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While
this paper focuses on child abuse by burning,
it covers other areas of violence: children
killing their parents, teachers, schoolmates.
The danger signals that disturbed minds send
and the anger signs may not be recognized or
taken seriously by family members, friends,
teachers, or neighbors, until tragedy strikes.
Child abuse by burning is one
of the most difficult of injuries to identify
properly and to investigate. The search for
solutions has been varied, sometime haphazardly
and based on innate guesswork, unfounded preconceptions
and myths with little, if any, scientific input.
Of 1,356 cases of suspected
child abuse reported to the National Burn Victim
Foundation (NBVF) between 1975 and 1996, spontaneous
acts of violence against children were involved
in 176 cases (14%). In 168 of those cases (97%),
the parent or guardian caring for the child
was known to have an aggressive response behavior.
In four cases, the perpetrator was identified
as passive. There were four cases of premeditated
acts of violence. Of the abusers, males totaled
79 (45%) and females 97 (55%). Two cases were
homicides by burning.
Cases involving ignorance and/or
willful neglect totaled 466 (35%) of the 1,356
cases. It was determined that accidents accounted
for 712 (53%) of the suspicious burn incidents.
I could find no data to support the opinion
of some medical professionals that major burn
insults or the severity of the injury occurred
mostly in abuse incidents. Major, moderate and
minor burns occurred in all areas of abuse,
neglect and accident. Scalding burns totaled
952 (70%) while hot surface contact burns totaled
253 (19%). Other causes of skin irritation wrongfully
identified as burns were diarrhea (68), insect
bites (39), Ritter's disease (9) and allergies
(35).
The aggressive response person
is generally reported to be preoccupied with
self, displays selfish behavior, and does not
give adequate attention to the needs of others.
That person displays a lack of concern for the
impact anger will have on the recipient. Violent,
aggressive response behavior includes verbal
and physical attacks on others, labeling others,
putting others down, teasing, humiliation of
others and sometimes blatant sarcasm. Seen as
a person with a short fuse, the aggressive response
person may possess not only a quick temper but
also a nasty disposition and may act impulsively.
Any one or combination of these traits is a
"red flag" when searching for a motive
in cases of child abuse by burning, or any act
of physical violence.
On the other hand, the passive
person is aware of hostile anger but keeps it
down. If problems persist over time, a blowup
or emotional breakdown can be expected. The
passive behavior person may avoid the problem,
use the "silent treatment," display
apathy, use subtle sarcasm, forget things, and
does not give adequate attention to personal
needs.
When there is a mystery as
to how a child was burned and there appears
to be no motive, that is the time to explore,
in depth, whether the person responsible for
the child at the time of the incident is known
to possess an aggressive response behavior.
A common error is to assume prematurely that
the character of the adult is impeccable. An
articulate, glib person is capable of covering
up a quick temper; that person can and does
demonstrate remorse when appropriate. During
an investigation, friends, family and associates
generally will express an opinion as to whether
an adult has a quick temper. If that is established,
then a psychological profile follows to identify
the adults strengths and weaknesses and determination
of whether that individual fits the mold of
an aggressive, quick-tempered person.
The Bible addressed "anger"
in Proverbs 14, verse 17: "A quick tempered
man does foolish things." Verse 18 says,
"A hot tempered man stirs up dissension."
Proverbs 22, verse 24, says, "Do not make
friends with a hot tempered man, do not associate
with one easily angered." The hot-tempered
man (or woman) flying off at the drop of a hat,
was as socially unacceptable then as he (or
she) is today.
While the Bible references
"angry men," men today have not cornered
the market on anger--women can be just as angry
in today's violent society. Women, in an act
of anger, generally strike out at a single person.
Aggressive males can extend their acts of anger
and may vent their rage on a larger scale of
violence.
Reported child abuse, physical
and emotional, in the United States is like
a "runaway train," whose engineer
fails to see the danger signals along the way.
Reports of child abuse are soaring to new heights
year after year. Education and training of physicians
and investigators in forensics is needed. The
need for higher standards of training is tremendous.
Violence seen in movies and on home television
is turning this countrys youth into believing
that aggressive, dangerous anger is an acceptable
social behavior. However, we know that aggressive
anger results in violent crime. Public service
television station have an opportunity to educate
their viewers on the subject of violence. We
live in a sensationalized society thirsting
and bent on sensationalism; it is sensationalism
that sells newspapers and draws record numbers
of viewers to movie theaters and television
programs in which violence is glorified.
Teenage violence is becoming
a national crisis. Some sections of the country
are beginning to talk about martial law and
curfews on youth. Some areas enforce curfews.
Further, it seems children and teenagers have
no fear of consequences for bad behavior. Students
in grade school and high school are beating
teachers, stabbing and shooting fellow students
and sneaking guns into school. Surely we can
anticipate more future teenage violence and
the "runaway train" will continue
to gain speed into the next generations and
beyond. Today's angry youth are destined to
become future child abusers. God help us, we
must stop that train, now!
Children are the victims of
adult anger, not adult inability to control
anger, but their unwillingness to change poor
behavior. Behavior is changeable. The innocent,
trusting infant or small child often becomes
a target when there is a domestic disagreement
or an outside threatening situation. Some adults'
expectations of children are far beyond a childs
ability to respond. When the child acts according
to his/her age and does not respond to the aggressive
adults' expectations, a spontaneous act of violence
may occur. In the 172 cases previously mentioned,
the child was alone with an abusive adult when
burned. Child abusers know that what they are
doing to an infant or child is wrong and do
not want any witnesses to their bad behavior.
Many child protection programs
have failed to identify the basic root of child
abuse. Now children are being told to report
their parents or guardians to their teachers
if they believe they are being abused. Parents
from all life styles are now being threatened
by their children when they attempt to correct
their childrens attitude or behavior. Children
are not small adults - they are different, physiologically,
biologically and psychologically. Can children
really ascertain the difference between abuse
and appropriate parental discipline? Remember,
Hitler invaded the minds of children, twisting
their minds and turning the children against
their parents, and he was successful. Could
the unthinkable happen in America? It already
has. Many parents today hesitate to discipline
their child for fear of being accused of child
abuse.
Is all anger bad? No, anger
is a feeling, and adults and children need to
deal with feelings. It is reasonable to be angry
when aroused by injustice or something unworthy.
The assertive person thinks rationally, acts
prudently, feels constructively and stands up
firmly for personal convictions in a manner
that respects anothers dignity (see Andrew
Savicky's, Ph.D. 1990 publication, A
World Without Tears). Fortunately,
most parents are able to recognize the potential
danger in a situation and take steps to remedy
it. Most parents have tales to tell of times
when they could have crossed the line and harmed
a child. If the equation had been weighted with
more negative factors, had the incident been
just right, the outcome could well have been
different.
Violence is not new in our
society; however, violence against children
when the parent(s) is/are under emotionally
stressful circumstances can be identified with
a measure of predictability. Most parents are
able to exhibit restraint, to walk away when
they are angry, or to stop short of striking
the child, thus sparing the child from becoming
an innocent target for violence.
Certain risk factors that appear
in abused children when one or both parents
have aggressive/passive personalities include
the following: unwanted pregnancy, premature
birth, failure of the infant to thrive, disappointment
to parent(s) (e.g., sex, birth defect, appearance),
hyperactive behavior, a "difficult"
child, difficult to nurture, special care needed
for the "sickly" child, economic burden,
etc.
It is rare that the first act
of violence on a child is a thermal insult.
The abused, burned child has experienced other
acts of violence: excessive slapping, pinching,
belt strap and/or buckle on lower legs, arms
and back and/or chest areas, hair yanking, pin
sticks and then the ultimate most
painful - burning.
While the configuration of
the burn injury and the thermal source are important
when investigating suspicious burns, the history
of how the incident occurred is equally important.
A forensically supported conclusion must be
attained prior to judgement on the suspects
character.
Medical professionals receive
little (if any) training in medical school to
render a professional opinion in a case of child
abuse by burning. The physicians in hospital
emergency departments or in burn units are often
too pressed by time and workload to make a judgement
as to whether a burned child was abused, neglected
or the victim of an accident. They rarely if
ever have all the facts needed to render a professional
judgement. Further, during the emergency stage,
they are subject to emotionally-packed stories,
some second and third hand. Once a doctor states
"abuse" or "suspicious,"
rarely is this opinion challenged.
The physician or nurse is expected
to know the answer and thus render an innate
opinion or the popular word "suspicious"
is used - a term which implies a factor of guilt.
During the initial treatment of a burn, many
times a wrong decision is made that has far-reaching
repercussions and devastating results. Families
can become torn apart, with the familys lifestyle
disrupted and some times damaged beyond repair.
The cost of investigating reported
suspicious incidents of child abuse/neglect,
social services, foster care for children, and
subsequent legal matters involving prosecutors,
public defenders, private attorneys, and the
whole process of a trial runs into hundreds
of millions of dollars annually. No price can
be placed on a person wrongfully stigmatized,
falsely charged and tried as a child abuser.
Even if found innocent they will always be suspect
in the minds of others.
Children in growing numbers
are threatening to report their parents as child
abusers when a parent attempts to impose proper
discipline. A staff physician tells how his
8-year-old son was watching too much television
and his room was a mess. The father instructed
his son, "No TV and I want to see your
room straightened up when I come home tonight."
When the father arrived home, the son was watching
TV and the room was still a mess. As he began
to scold his son loudly, the 8-year-old jumped
off the chair, pointed his finger at his father
and said, "Dad, if you continue to holler
at me, I will tell my teacher, and she will
call the police to arrest you for child abuse."
Little girls in school are
being told, "Dont sit on a mans lap if
you feel uncomfortable." What does that
mean? When a small childs father says, "Come,
sit on Daddys lap and Ill read you a story,"
how will she react? Will she make excuses again
and again and fear that some terrible thing
will happen to her if she sits on a mans lap?
What about grandad and Santa Claus, they are
men. Children have been lied to by adults; consider
the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus,
the Wicked Witch flying on a broomstick and
many other adult fantasies. As children mature
they learn that they have been lied to and lying
becomes an acceptable tool for them to use.
A single working mother was
having a problem with her 11-year-old son. He
was hanging out with older boys and using vulgar
language. She grounded him and hid their portable
TV. He failed to come home after school. The
mother was frantic waiting for him. Finally,
around 10:30 p.m. he arrived home in a car and
sneaked into the dark apartment. The mother
started to scold him. He responded
by calling her vulgar names. She took his pants
down and gave him two "whacks" with
a belt and sent him to bed. The next day two
police officers came to her place of work and
placed her under arrest. She was charged with
child abuse and jailed.
A young father hated to change
his 3-month-old daughters diapers. One morning
while his wife was at work, as he was removing
the babys diaper, she began to cry. The father
put the baby in the kitchen sink and turned
on the hot water to wash off the babys bottom.
Knowing the water was too hot, he used the sprayer
located at the kitchen sink and burned the babys
buttocks and groin area. The baby received deep
second degree burns. The incident was termed
accidental according to attending physicians.
Eight years later, this father was suspected
of sexually abusing the same child. He was known
to have a violent temper. The case against him
for burning his baby daughter was re-opened
and he was found guilty of child abuse by burning.
The following data (from the
National Child Abuse Protection Agency) demonstrates
the national annual reported suspected child
abuse cases:
1960 64,000 cases of suspected
child abuse reported in the U.S.
1970 72,000 cases reported.
1975 Law changed
to protect accusers from civil suit.
1980 1,100,000 cases reported,
15 times the number reported in 1970.
1990 2,400,000 cases reported.
33 times the number reported in 1970.
1993 3,000,000 cases reported.
42 times the number reported in 1970.
1996 4,000,000 estimated cases
(final number not available).
1997 It is estimated that the
number of reported cases of child abuse will
likely double by 1999.
Anger can cause conflict and
conflict is a normal part of close relationships.
Anger can provide an opportunity for a better
understanding of another person. When someone
cares enough to take the time to resolve a conflict,
that person demonstrates caring. Conflicts can
occur because of the differences between
individuals. Relationships do not have to
be destroyed because of those differences.
Rather, recognizing the differences and
viewing them in mature, responsible, positive
ways instead of being fearful or unwilling to
work through differences gives credence to the
positive side of anger. Every person must learn
to recognize the positive and negative effects
of anger. Few people take the time to observe
their actions when under stress or when their
behavior is openly challenged. Road rage is
an example of an aggressive person's spontaneous
act of anger, to strike out and assert dominance
over another driver.
Ideally, good anger was a sense
given to an individual as a tool to condemn
injustice and help build relationships.
In pure form, anger is an emotional
signal that alerts a person that something needs
to be changed. It obviously was intended
to be a positive motivator to be used in giving
one another feedback about how life can be lived
more productively. Bad behavior must be understood
and realized that it has consequences. Bad behavior
can be changed... it must be changed, or there
can be no hope for a more socially civilized
society in the future. To do nothing but complain
about "kids today" will surely leave
them unprepared to respond to the challenges
the future will bring.
The failure of society, teaching
institutions and government leadership to aggressively
address the "root" cause of adult
and youth violence will assure the "runaway
train" will continue on its journey, leaving
a trail of death, disfigurement and emotional
scars lasting a life-time.
Pre-teens on a shooting spree
kill classmates and a teacher. A 12 year-old
is charged with sexually assaulting an 11 year-old
girl in school. Children are threatening to
report their parent(s) as child abusers when
the parents attempt to appropriately discipline
them. Time is running out.
It is foreseeable that violence
by children on other children, teenage violence
on their parents, teachers, schoolmates and
even strangers will continue like the runaway
train in reporting child abuse, failing to heed
the children's cry for help. Societys
leadership has failed Americas children. Society
will pay a staggering price for its "failure
to lead" in teaching children that bad
behavior has consequences. It seems that no
one today wants to take responsibility for their
acts and/or omission of acts but blames the
"system" or someone else for their
indiscretions.
Anger Management programs,
which offer assistance for habitually angry
adults, are becoming a growing resource for
adults who need treatment for aggressive personality
traits. Road rage drivers, male and female alike,
may receive tickets for being overly aggressive
with their vehicles. Instead of fines they will
have to attend Anger Management programs. This
is only a beginning but it focuses on adults
already addicted to bad behavior. Unfortunately,
we are a crisis response society and fall short
on innovation solutions of preventative methodologies
to teach children in schools, churches and in
the home that bad anger is an unacceptable trait
in a civilized society.
©1998 by
The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic
Stress, Inc. |
