cause of later abuse happens from the abuse from an early age. “Deviney, Dickert, and Lockwood studied fifty seven families being treated by New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services for incidents of child abuse. In eighty eight percent of these families, animals in the home had also been abused, usually by the parent. Another study was taken by “James Hutton who reviewed the animal cruelty reports for one community in England of the twenty three families with a history of animal abuse, eighty three percent had been identified by human social service agencies as having children at risk of abuse or neglect”(Finch 1). Abuse in the homes from the parents to the children, reflects on the situations that are happening in the households.

The comparisons of the adult killers, and abusers to the young children shows many of the same problems. The problem of the killers is that when they were younger they weren’t taught the difference of what was right and wrong. Adult killers have more of a problem because it would be very hard to change their ways of abuse. Young children that show signs of abuse towards animals need to be corrected immediately after the act of violence. Parents are the ones that need to help out the youth, and correct the ways of violence in their children. The situation of right and wrong needs to be instilled in the children’s minds, so the acts of violence stops.

The abuse that is shown at such a young age causes many problems throughout the years of the children’s life, and is affected by the abuse of others throughout their lives. Children that use abuse in their daily lives and are not told if the situation is right or wrong, can damage their life forever. The images of right and wrong will stay with them throughout their adult life, if the parents instill the morals at a young age. If children abuse the animals at such a young age, they will grow up abusing other humans, and animals. The cycle of abuse is very harsh, and strong if the cycle isn’t broken by parents and it will lead the children to abusing animals and then killing, and hurting people in the later years of their life. The law that has been passed to help prevent the harsh situations of abuse was “in 1993, California became the first state to pass a law requiring animal control officers to report child abuse. Voluntary abuse-reporting measures are also on the books in Ohio, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C., and similar legislation has been introduced in Florida.” The research shows that “pet abuse is a warning sign of abuse to the two-legged members of the family," says the bill’s sponsor, Representative Steve Effman. "We can’t afford to ignore the connection any longer.”(Arkow 23). There are many steps that are being put into action to help the spread of abuse in the families, and furthering on in the future.

The laws and regulations for child abuse are extremely supportive for helping out the youth, and parents. Setting laws for the youth, and parents of the children that are the abusers set good examples. Many people that aren’t abusers need to stay together and look out for warning signs, of abuse in the households. The warning sings that you need to look for are: 1.To Urge your local school and judicial systems to take cruelty to animals seriously. Laws must send a strong message that violence against any feeling creature—human or other-than-human—is unacceptable. 2. Be aware of signs of neglect or abuse in children and animals. Take children seriously if they report animals’ being neglected or mistreated. Some children won’t talk about their own suffering but will talk about an animal’s. 3.Don’t ignore even minor acts of cruelty to animals by children. Talk to the child and the child’s parents. If necessary, call a social worker. These steps are extremely important to learn are extremely important to learn, and understand that it is possible to make a difference. Animal rights is very important, and the traits of children that abuse animals when they are young, to the adult killers.

The groups that help prevent the abuse of animals are strong, and help prevent the abuse. There are mission projects that are for family violence, and the connection it has with animal abuse. The mission projects “the Community Coalition on Family Violence, the Animal Abuse Task Force recognizes that animal abuse often occurs in an environment in which family members are suffering abuse. Their mission is to identify the needs of animals that are not being adequately met; to garner resources to meet those needs, and to integrate our efforts with those of other organizations, including law enforcement, that work on issues of family and animal welfare”(Community of Coalition). The services that are provided are helpful to the ending of animal abuse, and the ending of children becoming harmful to society in their adult life.