Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Protective Parent Reform Act Major Victory for Children in US
Protective Parent Reform Act Is Major Victory For Children
posted May 11, 2004
The Tennessee General Assembly took a major step in child protection this session in passing the Protective Parent Reform Act. The Act provides guidelines for any attorney who is appointed to represent a child in a hearing for custody. It also prohibits the custody courts from granting a change in custody of a child based on a parent filing a good faith allegation of child abuse if the Department of Children's Services fails to fully substantiate or even investigate the allegation, which happens too frequently.
The most far reaching part of the Act is in making certain that the best interest of the child is the center of a custody dispute by stating that child abuse is to be considered on a preponderance of the evidence instead of the more onerous clear and convincing evidence or beyond reasonable doubt. The Act also prohibits the courts from placing a child in the custody of or in an uncontrolled visitation arrangement with a parent who presents a substantial risk of harm to the child. Previous law allowed a custody court the discretion to place the child in harm's way if the court felt the child needed regular time with both parents more than protection from abuse.
Our legislature has cleared up the confusion over whether the child's right to a safe environment or a parent's right to equal access reigns supreme in cases of so-called minor child abuse or sexual abuse which is very difficult to prove in the absence of semen. This is a major victory for the children of Tennessee.
The Act was sponsored by Representative Kathryn Bowers (D-Memphis) and Senator John Ford (D-Memphis). It passed the House of Representatives on a 94-0 vote and the Senate by a margin of 29-0 and will become law upon signature of Governor Bredesen.
Beth Marriner-Adams
Justice, Inc.
posted May 11, 2004
The Tennessee General Assembly took a major step in child protection this session in passing the Protective Parent Reform Act. The Act provides guidelines for any attorney who is appointed to represent a child in a hearing for custody. It also prohibits the custody courts from granting a change in custody of a child based on a parent filing a good faith allegation of child abuse if the Department of Children's Services fails to fully substantiate or even investigate the allegation, which happens too frequently.
The most far reaching part of the Act is in making certain that the best interest of the child is the center of a custody dispute by stating that child abuse is to be considered on a preponderance of the evidence instead of the more onerous clear and convincing evidence or beyond reasonable doubt. The Act also prohibits the courts from placing a child in the custody of or in an uncontrolled visitation arrangement with a parent who presents a substantial risk of harm to the child. Previous law allowed a custody court the discretion to place the child in harm's way if the court felt the child needed regular time with both parents more than protection from abuse.
Our legislature has cleared up the confusion over whether the child's right to a safe environment or a parent's right to equal access reigns supreme in cases of so-called minor child abuse or sexual abuse which is very difficult to prove in the absence of semen. This is a major victory for the children of Tennessee.
The Act was sponsored by Representative Kathryn Bowers (D-Memphis) and Senator John Ford (D-Memphis). It passed the House of Representatives on a 94-0 vote and the Senate by a margin of 29-0 and will become law upon signature of Governor Bredesen.
Beth Marriner-Adams
Justice, Inc.
United States Courts Fail to Protect Life, Liberty and Security of Abused Mothers and Children
United States Courts Fail to Protect the Life, Liberties, Security of Abused Mothers and Their Children - International Complaint Filed.
2007-05-21 08:24:38 - On May 11, press conferences in Los Angeles and in Sacramento California addressed the complaint filed against the United States with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights by eleven people, including one victimized child who is now an adult. The complaint is backed by leading national and state organizations. The case claims that U.S. courts, by frequently awarding child custody to abusers and child molesters, have failed to protect the life, liberties, security and other human rights of abused mothers and their children.
Los Angeles, CA - May 19, 2007
United States Courts Fail to Protect the Life, Liberties, Security of Abused Mothers and Their Children - International Complaint Filed.
On May 11, press conferences in Los Angeles and in Sacramento California addressed the complaint filed against the United States with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights by eleven people, including one victimized child who is now an adult. The complaint is backed by leading national and state organizations. The case claims that U.S. courts, by frequently awarding child custody to abusers and child molesters, have failed to protect the life, liberties, security and other human rights of abused mothers and their children.
In Los Angeles, experts Randy Noblitt and Monica Slone presented, and Emmy Award winning actresses, Nancy Lee Grahn, Deidre Hall, and Jane Elliot, attended to show their support of the cause. State legislators are proactively addressing the problems by soliciting remedial proposals rather than wait for the lawsuit to take its course.
"This is a relatively unknown crime against children and their mothers that occurs frequently in the US," said one mother in Los Angeles. "This industry exploits children for monetary gain. It's about time this and the ‘alienation' excuse is exposed."
"For more than 30 years U.S. judges have given custody or unsupervised visitation of children to abusers and molesters putting the children directly at risk," says Dianne Post, an international attorney who authored the petition. "These horrendous human rights violations have been brought to the attention of family court systems, and state and federal governments, to no avail. We turn now to international courts to protect the rights and safety of US children."
The complaint details several cases with documented medical evidence of child sexual abuse, yet in each instance the abusing father was given full custody of the children he abused. Several of the mothers were jailed by the courts because of their persistent efforts to protect their children from abuse, several were ordered not to speak of the abuse and not to report abuse to authorities. Every mother was denied contact with her child for some period of time though none was ever proven to have harmed them.
"My life was completely shattered apart on that day and my childhood was destroyed," said Jeff Hoverson, the adult child petitioner, about the day a family court judge ordered sheriff deputies to deliver him into the custody of his abuser. "It was as if I was just kidnapped. I was torn from everything I knew... I was made into a possession rather than a child." Hoverson endured years of trauma and fear living in his father's home before escaping and returning to his mother at age 17. He is haunted by years of feeling helpless to prevent his father's night-time visits to his sisters' bedrooms.
"The cases in this petition represent the proverbial tip of the iceberg," says Irene Weiser, executive director of the national online organization Stop Family Violence. "We are contacted by an average of three protective mothers each week who have lost custody to child abusing fathers. This is a nationwide crisis of enormous proportion."
"The lives of thousands of children and mothers have been irreparably harmed by family courts across our nation," says Joyanna Silberg, Ph.D., executive vice-president of The Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence, another national organizations supporting the petition. "The years of trauma and psychological abuse because of the courts' failings result in lasting emotional damage to the children they are supposed to protect."
Studies of gender bias in the courts, conducted in the 1980's and 90's, found disturbing trends of courts minimizing or excusing men's violence against women, and favoring the abusers. In 1990 the United States Congress passed a resolution recommending the prohibition of giving joint or sole custody to abusers. Seventeen years later, the practice continues unabated. Ten years ago today, leading national organizations were joined by members of Congress in a protest in Washington D.C. to again raise awareness about the problems in family courts. Today, petitioners say, the problem is systemic and widespread in family law courts across the nation.
The petition seeks a finding from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that the U.S. has violated the Declaration of the Rights and Responsibilities of Man and the Charter of the Organization of American States and a statement of the steps that the U.S. must take to comply with its human rights obligations in regards to battered women and children in child custody cases.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was created in 1959 and is expressly authorized to examine allegations of human rights violations by members of the Organization of American States, which include the United States. It also carries out on-site visits to observe the general human rights situations in all 35 member states of the Organization of American States and to investigate specific allegations of violations of Inter-American human rights treaties. Its charge is to promote the observance and the defense of human rights in the Americas.
Dianne Post, a 1980 graduate of the University of Wisconsin law school, has worked on issues of gender-based violence since 1976. In addition to private practice and legal aid, she has taught legal classes and been a consultant working or living in Russia, Cambodia, Hungary and some dozen other countries. She is currently in Vladivostok, Russia.
Additional national organizations supporting the international lawsuit include: National Organization for Women and the NOW Foundation, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Justice For Children, National Family Court Watch Project, Stop Family Violence, Legal Momentum, Family Violence Prevention Fund, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, Domestic Violence Report, Sidran Traumatic Stress Institute, and the National Center on Sexual and Domestic Violence. The petition is supported by many state organizations as well.
In December 2005, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a petition against the United States with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights for their failure to protect Jessica Gonzales' three children from their abusive father, who murdered them. Their petition, the first of its kind, asserted that domestic violence victims have the right to be protected by the state from the violent acts of their abusers.
To review the petition visit www.stopfamilyviolence.org.
Contact Information:
California Protective Parents Association
Contact Person:
Connie Valentine
President
Phone: +1 866 874 9815
email: email
Web: http://protectiveparents.com
2007-05-21 08:24:38 - On May 11, press conferences in Los Angeles and in Sacramento California addressed the complaint filed against the United States with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights by eleven people, including one victimized child who is now an adult. The complaint is backed by leading national and state organizations. The case claims that U.S. courts, by frequently awarding child custody to abusers and child molesters, have failed to protect the life, liberties, security and other human rights of abused mothers and their children.
Los Angeles, CA - May 19, 2007
United States Courts Fail to Protect the Life, Liberties, Security of Abused Mothers and Their Children - International Complaint Filed.
On May 11, press conferences in Los Angeles and in Sacramento California addressed the complaint filed against the United States with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights by eleven people, including one victimized child who is now an adult. The complaint is backed by leading national and state organizations. The case claims that U.S. courts, by frequently awarding child custody to abusers and child molesters, have failed to protect the life, liberties, security and other human rights of abused mothers and their children.
In Los Angeles, experts Randy Noblitt and Monica Slone presented, and Emmy Award winning actresses, Nancy Lee Grahn, Deidre Hall, and Jane Elliot, attended to show their support of the cause. State legislators are proactively addressing the problems by soliciting remedial proposals rather than wait for the lawsuit to take its course.
"This is a relatively unknown crime against children and their mothers that occurs frequently in the US," said one mother in Los Angeles. "This industry exploits children for monetary gain. It's about time this and the ‘alienation' excuse is exposed."
"For more than 30 years U.S. judges have given custody or unsupervised visitation of children to abusers and molesters putting the children directly at risk," says Dianne Post, an international attorney who authored the petition. "These horrendous human rights violations have been brought to the attention of family court systems, and state and federal governments, to no avail. We turn now to international courts to protect the rights and safety of US children."
The complaint details several cases with documented medical evidence of child sexual abuse, yet in each instance the abusing father was given full custody of the children he abused. Several of the mothers were jailed by the courts because of their persistent efforts to protect their children from abuse, several were ordered not to speak of the abuse and not to report abuse to authorities. Every mother was denied contact with her child for some period of time though none was ever proven to have harmed them.
"My life was completely shattered apart on that day and my childhood was destroyed," said Jeff Hoverson, the adult child petitioner, about the day a family court judge ordered sheriff deputies to deliver him into the custody of his abuser. "It was as if I was just kidnapped. I was torn from everything I knew... I was made into a possession rather than a child." Hoverson endured years of trauma and fear living in his father's home before escaping and returning to his mother at age 17. He is haunted by years of feeling helpless to prevent his father's night-time visits to his sisters' bedrooms.
"The cases in this petition represent the proverbial tip of the iceberg," says Irene Weiser, executive director of the national online organization Stop Family Violence. "We are contacted by an average of three protective mothers each week who have lost custody to child abusing fathers. This is a nationwide crisis of enormous proportion."
"The lives of thousands of children and mothers have been irreparably harmed by family courts across our nation," says Joyanna Silberg, Ph.D., executive vice-president of The Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence, another national organizations supporting the petition. "The years of trauma and psychological abuse because of the courts' failings result in lasting emotional damage to the children they are supposed to protect."
Studies of gender bias in the courts, conducted in the 1980's and 90's, found disturbing trends of courts minimizing or excusing men's violence against women, and favoring the abusers. In 1990 the United States Congress passed a resolution recommending the prohibition of giving joint or sole custody to abusers. Seventeen years later, the practice continues unabated. Ten years ago today, leading national organizations were joined by members of Congress in a protest in Washington D.C. to again raise awareness about the problems in family courts. Today, petitioners say, the problem is systemic and widespread in family law courts across the nation.
The petition seeks a finding from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that the U.S. has violated the Declaration of the Rights and Responsibilities of Man and the Charter of the Organization of American States and a statement of the steps that the U.S. must take to comply with its human rights obligations in regards to battered women and children in child custody cases.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was created in 1959 and is expressly authorized to examine allegations of human rights violations by members of the Organization of American States, which include the United States. It also carries out on-site visits to observe the general human rights situations in all 35 member states of the Organization of American States and to investigate specific allegations of violations of Inter-American human rights treaties. Its charge is to promote the observance and the defense of human rights in the Americas.
Dianne Post, a 1980 graduate of the University of Wisconsin law school, has worked on issues of gender-based violence since 1976. In addition to private practice and legal aid, she has taught legal classes and been a consultant working or living in Russia, Cambodia, Hungary and some dozen other countries. She is currently in Vladivostok, Russia.
Additional national organizations supporting the international lawsuit include: National Organization for Women and the NOW Foundation, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Justice For Children, National Family Court Watch Project, Stop Family Violence, Legal Momentum, Family Violence Prevention Fund, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, Domestic Violence Report, Sidran Traumatic Stress Institute, and the National Center on Sexual and Domestic Violence. The petition is supported by many state organizations as well.
In December 2005, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a petition against the United States with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights for their failure to protect Jessica Gonzales' three children from their abusive father, who murdered them. Their petition, the first of its kind, asserted that domestic violence victims have the right to be protected by the state from the violent acts of their abusers.
To review the petition visit www.stopfamilyviolence.org.
Contact Information:
California Protective Parents Association
Contact Person:
Connie Valentine
President
Phone: +1 866 874 9815
email: email
Web: http://protectiveparents.com
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Wally Oppal's Responsibility for the Public Interest
It has been almost a year since the sentencing, incarceration and deportation of Dr. Nathalie Gettliffe, mother of the two young children forced to remain in British Columbia, Josephine and Maximilien Gettliffe-Grant.
Canada Children First, a Canadian association of concerned parents involved in the legal sphere, wrote a letter to the A.G. enquiring as to why he chose not to intervene in this matter, especially since it concerned the best interests of the children and the public interest.
He responded in a letter replying that it was not his responsibility to intervene.
The Family Relations Act of British Columbia states otherwise:
"Intervention by Attorney General or other person
18 (1) The Attorney General may intervene in a proceeding and contest or argue a question or matter arising in the proceeding that affects the public interest.
(2) Any person may apply to the court for leave to intervene in a proceeding and the court may make an order entitling that person to intervene.
(3) An order under subsection (2) is subject to the terms and conditions the court, in its discretion, considers appropriate.
(4) The Attorney General or another person who intervenes under this section in a proceeding becomes a party to the proceedings. "
Furthermore, Oppal implied through written statements that Canada Children First had imagined concerns regarding the Gettliffe-Grant children.
Shortly after the receipt of his letter, Canada Children First was advised that Dr. Lucien Larre, a child psychologist who had been employed by Scott Grant, the father of the two young children, had been suspended by the College of Psychologists of British Columbia and that he was denied the ability to practise because his actions posed a "serious risk" to the public.
Surely, in his role as Attorney General of British Columbia, Wally Oppal is obligated to investigate Lucien Larre's involvement with the Gettliffe-Grant children and to monitor their safety. Especially since they remain separated from their mother who was deported to France in December 2006.
Before and during 2006, several complaints had been made to the College of Psychologists of British Columbia concerning the conduct of Lucien Larre in his practise as a psychologist.
A complaint was brought to the College's attention regarding a s.15 report prepared for the Ministry of Children and Family Development by Lucien Larre, which had been instrumental in removing several young children from the safety of their mother's home in B.C. and exposing them to foster homes where they were subsequently abused.
A similar complaint was made by Canada Children First in 2006 regarding the involvement of Lucien Larre in the forced separation of Josephine and Maximilien Gettliffe Grant from their mother last year in 2006, the same year that Larre was suspended.
We expect a public response from Mr. Oppal, informing us, the public, as to his proposed intention to act in the public interest in this matter.
Lucien Larre, Former Child Psychologist Suspended
Docket: S067760
Registry: Vancouver
Between: Dr. Lucien Larre Petitioner
And
College of Psychologists of British Columbia Respondent
Before: The Honourable Mr. Justice Joyce
Reasons for Judgment
Date and Place of Hearing:February 16, 2007
Vancouver , B.C.
Date and Place of Hearing:February 16, 2007
Vancouver , B.C.
NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING
[1] This is an appeal brought by Dr. Larre under s. 35(5) of the Health Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183 (the “Act”) from the suspension of his registration as amember of the College of Psychologists of British Columbia (the “College”) by the Inquiry Committee of the College pending further investigation or a hearing of the Discipline Committee of the College.
[2] Dr. Larre seeks an order quashing the decision of the Inquiry Committee and anorder reinstating his registration upon his giving his undertaking of his conduct or a hearing of the Discipline Committee.
BACKGROUND
[2] Dr. Larre seeks an order quashing the decision of the Inquiry Committee and anorder reinstating his registration upon his giving his undertaking of his conduct or a hearing of the Discipline Committee.
BACKGROUND
[3] Prior to December 1, 2006 Dr. Larre was a member in good standing of the College.
[4] On June 30, 2006, as a result of unresolved complaints against Dr. Larre to the College concerning his competence in connection with the preparation of certain psychological assessments, the Inquiry Committee Inquiry Committee of the College commenced an investigation. Without admitting any blame or liability concerning the allegations in the various complaints, Dr. Larre signed an Undertaking and Consent pursuant to s. 36(1) of the Act that included the following provisions:1. Within thirty (30) days of the date of this Undertaking and Consent, or as soon aspracticable thereafter, I consent to be subject to an assessment by a psychologist (the“assessor”) appointed by the College concerning my fitness and competence to practice psychology in the various areas that are the subject of the complaints referred to approved by the Inquiry Committee, including but not necessarily limited to, that I enter into a course of psychology with a registered psychologist appointed by the College, that I undertake educational courses or training in psychology, that I limit or restrict my practice of psychology, that I consent to a period of practice supervision, or that I cease the practice of psychology altogether.
[5] The College appointed Dr. Hedrick, a psychologist who practices in Seattle ,Washington to be the assessor. On September 21, 2006 Dr. Hedrick provided her assessment, in which she recommended that Dr. Larre cease practice as a psychologist.
[6] On October 19, 2006 the Inquiry Committee wrote to Dr. Larre and advised him that it would consider the assessment on November 9, 2006. It invited Dr. Larre to make any submissions he might care to make in relation to the assessment. Dr. Larre was out of the country and did not make any submissions.
[7] On November 9, 2006 the Inquiry Committee considered the assessment and on November 10, 2006 it wrote to Dr. Larre and advised him that it approved Dr. Hedrick’srecommendation that Dr. Larre not continue to practice as a psychologist. The Inquiry Committee invited Dr. Larre to provide the College with his resignation or consent to the cancellation of his registration with the College.
[8] On November 14, 2006 … counsel for Dr. Larre wrote to the College and advisedthat Dr. Larre did not accept Dr. Hedrick’s recommendations as reasonable and that he would not resign or consent to the cancellation of his registration with the College.
… the Act to consider whether it was necessary to take action to protect the public pending ahearing of the Discipline Committee concerning Dr. Larre’s refusal to accept the recommendation.
Dr. Larre’s counsel appeared at the hearing on his behalf and proposed that Dr. Larre would refrain from the practice of psychology in British Columbia pending a discipline hearing and that it was therefore not necessary to suspend Dr. Larre’s registration. The Inquiry Committee Panel declined to accept the offer and suspended Dr. Larre’s registration.
Dr. Larre’s counsel appeared at the hearing on his behalf and proposed that Dr. Larre would refrain from the practice of psychology in British Columbia pending a discipline hearing and that it was therefore not necessary to suspend Dr. Larre’s registration. The Inquiry Committee Panel declined to accept the offer and suspended Dr. Larre’s registration.
THE STANDARD OF REVIEW
[11] The parties are in agreement that the appropriate standard of review in this case as …determined by the pragmatic and functional approach described in Dr. Q. v. College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, [2003] S.C.J. No. 18 is one of reasonableness simpliciter.
THE STATUTORY SCHEME …
[13] Under s. 32 of the Act a person may make a complaint to the Registrar of the College who must then refer it to the Inquiry Committee:
[32] The investigation concerned serious allegations regarding Dr. Larre’s competence.
[32] The investigation concerned serious allegations regarding Dr. Larre’s competence.
The seriousness of the allegations was reinforced by the review conducted by Dr. Hedrick pursuant to the undertaking. Dr. Larre refused to accept the recommendation, which the Panel considered was reasonable based upon its review of the evidence. The Panel was faced with a situation where it was satisfied that unless Dr. Larre’s practice was suspended the public was exposed to a serious risk. There was a need to act without delay.… In my opinion the Inquiry Committee Panel applied the correct test by asking itself whether there was a prima facie case that Dr. Larre breached the undertaking, not whether it was proven that he did. The panel was satisfied a prima facie case had been made out with regard to the alleged breach as well as the urgency and degree of risk posed by Dr. Larre.
To read the case in its complete form, please follow the link below to the Supreme Court of British Columbia’s website:
To read the case in its complete form, please follow the link below to the Supreme Court of British Columbia’s website:
Friday, November 9, 2007
Hare Psychopathy Checklist
The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is a diagnostic tool used to rate a person's psychopathic or antisocial tendencies.
People who are psychopathic prey ruthlessly on others using charm, deceit, violence or other methods that allow them to get with they want. The symptoms of psychopathy include: lack of a conscience or sense of guilt, lack of empathy, egocentricity, pathological lying, repeated violations of social norms, disregard for the law, shallow emotions, and a history of victimizing others.
Originally designed to assess people accused or convicted of crimes, the PCL-R consists of a 20-item symptom rating scale that allows qualified examiners to compare a subject's degree of psychopathy with that of a prototypical psychopath. It is accepted by many in the field as the best method for determining the presence and extent of psychopathy in a person.
Originally designed to assess people accused or convicted of crimes, the PCL-R consists of a 20-item symptom rating scale that allows qualified examiners to compare a subject's degree of psychopathy with that of a prototypical psychopath. It is accepted by many in the field as the best method for determining the presence and extent of psychopathy in a person.
The Hare checklist is still used to diagnose members of the original population for which it was developed— adult males in prisons, criminal psychiatric hospitals, and awaiting psychiatric evaluations or trial in other correctional and detention facilities. Recent experience suggests that the PCL-R may also be used effectively to diagnose sex offenders as well as female and adolescent offenders.
Purpose
The PCL-R is used for diagnosing psychopathy in individuals for clinical, legal or research purposes. Developed in the early 1990s, the test was originally designed to identify the degree of a person's psychopathic tendencies. Because psychopaths, however, are often repeat offenders who commit sexual assaults or other violent crimes again and again, the PCL-R is now finding use in the courtroom and in institutions as an indicator of the potential risk posed by subjects or prisoners. The results of the examination have been used in forensic settings as a factor in deciding the length and type of prison sentences and the treatment subjects should or should not receive.
Precautions
Obviously, diagnosing someone as a psychopath is a very serious step. It has important implications for a person and for his or her associates in family, clinical and forensic settings. Therefore, the test must be administered by professionals who have been specifically trained in its use and who have a wide-ranging and up-to-date familiarity with studies of psychopathy.
Professionals who administer the diagnostic examination should have advanced degrees (M.D., Ph.D., or D.Ed.) in a medical, behavioral or social science field; and registered with a reputable organization that oversees psychiatric or psychological testing and diagnostic procedures. Other recommendations include experience working with convicted or accused criminals or several years of some other related on-the-job training. Because the results are used so often in legal cases, those who administer it should be qualified to serve as expert witnesses in the courtroom. It is also a good idea, if possible, for two experts to test a subject independently with the PCL-R. The final rating would then be determined by averaging their scores.
Many studies conducted in North America and Europe attest to the value of the PCL-R for evaluating a person's degree of psychopathic traits and, in many cases, for predicting the likelihood of future violent behavior. Some critics, however, are more skeptical about its value.
Description
The Hare PCL-R contains two parts, a semi-structured interview and a review of the subject's file records and history. During the evaluation, the clinician scores 20 items that measure central elements of the psychopathic character. The items cover the nature of the subject's interpersonal relationships; his or her affective or emotional involvement; responses to other people and to situations; evidence of social deviance; and lifestyle. The material thus covers two key aspects that help define the psychopath: selfish and unfeeling victimization of other people, and an unstable and antisocial lifestyle.
The twenty traits assessed by the PCL-R score are:
glib and superficial charm
grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self
need for stimulation
pathological lying
cunning and manipulativeness
lack of remorse or guilt
shallow affect(superficial emotional responsiveness)
callousness and lack of empathy
parasitic lifestyle
poor behavioral controls
sexual promiscuity
early behavior problems
lack of realistic long-term goals
impulsivity
irresponsibility
failure to accept responsibility for own actions
many short-term marital relationships
juvenile delinquency
revocation of conditional release
criminal versatility
The interview portion of the evaluation covers the subject's background, including such items as work and educational history; marital and family status; and criminal background. Because psychopaths lie frequently and easily, the information they provide must be confirmed by a review of the documents in the subject's case history.
Results
When properly completed by a qualified professional, the PCL-R provides a total score that indicates how closely the test subject matches the "perfect" score that a classic or prototypical psychopath would rate. Each of the twenty items is given a score of 0, 1, or 2 based on how well it applies to the subject being tested. A prototypical psychopath would receive a maximum score of 40, while someone with absolutely no psychopathic traits or tendencies would receive a score of zero. A score of 30 or above qualifies a person for a diagnosis of psychopathy. People with no criminal backgrounds normally score around 5. Many non-psychopathic criminal offenders score around 22.
Resources
BOOKS
Black, Donald W., and C. Lindon Larson. Bad Boys, Bad Men, Confronting Antisocial Personality Disorder.New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Hare, Robert D. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us.New York, NY: The Guilford Press, 1993.
PERIODICALS
Freedman, M. David. "False prediction of future dangerousness: Error rates and Psychopathy Checklist-Revised." Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law 29, no. 1 (March, 2001): 89-95.
Grann, M., N. Langström, A. Tengström and G. Kullgren. "Psychopathy (PCL-R) predicts violent recidivism among criminal offenders with personality disorders in Sweden." Law and Human Behavior23, no. 2 (April, 1999): 205-217.
OTHER
Hare, Robert D. Dr. Robert Hare's Page for the Study of Psychopaths. January 29, 2002 (cited April 5, 2002.)
Dean Haycock, Ph.D.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
World Expert on Child Sexual Abuse - David Finkelhor
Get your head out of the sand and start educating yourselves...your kids need you awake, alert and paying very close attention out there and at home:
PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS
Program Evaluation and Family Violence Research. New York: The Haworth Maltreatment and Trauma Press, 2000 (with Sally K. Ward).
Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children in America. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1990 (with Gerald Hotaling and Andrea Sedlak).
Nursery Crimes: Sexual Abuse in Day Care. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1989 (with Linda Williams and Nanci Burns).
Coping with Family Violence: Research on Policy Perspectives. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1989 (Edited with Gerald Hotaling, John Kirkpatrick and Murray Straus).
Family Abuse and its Consequences: New Directions in Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1988 (Edited with Gerald Hotaling, John Kirkpatrick and Murray Straus).
Stopping Family Violence: Research Priorities for the Coming Decade. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1988 (with Gerald Hotaling and Kersti Yllo).
Sourcebook on Child Sexual Abuse. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1986.
License to Rape: Sexual Violence Against Wives. New York: Holt Rinehart, 1985 (with Kersti Yllo).
Child Sexual Abuse: New Theory and Research. New York: Free Press, 1984.
The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1983 (Edited with Richard Gelles, Gerald Hotaling and Murray Straus).
Sexually Victimized Children. New York: Free Press, 1979 (Spanish translation, 1981).
Up Against the American Myth. New York, NY: Holt Rinehart, 1971 (with Tom Christoffel and Dan Gilbarg.) (Japanese translation, 1973).
ARTICLES
In Press
"Pornography and Child Exploitation Crimes: The National Incidence Reporting System" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
"Juvenile Victims of Hate Crimes" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
"Sexual Abuse Decline in the 1990's: Evidence for Possible Causes" (with Lisa Jones). Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
"Juvenile Victims of Intimate Partner Violence" (with Katreena Scott and Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
"The Exposure of Youth to Unwanted Sexual Material on the Internet: A National Survey of Risk, Impact, & Prevention" (with Kimberly Mitchell and Janis Wolak). Youth & Society.
"Online Victimization: Whay Youth Tell Us" (with Kimberly Mitchell and Janis Wolak). Chapter prepared for inclusion in Cooper, S.W. & Kellogg, N.D. (Eds.), Medical and Legal Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation: A Comprehensive Review of Child Pornography, Child Prostitution, and Internet Crimes against Children. GW Medical Publishing.
2003
"Escaping or Connecting? Characteristics of Youth who Form Close Online Relationships" (with Janis Wolak and Kimberly Mitchell). Journal of Adolescence, 26(1): 105-119.
"Reporting Assaults against Juveniles to the Police: Barriers and Catalysts" (with Janis Wolak). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18(2): 103-128.
"Improving National Data Systems about Juvenile Victimization" (with Melissa Wells). Child Abuse & Neglect, 27(1): 77-102.
2002
"National Estimates of Missing Children: An Overview" (with Andrea Sedlak, Heather Hammer and Dana Schultz). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ196465 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Children Abducted by Family Members: National Estimates and Characteristics" (with Heather Hammer and Andrea Sedlak). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ196466 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Runaway/Thrownaway Children: National Estimates and Characteristics" (with Heather Hammer and Andrea Sedlak). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ196469 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Non-Family Abducted Children: National Estimates and Characteristics" (with Heather Hammer and Andrea Sedlak). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ196467 (pgs. 1-16). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Youth Online Victimization" (with Kimberly Mitchell). In Levinson, D. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Crime & Punishment (3): 1109-1112.
"Close Online Relationships in a National Sample of Adolescents" (with Janis Wolak and Kimberly Mitchell). Adolescence, 37(147): 441-456.
2001
"Risk Factors & Impact of Online Solicitations of Youth. JAMA, 285(23): 3011-3014.
“Child Abuse Reported to Police” (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ187238 (pgs. 1-8). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Homicides of Children and Youth" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ187239 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Choosing and Using Child Victimization Questionnaires" (with Sherry Hamby). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ186027 (pgs. 1-15). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"The Decline in Sexual Abuse Cases" (with Lisa Jones). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ184741 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Crimes against Children by Babysitters" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ189102 (pgs. 1-7). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Offenders Incarcerated for Crimes against Juveniles" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ191028 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Hightlights of the Youth Internet Safety Survey" (with Kimberly Mitchell and Janis Wolak). Juvenile Justice Fact Sheet - FS200104 (pgs. 1-2). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
“The Victimization of Children & Youth: A Comprehensive Overview” (with Patricia Hashima). In S.O. White (Ed.), Law and Social Science Perspectives on Youth and Justice (pgs. 49-78). NY: Plenum Publishing Corp.
“Juvenile Crime Victims in the Justice System” (with M.J. Paschall and Patricia Hashima). In S.O. White (Ed.), Law and Social Science Perspectives on Youth and Justice (pgs. 11-28). NY: Plenum Publishing Corp.
"Factors in the Under-Reporting of Crimes against Juveniles" (with RIchard Ormrod). Child Maltreatment, 6(3): 219-229.
"Police Reporting and Professional Help for Child Victims: A Review" (with Janis Wolak and Lucy Berliner). Child Maltreatment, 6(1): 17-30.
"Risk of Crime Victimization among Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence" (with Kimberly Mitchell). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16(9): 944-964.
"Why is Sexual Abuse Declining? A Survey of State Child Protection Administration" (with Lisa Jones and Kathy Kopiec). Child Abuse & Neglect, 25(9): 1139-1158.
"The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ): Administration & Scoring Manual" (with Sherry Hamby). Durham, NH: Crimes against Children Research Center.
2000
"Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation's Youth" (with Kimberly Mitchell and Janis Wolak). Report prepared for the National Center for Missing and Exploited CHildren (#6-00-020). Alexandria, VA.
“Characteristics of Crimes against Juveniles” (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ179034 (pgs. 1-11). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
“Kidnapping of Juveniles: Patterns from NIBRS” (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ181161 (pgs. 1-8). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Juvenile Victims of Property Crimes" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ184740 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"The Victimization of Children: Recommendations for Assessment and Instrument Development" (with Sherry Hamby). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39(7): 829-840.
1999
“Reporting Crimes against Juveniles” (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ178887 (pgs. 1-7). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
“Violent Victimization of Youth Versus Adults in the National Crime Victimization Survey” (with Patricia Hashima). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14(8): 799-819.
“Convening a National Call to Action: Working toward the Elimination of Child Maltreatment: The Science”. Child Abuse & Neglect, 23(10): 969-974.
“Victimologia Infantil”. In J. Sanmartin (Ed.), Violencia Contra Ninos (pp. 147-218). Barcelona, Spain: Editorial Ariel.
1998
“Children Exposed to Partner Violence” (with Janis Wolak). In J.L. Jasinski, L.M. Williams (Eds.), Partner Violence: A Comprehensive Review of 20 Years of Research (pgs. 73-112). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
“A Comparison of the Responses of Preadolescents and Adolescents in a National Victimization Survey”. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 13(3): 362-382.
“Improving Research, Policy, and Practice to Understand Child Sexual Abuse”. JAMA, 280(21):1864-1865.
1997
“A Developmental Perspective on the Childhood Impact of Crime, Abuse & Violent Victimization” (with Kathy Kendall-Tackett). In D. Cicchetti & S. Toth (Eds.), The Effects of Trauma and the Developmental Process.
“The Homicide of Children & Youth: A Developmental Perspective”, In G. Kaufman Kantor & J. Jasinski (Eds.), Out of the Darkness: Contemporary Perspectives on Family Violence (pgs. 17-34). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
“The Victimization of Children and Youth: Developmental Victimology” , In R.C. Davis, A.J. Lurigio & Skogan, W.G. (Eds.), Victims of Crime (pg. 86-107). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
"Is Youth Victimization Related to PTSD and Depression after Controlling for Prior Symptoms and Family Relationships? A Longitudinal Prospective Study" (with Sue Boney-McCoy). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6):1406-1416.
"The Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse" (with Deborah Daro). In M.E. Helfer, R. S. Kempe, & R.D. Krugman (Eds.), The Battered Child, (5th Edition) (pgs 615-626). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
"Sexually Abused Children in a National Survey of Parents: Methodological Issues” (with David Moore, Sherry L. Hamby & Murray A. Straus). Child Abuse & Neglect, 21(1):1-9.
Risk Factors for Family Abduction: Demographic and Family Interaction Characteristics” (with Peggy Plass and Gerald T. Hotaling). Journal of Family Violence, 12(3):333-348.
“Die folgen van sexuellem missbrauch bei kindern: Review und synthese neuerer empirischer studien. In G. Amann & R. Wipplinger (Eds.), Sexueller Missbrauch: Ueberblick zu Forschung, beratung und therapie (pp. 151 - 186). Salzburg, Austria: Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Verhaltenstherapie.
1996
"Risk Factors for Youth Victimization: Beyond a Lifestyles Theoretical Approach" (with Nancy Asdigian). Violence and Victims, 11(1):3-20.
"New Categories of Missing Children: Injured, Lost, Delinquent, and Victims of Caretakers Mix-ups" (with Nancy Asdigian and Gerald Hotaling). Child Welfare, 75(4):291-310.
“Family Abduction Outcomes: Factors Assocaited with Duration and Emotional Trauma to Children” (with Peggy Plass and Gerald T. Hotaling). Journal of Youth & Society, 28(1):109-130.
"Introduction: Child Maltreatment at a Time of Transition." In J. Briere, L. Berliner, J.A Bulkley, C. Jenny, & T. Reid, (Eds.), APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment (p. ix). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
"Corporal Punishment as a Stressor Among Youth" (with Heather Turner). Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58(1):155-166.
“Sexual Abuse of Children in an International Perspective”. In S. Matsumoto (Ed.), Sexuality and Human Bonding (pg. 245-248). New York: Elsevier Science.
1995
"Nonsexual Assaults to the Genitals in the Youth Population" (with Janis Wolak). The Journal of the American Medical Association, 274(21):1692-1697.
"The Effectiveness of Victimization Prevention Programs for Children: A Follow-Up" (with Nancy Asdigian and Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). American Journal of Public Health, 85(12):1684-1689.
"Research on the Treatment of Sexually Abused Children" (with Lucy Berliner). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34(11):1408-1423.
"The Psychosocial Impact of Violent Victimization on a National Youth Sample" (with Sue Boney-McCoy). The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63(5):726-736.
"The Victimization of Children in a Developmental Perspective", American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65(2):177-193.
"Victimization Prevention Programs: A National Survey of Children's Exposure and Reactions" (with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). Child Abuse and Neglect, 19(2): 129-139.
"The Effectiveness of Victimization Prevention Instruction: An Evaluation of Children's Responses to Actual Threats and Assaults" (with Nancy Asdigian and Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). Child Abuse & Neglect, 19(2): 141-153.
"Paternal Caregiving and Incest: A Test of a Biosocial Model" (with Linda Williams). The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65(1):101-113.
"Varieties of Non-Family Abduction: Additional Analyses from NISMART" (with Nancy Asdigian and Gerald Hotaling). Criminal Justice and Behavior, 22(3):215-232.
"Attempted Non-Family Abduction" (with Gerald Hotaling and Nancy Asdigian). Child Welfare, 74(5):941-955.
“Police Involvement in Family Abduction Episodes” (with Peggy Plass and Gerald T. Hotaling). Crime & Delinquency, 41(2):205-218.
"Victimization Prevention Programs: An American Survey of Children's Exposure and Reactions" (with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). In B. Marquardt-Mau (Ed.), Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse (p 87-112). Germany: Juventa Verlag.
"What Works for Children in Resisting Assaults" (with Nancy Asdigian). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 10(4):402-418.
"Prior Victimization: A Risk Factor for Child Sexual Abuse and for PTSD-Related Symptomatology Among Sexually Abused Youth" (with Sue Boney-McCoy). Child Abuse & Neglect, 19(12):1401-1421.
“The Impact of Child Sexual Abuse on Children: A Review and Synthesis of Recent Empirical Findings” (with Kathy Kendall-Tackett and Linda Williams). In M.E. Hertzig & E.A. Farber (Eds.), Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Child Development (pp. 321-356). New York: Brunner/Mazel.
1994
"Abus Sexuel et Santé Sexuelle Chez L'enfant: Nouveaux Dilemmes Pour le Pediatre", Le Journal Suisse de Medicine, 124(51/52):2320-2330.
"Children as Victims of Violence: A National Survey" (with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). Pediatrics, 94(4): 413-420.
"Current Information on the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse", The Future of Children, 4(2): 31-53.
"How Does Receiving Information About Abuse Influence Boys Perception of Their Risk?" with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). Child Abuse and Neglect, 18(7): 557-568.
"Victimization of Children" (with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). American Psychologist, 49(3): 173-183.
"The International Epidemiology of Child Sexual Abuse", Child Abuse and Neglect, 18(5): 409-417.
"The 'Backlash' and the Future of Child Abuse Advocacy: Insights from the Study of Social Issues." In J.E.B. Myers, (Ed.), The Backlash: Child Protection Under Fire, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, p. 1-16.
"Parental Relations, Socioeconomic Status, & Father-Child Contact Following Divorce" (with Denise Donnelly, Cheryl Brown and Donald Gregory), Family Perspectives, 28(3):183-194.
1993
"Epidemiological Factors in the Clinical Identification of Child Sexual Abuse", Child Abuse and Neglect, 17: 67-70.
"The Impact of Sexual Abuse on Children: A Review and Synthesis of Recent Empirical Studies" (with Kathleen Kendall-Tackett & Linda Williams). Psychological Bulletin, 113(1), 164-180.
"The Main Problem is Still Underreporting not Overreporting". In R.J. Gelles, & D.R. Loseke (Eds.), Current Controversies on Family Violence. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 273-287.
1992
"Child Sexual Abuse" In J.M. Last & R.B. Wallace (Eds.), Public Health & Preventative Medicine - 13th Edition. Connecticut: Appleton & Lange.
"Sexual Abuse Prevention Education: A Review of Evaluation Studies" (with Nancy Strapko). In D.J. Willis, E.W. Holder & M. Rosenberg (Eds.), Prevention of Child Maltreatment. New York: Wiley. Also published in O. Schubbe (Ed.), Therapeutische Hilfen gegen sexuellen Mißbrauch an Kindern. Göttingen, Zurich: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
"New Myths About the Child Welfare System", The Child, Youth and Family Services, 15(1): 3-5.
"The Abduction of Children by Strangers and Nonfamily Members: Estimating the Incidence Using Multiple Methods" (with G. Hotaling & A. Sedlak). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 7(2): 226-243.
1991
"The Scope of the Problem". In K. Murray & D. Gough (Eds.), Intervening in Health Approach. New York: Oxford University Press.
"Abus Sexuel d'Enfants: Nouvelles Recherches et Développements Criminologiques en Amérique du Nord. (Sexual Abuse of Children: New Criminological Developments in North America.)". In J. Schuh & M. Killias (Eds.), Délinquance Sexuelle (Sexual Delinquency). Chur/Zurich: Verlag Ruegger.
"Child Sexual Abuse". In Mark Rosenberg (Ed.), Violence in America: A Public Health Approach. New York: Oxford University Press.
"Flexible Reporting Options for Skilled Child Abuse Professionals" (with Gail L. Zellman). Child Abuse and Neglect, 15(4): 335-342.
"Children Abducted by Family Members: A National Household Survey of Incidence and Episode Characteristics". Journal of Marriage and the Family, 53: 805-817.
"The Lazy Revolutionary's Guide to the Prospects for Reforming Child Welfare". Child Abuse and Neglect, 15(S1): 17-23.
1990
"Is Child Abuse Overreported: The Data Rebut Arguments for Less Intervention". Public Welfare, 48(1): 22-29, 46-47.
"New Ideas for Child Sex Abuse Prevention". In R. Kim Oates (Ed.), Understanding and Managing Child Sexual Abuse. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders.
"Early and Long Term Effects of Child Sexual Abuse: An Update". Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 21(5): 325-330.
"Estimating the Number of Stranger Abduction Homicides of Children: A Review of Available Evidence" (with Gerald T. Hotaling). Journal of Criminal Justice, 18(5): 385-399.
"The Characteristics of Incestuous Fathers: A Review of Recent Studies" (with Linda Williams). In W.L. Marshall, D.R. Laws & H.E. Barbaree (Eds.), The Handbook of Sexual Assault Issues, Theories and Treatment of the Offender. New York: Plenum.
"Sexual Abuse in a National Survey of Adult Men and Women: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Risk Factors" (with Gerald T. Hotaling, I.A. Lewis and Christine Smith). Child Abuse and Neglect, 14: 19-28.
1989
"Sexual Abuse and its Relationship to Later Sexual Satisfaction, Marital Status, Religion & Attitudes" (with Gerald T. Hotaling, I.A. Lewis & Christine Smith). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 4(4): 379-399.
"Assessing the Long-Term Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Review and Conceptualization" (with Angela Browne). In L. Walker, (Ed.), A Handbook on Child Sexual Abuse: Assessment and Treatment Issues. New York: Springer.
"Causes of Elder Abuse: Caregiver Stress Versus Problem Relatives" (with Karl Pillimer). American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 59: 179-187.
1988
"The Prevalence of Elder Abuse: A Random Sample Survey" (with Karl Pillimer). The Gerontologist, 28: 51-57.
"Sexual Abuse in Day Care: A National Study" (with Linda Williams and Nanci Burns). Executive Summary, March 1988.
"An Epidemiologic Approach to the Study of Child Molestation" (with I.A. Lewis). In R. Prentky & V. Quinsey (Eds.), Human Sexual Aggression: Current Perspectives. New York: The Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, June 1988.
"Child Abuse as an International Issue" (with Jill Korbin). Child Abuse and Neglect, 12: 3-23.
"The Trauma of Child Sexual Abuse: Two Models". In G. Wyatt (Ed.), The Lasting Effects of Child Sexual Abuse. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
"The Sexual Abuse of Children: Current Research Reviewed", Psychiatric Annals: The Journal of Continuing Psychiatric Education, 17(4): 233-241.
"The Trauma of Child Sexual Abuse: Two Models", Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2(4): 348-366.
1986
"The Adolescent Sexual Perpetrator: A New Challenge in the Field of Sexual Abuse". Treating the Juvenile Sexual Abuse Perpetrator: Proceedings of a National Training Conference. Minnesota Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota.
"Sexual Abuse: Beyond the Family Systems Approach", Journal of Psychotherapy and the Family, 2(2): 53-66; also in T.S. Trepper & M.M. Barrett (Eds.), Treating Incest: A Multimodel Systems Perspective, New York: Hayworth Press.
"Preventing Approaches to Child Sexual Abuse". In M. Lystad (Ed.), Violence in the Home: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
"The Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Review of the Research" (with Angela Browne). Psychological Bulletin, 99(1): 66-77.
"Explanations of Pedophilia: A Four Factor Model" (with Sharon Araji). Journal of Sex Research, 22(2): 145-161.
"Risk Factors for Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Review of the Evidence" (with Larry Baron). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1(1): 26-42.
1985
"The Traumatic Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Conceptualization" (with Angela Browne). Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 55(4): 530-541. Reprinted in S. Cless and A. Thomas, (Eds.), Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Child Development. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
"Sexual Abuse and Physical Abuse: Some Critical Differences". In E.H. Newberger & R. Bourne (Eds.), Unhappy Families, chapter 3. Littleton, MA: PSG Publishing Company, Inc.
"Explanations of Pedophilia: Empirical Research" (with Sharon Araji). Bulletin of the Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 13: 17-38.
"The Sexual Exploitation of Missing Children: A Research Review" (with Gerald T. Hotaling). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
1984
"The Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse: A Review of Current Approaches", SIECUS Reports, Vol XIII (September).
"How Widespread is Child Sexual Abuse", Children Today, 13(4): 18-20. Also in, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, Perspectives on Child Maltreatment in the Mid 80's. Washington,DC: USDHHS.
"Child Abuse in Stepfamilies" (with Jean Giles-Sims). Family Relations, 33: 407-413.
"Sexual Abuse in the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect: An Appraisal" (with Gerald T. Hotaling). Child Abuse and Neglect, 8: 22-33.
"Sexual Abuse of Boys: The Available Data". In A. Burgess (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Rape and Sexual Assault. New York: Garland.
"Explanations of Pedophilia: Review of Empirical Evidence" (with Sharon Araji). Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 13:17-38.
1983
"Common Features of Family Abuse". In D. Finkelhor, R. Gelles, G. Hotaling, & M. Straus (Eds.), The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
"Marital Rape: A Sociological Perspective". In D. Finkelhor, R. Gelles, G. Hotaling & M. Straus (Eds.), The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
"Removing the Child - Prosecuting the Offender in Cases of Sexual Abuse: Evidence". Child Abuse & Neglect, 7:195-205.
1982
"Forced Sex in Marriage" (with Kersti Yllo). Crime and Delinquency, 28(3): 459-478.
"Sexual Abuse: A Sociological Perspective", Child Abuse and Neglect, 6: 95-102.
1981
"The Scope of Family Violence in America" (with Barbara Carson). In C. Germaine Warner and G. R. Braen (Eds.), Management of the Physically and Emotionally Abused. New York: MacMillan.
"Sexual Abuse of Boys", Victimology, 6: 71-84.
1980
"Risk Factors in the Sexual Victimization of Children", Child Abuse and Neglect, 4(4): 265-273.
"Sexual Socialization in America: High Risk for Sexual Abuse". In J. Samson (Ed.),
Childhood and Sexuality. Montreal, Canada: Editions Etudes Vivanres.
"Sex Among Siblings: A Survey Report on its Prevalence, Variety and Effects", Archives of Sexual Behavior, 9: 171-194.
1979 and earlier
"What's Wrong with Sex Between Adults and Children: Ethics and the Problem of Sexual Abuse". American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 49: 692-697, 1979.
"Psychological, Cultural and Structural Factors in Incest and Family Sexual Abuse", Journal of Marriage and Family Counseling, 4: 45-50.
"Review Essay: Kantor and Lehr, Inside the Family", Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39: 423-427, 1977.
"Reflections on My Teaching", Journal of Thought, 11: 23-33, 1976.
"Urban Communal Living Arrangements", Theological Education, (Winter) 1972.
"The Military-Industrial Complex: Obstacles to Conversion". In R. Edwards et al, The Capitalist System. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1972 (with Michael Reich).
postamble();
PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS
Program Evaluation and Family Violence Research. New York: The Haworth Maltreatment and Trauma Press, 2000 (with Sally K. Ward).
Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children in America. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1990 (with Gerald Hotaling and Andrea Sedlak).
Nursery Crimes: Sexual Abuse in Day Care. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1989 (with Linda Williams and Nanci Burns).
Coping with Family Violence: Research on Policy Perspectives. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1989 (Edited with Gerald Hotaling, John Kirkpatrick and Murray Straus).
Family Abuse and its Consequences: New Directions in Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1988 (Edited with Gerald Hotaling, John Kirkpatrick and Murray Straus).
Stopping Family Violence: Research Priorities for the Coming Decade. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1988 (with Gerald Hotaling and Kersti Yllo).
Sourcebook on Child Sexual Abuse. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1986.
License to Rape: Sexual Violence Against Wives. New York: Holt Rinehart, 1985 (with Kersti Yllo).
Child Sexual Abuse: New Theory and Research. New York: Free Press, 1984.
The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1983 (Edited with Richard Gelles, Gerald Hotaling and Murray Straus).
Sexually Victimized Children. New York: Free Press, 1979 (Spanish translation, 1981).
Up Against the American Myth. New York, NY: Holt Rinehart, 1971 (with Tom Christoffel and Dan Gilbarg.) (Japanese translation, 1973).
ARTICLES
In Press
"Pornography and Child Exploitation Crimes: The National Incidence Reporting System" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
"Juvenile Victims of Hate Crimes" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
"Sexual Abuse Decline in the 1990's: Evidence for Possible Causes" (with Lisa Jones). Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
"Juvenile Victims of Intimate Partner Violence" (with Katreena Scott and Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin.
"The Exposure of Youth to Unwanted Sexual Material on the Internet: A National Survey of Risk, Impact, & Prevention" (with Kimberly Mitchell and Janis Wolak). Youth & Society.
"Online Victimization: Whay Youth Tell Us" (with Kimberly Mitchell and Janis Wolak). Chapter prepared for inclusion in Cooper, S.W. & Kellogg, N.D. (Eds.), Medical and Legal Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation: A Comprehensive Review of Child Pornography, Child Prostitution, and Internet Crimes against Children. GW Medical Publishing.
2003
"Escaping or Connecting? Characteristics of Youth who Form Close Online Relationships" (with Janis Wolak and Kimberly Mitchell). Journal of Adolescence, 26(1): 105-119.
"Reporting Assaults against Juveniles to the Police: Barriers and Catalysts" (with Janis Wolak). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18(2): 103-128.
"Improving National Data Systems about Juvenile Victimization" (with Melissa Wells). Child Abuse & Neglect, 27(1): 77-102.
2002
"National Estimates of Missing Children: An Overview" (with Andrea Sedlak, Heather Hammer and Dana Schultz). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ196465 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Children Abducted by Family Members: National Estimates and Characteristics" (with Heather Hammer and Andrea Sedlak). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ196466 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Runaway/Thrownaway Children: National Estimates and Characteristics" (with Heather Hammer and Andrea Sedlak). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ196469 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Non-Family Abducted Children: National Estimates and Characteristics" (with Heather Hammer and Andrea Sedlak). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ196467 (pgs. 1-16). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Youth Online Victimization" (with Kimberly Mitchell). In Levinson, D. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Crime & Punishment (3): 1109-1112.
"Close Online Relationships in a National Sample of Adolescents" (with Janis Wolak and Kimberly Mitchell). Adolescence, 37(147): 441-456.
2001
"Risk Factors & Impact of Online Solicitations of Youth. JAMA, 285(23): 3011-3014.
“Child Abuse Reported to Police” (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin- NCJ187238 (pgs. 1-8). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Homicides of Children and Youth" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ187239 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Choosing and Using Child Victimization Questionnaires" (with Sherry Hamby). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ186027 (pgs. 1-15). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"The Decline in Sexual Abuse Cases" (with Lisa Jones). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ184741 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Crimes against Children by Babysitters" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ189102 (pgs. 1-7). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Offenders Incarcerated for Crimes against Juveniles" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ191028 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Hightlights of the Youth Internet Safety Survey" (with Kimberly Mitchell and Janis Wolak). Juvenile Justice Fact Sheet - FS200104 (pgs. 1-2). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
“The Victimization of Children & Youth: A Comprehensive Overview” (with Patricia Hashima). In S.O. White (Ed.), Law and Social Science Perspectives on Youth and Justice (pgs. 49-78). NY: Plenum Publishing Corp.
“Juvenile Crime Victims in the Justice System” (with M.J. Paschall and Patricia Hashima). In S.O. White (Ed.), Law and Social Science Perspectives on Youth and Justice (pgs. 11-28). NY: Plenum Publishing Corp.
"Factors in the Under-Reporting of Crimes against Juveniles" (with RIchard Ormrod). Child Maltreatment, 6(3): 219-229.
"Police Reporting and Professional Help for Child Victims: A Review" (with Janis Wolak and Lucy Berliner). Child Maltreatment, 6(1): 17-30.
"Risk of Crime Victimization among Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence" (with Kimberly Mitchell). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16(9): 944-964.
"Why is Sexual Abuse Declining? A Survey of State Child Protection Administration" (with Lisa Jones and Kathy Kopiec). Child Abuse & Neglect, 25(9): 1139-1158.
"The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ): Administration & Scoring Manual" (with Sherry Hamby). Durham, NH: Crimes against Children Research Center.
2000
"Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation's Youth" (with Kimberly Mitchell and Janis Wolak). Report prepared for the National Center for Missing and Exploited CHildren (#6-00-020). Alexandria, VA.
“Characteristics of Crimes against Juveniles” (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ179034 (pgs. 1-11). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
“Kidnapping of Juveniles: Patterns from NIBRS” (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ181161 (pgs. 1-8). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"Juvenile Victims of Property Crimes" (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ184740 (pgs. 1-12). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
"The Victimization of Children: Recommendations for Assessment and Instrument Development" (with Sherry Hamby). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39(7): 829-840.
1999
“Reporting Crimes against Juveniles” (with Richard Ormrod). Juvenile Justice Bulletin - NCJ178887 (pgs. 1-7). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
“Violent Victimization of Youth Versus Adults in the National Crime Victimization Survey” (with Patricia Hashima). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14(8): 799-819.
“Convening a National Call to Action: Working toward the Elimination of Child Maltreatment: The Science”. Child Abuse & Neglect, 23(10): 969-974.
“Victimologia Infantil”. In J. Sanmartin (Ed.), Violencia Contra Ninos (pp. 147-218). Barcelona, Spain: Editorial Ariel.
1998
“Children Exposed to Partner Violence” (with Janis Wolak). In J.L. Jasinski, L.M. Williams (Eds.), Partner Violence: A Comprehensive Review of 20 Years of Research (pgs. 73-112). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
“A Comparison of the Responses of Preadolescents and Adolescents in a National Victimization Survey”. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 13(3): 362-382.
“Improving Research, Policy, and Practice to Understand Child Sexual Abuse”. JAMA, 280(21):1864-1865.
1997
“A Developmental Perspective on the Childhood Impact of Crime, Abuse & Violent Victimization” (with Kathy Kendall-Tackett). In D. Cicchetti & S. Toth (Eds.), The Effects of Trauma and the Developmental Process.
“The Homicide of Children & Youth: A Developmental Perspective”, In G. Kaufman Kantor & J. Jasinski (Eds.), Out of the Darkness: Contemporary Perspectives on Family Violence (pgs. 17-34). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
“The Victimization of Children and Youth: Developmental Victimology” , In R.C. Davis, A.J. Lurigio & Skogan, W.G. (Eds.), Victims of Crime (pg. 86-107). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
"Is Youth Victimization Related to PTSD and Depression after Controlling for Prior Symptoms and Family Relationships? A Longitudinal Prospective Study" (with Sue Boney-McCoy). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6):1406-1416.
"The Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse" (with Deborah Daro). In M.E. Helfer, R. S. Kempe, & R.D. Krugman (Eds.), The Battered Child, (5th Edition) (pgs 615-626). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
"Sexually Abused Children in a National Survey of Parents: Methodological Issues” (with David Moore, Sherry L. Hamby & Murray A. Straus). Child Abuse & Neglect, 21(1):1-9.
Risk Factors for Family Abduction: Demographic and Family Interaction Characteristics” (with Peggy Plass and Gerald T. Hotaling). Journal of Family Violence, 12(3):333-348.
“Die folgen van sexuellem missbrauch bei kindern: Review und synthese neuerer empirischer studien. In G. Amann & R. Wipplinger (Eds.), Sexueller Missbrauch: Ueberblick zu Forschung, beratung und therapie (pp. 151 - 186). Salzburg, Austria: Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Verhaltenstherapie.
1996
"Risk Factors for Youth Victimization: Beyond a Lifestyles Theoretical Approach" (with Nancy Asdigian). Violence and Victims, 11(1):3-20.
"New Categories of Missing Children: Injured, Lost, Delinquent, and Victims of Caretakers Mix-ups" (with Nancy Asdigian and Gerald Hotaling). Child Welfare, 75(4):291-310.
“Family Abduction Outcomes: Factors Assocaited with Duration and Emotional Trauma to Children” (with Peggy Plass and Gerald T. Hotaling). Journal of Youth & Society, 28(1):109-130.
"Introduction: Child Maltreatment at a Time of Transition." In J. Briere, L. Berliner, J.A Bulkley, C. Jenny, & T. Reid, (Eds.), APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment (p. ix). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
"Corporal Punishment as a Stressor Among Youth" (with Heather Turner). Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58(1):155-166.
“Sexual Abuse of Children in an International Perspective”. In S. Matsumoto (Ed.), Sexuality and Human Bonding (pg. 245-248). New York: Elsevier Science.
1995
"Nonsexual Assaults to the Genitals in the Youth Population" (with Janis Wolak). The Journal of the American Medical Association, 274(21):1692-1697.
"The Effectiveness of Victimization Prevention Programs for Children: A Follow-Up" (with Nancy Asdigian and Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). American Journal of Public Health, 85(12):1684-1689.
"Research on the Treatment of Sexually Abused Children" (with Lucy Berliner). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34(11):1408-1423.
"The Psychosocial Impact of Violent Victimization on a National Youth Sample" (with Sue Boney-McCoy). The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63(5):726-736.
"The Victimization of Children in a Developmental Perspective", American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65(2):177-193.
"Victimization Prevention Programs: A National Survey of Children's Exposure and Reactions" (with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). Child Abuse and Neglect, 19(2): 129-139.
"The Effectiveness of Victimization Prevention Instruction: An Evaluation of Children's Responses to Actual Threats and Assaults" (with Nancy Asdigian and Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). Child Abuse & Neglect, 19(2): 141-153.
"Paternal Caregiving and Incest: A Test of a Biosocial Model" (with Linda Williams). The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65(1):101-113.
"Varieties of Non-Family Abduction: Additional Analyses from NISMART" (with Nancy Asdigian and Gerald Hotaling). Criminal Justice and Behavior, 22(3):215-232.
"Attempted Non-Family Abduction" (with Gerald Hotaling and Nancy Asdigian). Child Welfare, 74(5):941-955.
“Police Involvement in Family Abduction Episodes” (with Peggy Plass and Gerald T. Hotaling). Crime & Delinquency, 41(2):205-218.
"Victimization Prevention Programs: An American Survey of Children's Exposure and Reactions" (with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). In B. Marquardt-Mau (Ed.), Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse (p 87-112). Germany: Juventa Verlag.
"What Works for Children in Resisting Assaults" (with Nancy Asdigian). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 10(4):402-418.
"Prior Victimization: A Risk Factor for Child Sexual Abuse and for PTSD-Related Symptomatology Among Sexually Abused Youth" (with Sue Boney-McCoy). Child Abuse & Neglect, 19(12):1401-1421.
“The Impact of Child Sexual Abuse on Children: A Review and Synthesis of Recent Empirical Findings” (with Kathy Kendall-Tackett and Linda Williams). In M.E. Hertzig & E.A. Farber (Eds.), Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Child Development (pp. 321-356). New York: Brunner/Mazel.
1994
"Abus Sexuel et Santé Sexuelle Chez L'enfant: Nouveaux Dilemmes Pour le Pediatre", Le Journal Suisse de Medicine, 124(51/52):2320-2330.
"Children as Victims of Violence: A National Survey" (with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). Pediatrics, 94(4): 413-420.
"Current Information on the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse", The Future of Children, 4(2): 31-53.
"How Does Receiving Information About Abuse Influence Boys Perception of Their Risk?" with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). Child Abuse and Neglect, 18(7): 557-568.
"Victimization of Children" (with Jennifer Dziuba-Leatherman). American Psychologist, 49(3): 173-183.
"The International Epidemiology of Child Sexual Abuse", Child Abuse and Neglect, 18(5): 409-417.
"The 'Backlash' and the Future of Child Abuse Advocacy: Insights from the Study of Social Issues." In J.E.B. Myers, (Ed.), The Backlash: Child Protection Under Fire, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, p. 1-16.
"Parental Relations, Socioeconomic Status, & Father-Child Contact Following Divorce" (with Denise Donnelly, Cheryl Brown and Donald Gregory), Family Perspectives, 28(3):183-194.
1993
"Epidemiological Factors in the Clinical Identification of Child Sexual Abuse", Child Abuse and Neglect, 17: 67-70.
"The Impact of Sexual Abuse on Children: A Review and Synthesis of Recent Empirical Studies" (with Kathleen Kendall-Tackett & Linda Williams). Psychological Bulletin, 113(1), 164-180.
"The Main Problem is Still Underreporting not Overreporting". In R.J. Gelles, & D.R. Loseke (Eds.), Current Controversies on Family Violence. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 273-287.
1992
"Child Sexual Abuse" In J.M. Last & R.B. Wallace (Eds.), Public Health & Preventative Medicine - 13th Edition. Connecticut: Appleton & Lange.
"Sexual Abuse Prevention Education: A Review of Evaluation Studies" (with Nancy Strapko). In D.J. Willis, E.W. Holder & M. Rosenberg (Eds.), Prevention of Child Maltreatment. New York: Wiley. Also published in O. Schubbe (Ed.), Therapeutische Hilfen gegen sexuellen Mißbrauch an Kindern. Göttingen, Zurich: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
"New Myths About the Child Welfare System", The Child, Youth and Family Services, 15(1): 3-5.
"The Abduction of Children by Strangers and Nonfamily Members: Estimating the Incidence Using Multiple Methods" (with G. Hotaling & A. Sedlak). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 7(2): 226-243.
1991
"The Scope of the Problem". In K. Murray & D. Gough (Eds.), Intervening in Health Approach. New York: Oxford University Press.
"Abus Sexuel d'Enfants: Nouvelles Recherches et Développements Criminologiques en Amérique du Nord. (Sexual Abuse of Children: New Criminological Developments in North America.)". In J. Schuh & M. Killias (Eds.), Délinquance Sexuelle (Sexual Delinquency). Chur/Zurich: Verlag Ruegger.
"Child Sexual Abuse". In Mark Rosenberg (Ed.), Violence in America: A Public Health Approach. New York: Oxford University Press.
"Flexible Reporting Options for Skilled Child Abuse Professionals" (with Gail L. Zellman). Child Abuse and Neglect, 15(4): 335-342.
"Children Abducted by Family Members: A National Household Survey of Incidence and Episode Characteristics". Journal of Marriage and the Family, 53: 805-817.
"The Lazy Revolutionary's Guide to the Prospects for Reforming Child Welfare". Child Abuse and Neglect, 15(S1): 17-23.
1990
"Is Child Abuse Overreported: The Data Rebut Arguments for Less Intervention". Public Welfare, 48(1): 22-29, 46-47.
"New Ideas for Child Sex Abuse Prevention". In R. Kim Oates (Ed.), Understanding and Managing Child Sexual Abuse. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders.
"Early and Long Term Effects of Child Sexual Abuse: An Update". Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 21(5): 325-330.
"Estimating the Number of Stranger Abduction Homicides of Children: A Review of Available Evidence" (with Gerald T. Hotaling). Journal of Criminal Justice, 18(5): 385-399.
"The Characteristics of Incestuous Fathers: A Review of Recent Studies" (with Linda Williams). In W.L. Marshall, D.R. Laws & H.E. Barbaree (Eds.), The Handbook of Sexual Assault Issues, Theories and Treatment of the Offender. New York: Plenum.
"Sexual Abuse in a National Survey of Adult Men and Women: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Risk Factors" (with Gerald T. Hotaling, I.A. Lewis and Christine Smith). Child Abuse and Neglect, 14: 19-28.
1989
"Sexual Abuse and its Relationship to Later Sexual Satisfaction, Marital Status, Religion & Attitudes" (with Gerald T. Hotaling, I.A. Lewis & Christine Smith). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 4(4): 379-399.
"Assessing the Long-Term Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Review and Conceptualization" (with Angela Browne). In L. Walker, (Ed.), A Handbook on Child Sexual Abuse: Assessment and Treatment Issues. New York: Springer.
"Causes of Elder Abuse: Caregiver Stress Versus Problem Relatives" (with Karl Pillimer). American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 59: 179-187.
1988
"The Prevalence of Elder Abuse: A Random Sample Survey" (with Karl Pillimer). The Gerontologist, 28: 51-57.
"Sexual Abuse in Day Care: A National Study" (with Linda Williams and Nanci Burns). Executive Summary, March 1988.
"An Epidemiologic Approach to the Study of Child Molestation" (with I.A. Lewis). In R. Prentky & V. Quinsey (Eds.), Human Sexual Aggression: Current Perspectives. New York: The Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, June 1988.
"Child Abuse as an International Issue" (with Jill Korbin). Child Abuse and Neglect, 12: 3-23.
"The Trauma of Child Sexual Abuse: Two Models". In G. Wyatt (Ed.), The Lasting Effects of Child Sexual Abuse. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
"The Sexual Abuse of Children: Current Research Reviewed", Psychiatric Annals: The Journal of Continuing Psychiatric Education, 17(4): 233-241.
"The Trauma of Child Sexual Abuse: Two Models", Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2(4): 348-366.
1986
"The Adolescent Sexual Perpetrator: A New Challenge in the Field of Sexual Abuse". Treating the Juvenile Sexual Abuse Perpetrator: Proceedings of a National Training Conference. Minnesota Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota.
"Sexual Abuse: Beyond the Family Systems Approach", Journal of Psychotherapy and the Family, 2(2): 53-66; also in T.S. Trepper & M.M. Barrett (Eds.), Treating Incest: A Multimodel Systems Perspective, New York: Hayworth Press.
"Preventing Approaches to Child Sexual Abuse". In M. Lystad (Ed.), Violence in the Home: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
"The Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Review of the Research" (with Angela Browne). Psychological Bulletin, 99(1): 66-77.
"Explanations of Pedophilia: A Four Factor Model" (with Sharon Araji). Journal of Sex Research, 22(2): 145-161.
"Risk Factors for Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Review of the Evidence" (with Larry Baron). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1(1): 26-42.
1985
"The Traumatic Impact of Child Sexual Abuse: A Conceptualization" (with Angela Browne). Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 55(4): 530-541. Reprinted in S. Cless and A. Thomas, (Eds.), Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Child Development. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
"Sexual Abuse and Physical Abuse: Some Critical Differences". In E.H. Newberger & R. Bourne (Eds.), Unhappy Families, chapter 3. Littleton, MA: PSG Publishing Company, Inc.
"Explanations of Pedophilia: Empirical Research" (with Sharon Araji). Bulletin of the Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 13: 17-38.
"The Sexual Exploitation of Missing Children: A Research Review" (with Gerald T. Hotaling). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
1984
"The Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse: A Review of Current Approaches", SIECUS Reports, Vol XIII (September).
"How Widespread is Child Sexual Abuse", Children Today, 13(4): 18-20. Also in, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, Perspectives on Child Maltreatment in the Mid 80's. Washington,DC: USDHHS.
"Child Abuse in Stepfamilies" (with Jean Giles-Sims). Family Relations, 33: 407-413.
"Sexual Abuse in the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect: An Appraisal" (with Gerald T. Hotaling). Child Abuse and Neglect, 8: 22-33.
"Sexual Abuse of Boys: The Available Data". In A. Burgess (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Rape and Sexual Assault. New York: Garland.
"Explanations of Pedophilia: Review of Empirical Evidence" (with Sharon Araji). Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 13:17-38.
1983
"Common Features of Family Abuse". In D. Finkelhor, R. Gelles, G. Hotaling, & M. Straus (Eds.), The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
"Marital Rape: A Sociological Perspective". In D. Finkelhor, R. Gelles, G. Hotaling & M. Straus (Eds.), The Dark Side of Families: Current Family Violence Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
"Removing the Child - Prosecuting the Offender in Cases of Sexual Abuse: Evidence". Child Abuse & Neglect, 7:195-205.
1982
"Forced Sex in Marriage" (with Kersti Yllo). Crime and Delinquency, 28(3): 459-478.
"Sexual Abuse: A Sociological Perspective", Child Abuse and Neglect, 6: 95-102.
1981
"The Scope of Family Violence in America" (with Barbara Carson). In C. Germaine Warner and G. R. Braen (Eds.), Management of the Physically and Emotionally Abused. New York: MacMillan.
"Sexual Abuse of Boys", Victimology, 6: 71-84.
1980
"Risk Factors in the Sexual Victimization of Children", Child Abuse and Neglect, 4(4): 265-273.
"Sexual Socialization in America: High Risk for Sexual Abuse". In J. Samson (Ed.),
Childhood and Sexuality. Montreal, Canada: Editions Etudes Vivanres.
"Sex Among Siblings: A Survey Report on its Prevalence, Variety and Effects", Archives of Sexual Behavior, 9: 171-194.
1979 and earlier
"What's Wrong with Sex Between Adults and Children: Ethics and the Problem of Sexual Abuse". American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 49: 692-697, 1979.
"Psychological, Cultural and Structural Factors in Incest and Family Sexual Abuse", Journal of Marriage and Family Counseling, 4: 45-50.
"Review Essay: Kantor and Lehr, Inside the Family", Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39: 423-427, 1977.
"Reflections on My Teaching", Journal of Thought, 11: 23-33, 1976.
"Urban Communal Living Arrangements", Theological Education, (Winter) 1972.
"The Military-Industrial Complex: Obstacles to Conversion". In R. Edwards et al, The Capitalist System. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1972 (with Michael Reich).
postamble();
Friday, November 2, 2007
California Protective Parents Association Sets the Stage for Annihilating Child Sexual Abuse
Protective Parents Survey
Geraldine Butts Stahly, Ph.D.
There appears to be an increase in contentious custody disputes between divorcing parents. Some mental health professionals have suggested that this has created an "epidemic" of false abuse reports as a strategy of accusing parents. Other professionals report evidence of an increase in the labeling of parents who report child abuse or domestic violence during custody disputes such that parents who attempt to protect their children from abuse may actually lose custody as a result.
Several high profile cases have led to increased public attention, and fractious public debates have erupted between groups supporting the alleged perpetrators of abuse as victims of malicious accusations on one hand, and groups supporting the reporting parent as the victim of malicious psychiatric labeling on the other.Empirical studies have established the increase in child abuse in families in which there is domestic violence, and the increase in custody challenges by fathers who have a history of battering.
There is increasing recognition that custody disputes are an extension of the power and control tactics of domestic violence, and battered women's problems of child custody are now well-established and have been addressed in many states by changes in family law statutes. A few studies document the custody problems of battered women, who make up a subset of "protective parents."
However, there have been no studies to date on the extent of the overall phenomenon of "protective parents," the psychiatric labeling of protective behavior, or the extent to which protective behavior appears to be justified by the circumstances and evidence in custody cases.The current study is the pilot results of a national survey undertaken to study the issue of protective parents.
Sixty-seven self-identified "protective parents," male and female, completed a 101-item questionnaire describing aspects of their custody disputes. The pilot data to be presented includes the systematic documentation of the phenomenon of protective parents by including demographic factors, economic impact, and the full variety of protection issues including the range of allegations by both parents and others, the variety of expert examinations, diagnosis and testimony, family court response, and outcomes for children.
The following information is preliminary data from a national survey sponsored by California Protective Parents Association and Our Children Our Future Charitable Foundation. Self-identified "protective parents" completed a 101-item questionnaire describing aspects of their custody dispute. The following information is pilot data from the first 67 participants, as of May 2003.
Participants: 66 mothers; 1 father
105 children involved (59 girls, 46 boys)
253 attorneys involved (average of 4 per participant)T
otal spent on cases: $4,618,150.00:
Average per case: $74,000.00
90% of mothers were primary caretakers and had custody at separation
87% of mothers reported domestic violence
58% of mothers continued to experience violence after separation
76% of fathers threatened to take custody of the children
89% of protective parents reported allegations of abuse in court:
76% reported allegations of child sexual abuse were raised in court
67% reported allegations of child physical abuse were raised in court
58% reported medical/physical evidence of the abuse
76% reported other corroboration of the abuse
23% of children received Victims of Crime funds for related therapy 65% of protective parents were advised not to report abuse (due to the risk of losing custody)
76% reported allegations of child sexual abuse were raised in court
67% reported allegations of child physical abuse were raised in court
58% reported medical/physical evidence of the abuse
76% reported other corroboration of the abuse
23% of children received Victims of Crime funds for related therapy 65% of protective parents were advised not to report abuse (due to the risk of losing custody)
This advice was given by:
attorneys - 55%
mediators - 10%
court personnel - 7%
advocates - 7%
others - 23% (AFDC worker, police, psychologist, judge, family court advisor, shelter staff and 11 other protective parents)
attorneys - 55%
mediators - 10%
court personnel - 7%
advocates - 7%
others - 23% (AFDC worker, police, psychologist, judge, family court advisor, shelter staff and 11 other protective parents)
88% had psychological evaluations:
The average cost of the evaluation was $6,541.00
61% were not permitted to see the evaluation/recommendation
96% believed court personnel ignored or minimized allegations of abuse
48% of mothers were labeled with "PAS" (Parental Alienation Syndrome)
36% were labeled as "alienators"
69% lost custody as a result of the psychological evaluation
84% reported they were denied adequate presentation of information or witnesses
98% believed they were discredited for trying to protect their children
67% lost custody in ex parte proceedings
59% lost custody in proceedings with no court reporter present
67% were threatened with sanctions if they "talked publicly" about the case
OUTCOMES
(Some participants reported more than one outcome)
Father has custody; mother has unsupervised visitation -
48%Mother has custody; father has unsupervised visitation -
17%Father has custody; mother has supervised visitation -
29%Mother has custody; father has supervised visitation -
3%Father has custody; mother has no contact with the children -
29%Mother has custody; father has no contact with the children -
0%Mother and father have joint custody -
91% of mothers believe their children are still being abused
67% have stopped reporting abuse for fear that contact with their children will be terminated
75% of the children continue to report abuse
81% of mothers no longer believe they can protect their children
This survey project is ongoing. Please contact us at cppa001@aol.com if you would like to receive a survey form by mail, or get the survey form online at the Mothers of Lost Children site.
Research Summaries
December, 2002, Int J Eat Disord 32(4):441-8
Research Summaries
December, 2002, Int J Eat Disord 32(4):441-8
Familial Correlates of Extreme Weight Control Behaviors Among Adolescents
By Fonseca H, Ireland M, Resnick MDBoys' risk factors [associated with extreme weight control] included high parental supervision/monitoring and sexual abuse history. . . . The only significant risk factor for girls was sexual abuse history.
OBJECTIVE:
To identify familial factors associated with extreme weight control among adolescents.
METHOD:
Analysis of a comprehensive 1996 health survey of Connecticut students. Familial factors among extreme dieters who deliberately vomited, took diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics were compared with youth reporting none of these behaviors, using logistic regression controlling for age and body mass index.
RESULTS:
Nearly 7% of adolescents reported engaging in extreme weight control behaviors. Boys' risk factors included high parental supervision/monitoring and sexual abuse history. Protective factors included high parental expectations, maternal presence, and connectedness with friends and other adults. The only significant risk factor for girls was sexual abuse history. Protective factors included family connectedness, positive family communication, parental supervision/monitoring, and maternal presence.
CONCLUSIONS:
Extreme dieting appears to be less an expression of body composition than of psychosocial issues. That connectedness to family, other adults, and friends is protective further demonstrates interrelationships of extreme weight control behaviors with family/social issues.
From: Adolescent Health Outpatient Clinic, Pediatric Division, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisboa, Portugal.
February 1992, Pediatrics, Vol. 89, No. 2Genital Injuries Resulting from Sexual Abuse:A Longitudinal Study
February 1992, Pediatrics, Vol. 89, No. 2Genital Injuries Resulting from Sexual Abuse:A Longitudinal Study
By John McCann, MD; Joan Voris, MD; and Mary Simon, MD
Abstract: Three children who incurred genital injuries as a result of sexual assaults were followed up on a longitudinal basis to document the anatomical changes which ensued. The subjects, who were 4 months, 4 years 5 months, and 9 years of age, were followed up for periods ranging from 14 months to 3 years. A multi-method examination approach and a 35-mm camera mounted on a colposcope were used to examine and record their injuries. Signs of the acute damage disappeared rapidly, and the wounds healed without complications.Following the resolution of the acute injuries, the changes created by the trauma remained relatively stable throughout the prepubertal years. The most persistent findings were irregular hymenal edges and narrow rims at the point of the injury. Over time the jagged, angular margins smoothed off. Disruption of the hymen exposed underlying longitudinal intravaginal ridges whose hymenal attachments created mounds or projections. There was little apparent scar formation. Even the injuries to the posterior fourchettes healed with minimal scar tissue and left only the slightest evidence of the trauma.
With the onset of puberty, the hymenal changes in the oldest subject were obscured by the hypertrophy of this membrane. An examination technique which used a Q-tip to separate the redundant tissues demonstrated that the signs of trauma had survived.
Pediatrics 1992;89:307-317; child sexual abuse, hymen, sexual abuse, prepubertal genital injuries, healing process.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Economic Costs Attributed to Child Sexual Abuse in Canada 1998
WTF?
Someone please tell my why we have a Department of Justice, Health, and Education?
What do these people actually do to prevent child sexual abuse?
"Okay, we know your child has been sexually abused, but we can't prove it. So, here, take some medication, it's free, the government will pay for it, as well as for your counselling...and then when your child is free of that environment, we'll hand them some drugs and free counselling so that they can cope with the devastating after-effects. But don't expect us to do anything to prevent the abuse, because then the entire industry of creating crime, criminal minds and perpetuating the cycle would crumble and the old farts wouldn't have money."
Beautiful, fantastic. This is how the world turns....problem, reaction, solution.
The giants create the problem by preying on our children...
We react...they punish us and use our children to keep us under control...
The same people who created the problem provide a solution, and so we continue to enrich the pharmaceutical giants...
"Abstract:
This paper describes a study of the economic costs attributed to child sexual abuse in Canada for the 1997-1998 fiscal year. The preliminary cost estimate of child sexual abuse in Canada exceeds $3.6 billion annually. This includes both public and private costs across four policy areas: health, social/public services, justice, and education/research and employment. These estimates have important policy implications in the area of child sexual abuse. The effectiveness of remedies, and options for new initiatives, policies and programs can be further evaluated using these economic calculations.
Journal Title:
Journal of Health & Social Policy Volume: 17 Issue: 2 ISSN: 0897-7186 Pub Date: 12/22/2003
function OpenETextInfoJ045()
Byron Prior Speaks Out on YouTube About Injustice in Canada
Need to know more? Just go to www.youtube.com and type in "Byron Prior" - then if you're feeling moved, which is a sign that you still have a conscience, contact our Justice Minister, and let him know that he needs to take action.
MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA
105 East Block, House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6
Telephone:
(613) 992-4621
Fax:
(613) 990-7255
Saturday, September 15, 2007
If There Wasn't Any Child Abuse...
Abuse a child and you create a victim or a perpretator.
Abuse a child and you create a lifelong customer for the pharmaceutical companies
Abuse a child and you guarantee the prison warden a full quota of prisoners each year
Abuse a child and a psychologist or psychiatrist somewhere gains another patient
Abuse a child and another family ends in divorce...
Abuse a child and a corrupt lawyer profits from the disintegration of the family....
So, who has to gain when children are abused? Government? Big Industry?
Is that why it is still allowed to go on, year after year after year?
Abuse a child and you create a lifelong customer for the pharmaceutical companies
Abuse a child and you guarantee the prison warden a full quota of prisoners each year
Abuse a child and a psychologist or psychiatrist somewhere gains another patient
Abuse a child and another family ends in divorce...
Abuse a child and a corrupt lawyer profits from the disintegration of the family....
So, who has to gain when children are abused? Government? Big Industry?
Is that why it is still allowed to go on, year after year after year?
Friday, June 29, 2007
Children in Nova Scotia Being Abused by Child Protection System?
Did their baby really need to be protected?
Some say an inquiry is the only way to know if child welfare workers acted appropriately
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE / Staff Reporter
Examining the actions of child welfare authorities during last year's armed standoff on Shirley Street would conceivably be the purpose of a public inquiry into the incident.
But is an inquiry absolutely necessary?
Supporters of the parents at the centre of the controversy say an investigation is not only warranted, it's needed to probe what they consider to be a dysfunctional system harming families.
Others say they're not convinced public hearings, sure to cost taxpayers plenty, will solve anything.
Justice Michael Baker has said he won't authorize an inquiry unless new information comes to light.
Critics who say they've been ill-served by the child welfare system, and have had their children taken from their care, are not happy with the government's position.
"The children in Nova Scotia are being abused by this (child-protection) system," Marilyn Dey, a Halifax supporter of standoff couple Larry Finck and Carline VandenElsen, said in a recent interview.
The couple had their infant daughter removed from their household at the end of the May 2004 siege. In a court ruling Thursday, Mr. Finck and Ms. VandenElsen lost custody of her permanently, though the decision can be appealed.
Ms. Dey acknowledged that backers of the pair, who face a sentencing hearing that begins today for their role in the 67-hour standoff, want a public probe to stretch beyond the Shirley Street event.
"This is the way Larry and Carline feel, too, that the whole child protection business, or industry, needs to be inquired into," Ms. Dey said.
Ms. VandenElsen has been on a jailhouse hunger strike to back demands for a wide-reaching inquiry; Mr. Finck has also been behind bars awaiting sentencing.
They were convicted May 12 of several charges after a jury trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
Halifax police are doing an internal review of how the department handled the standoff, but that report is not expected to be made public.
The provincial Public Inquiries Act says one commissioner or more would be appointed by the government to look into a public matter. Witnesses would testify under oath and relevant documents filed with the commission during open hearings.
Once an inquiry's report is released, the government of the day usually provides an official response.
Recent inquiries called by the province have been linked to the separate deaths of three people: James Guy Bailey, Donald LeBlanc and Theresa McEvoy.
Nova Scotia has had other probes that weren't held under the Public Inquiries Act, including one, called a "review," that examined the province's youth detention compensation program.
The high-profile review was headed by a retired Quebec judge hired by the Nova Scotia government. In 2002, he released a 632-page report with 105 recommendations.
The Halifax standoff case, which made headlines when it happened 13 months ago and later during the trial stage, has prompted letters to the editor and other public commentary.
"Children are not apprehended on a whim; they are apprehended based upon fact," a former child welfare worker said in a letter last month to The Chronicle Herald.
She said an inquiry is unnecessary, adding, a child's "right of privacy far exceeds . . . anyone else's 'need to know' " what happened in the Finck / VandenElsen case.
"Histrionic demands for information by people who don't know the facts accomplishes nothing except to stir up public sentiment with half-truths," the letter writer said.
The apprehension order regarding Mr. Finck's and Ms. VandenElsen's baby was issued after child welfare officials in Ontario alerted colleagues in Nova Scotia. Officials here wanted the couple to agree to home visits to check on their child and undergo mental health assessments, and they wanted the baby to remain in Halifax.
They wouldn't comply.
Ms. VandenElsen's sister, Maureen Davidson, is hoping the government will change its tune and launch a public probe.
"That would be, for me, a miracle," the Mannheim, Ont., woman said, of an independent inquiry.
"I would love for people to see how this really all transpired."
If anything, the Shirley Street standoff has drawn attention to child protection services and prompted those who work in the field to try to explain why the province's 20 child welfare agencies do what they do.
Earlier this month, the Hamm government, along with the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers, published a pamphlet on child welfare.
It says in 2004, there were about 11,500 child welfare cases in Nova Scotia. Some 840 of those involved court proceedings; less than one per cent of all cases involved taking a child from home.
Graeme Fraser, the association's co-ordinator, said his group has not formally discussed the inquiry issue. Speaking in general terms as someone who knows as much about the case as the public, he said: "I'm not aware of any factors that would warrant a public inquiry."
Mr. Fraser said apprehension orders are executed as "a last resort" in child protection cases, and "only after very thoughtful consideration."
He conceded "no system is perfect." But, Mr. Fraser said, the child welfare system is better at ensuring trustworthiness than most.
"There are a lot of safeguards and checks and balances in this particular system," he said. "Part of the reason for that is because of the kind of authority that the children's services agencies have."
Mr. Fraser added that in his experience, it's "fairly common" for police to accompany social workers removing kids from their homes. "It's such a highly-charged situation," he said, of the reason officers attend.
Halifax lawyer Burnley (Rocky) Jones, who has represented Ms. VandenElsen in the past, said her case opened his eyes "to such an extent, that I never want to see another (family law) case like this."
Asked about a public inquiry, he didn't hesitate before answering yes.
"There needs to be clarification of the role of Children's Aid, which we believe to be a private organization, which on the other hand works as a complete government agency," Mr. Jones said.
"They have it two ways."
Some say an inquiry is the only way to know if child welfare workers acted appropriately
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE / Staff Reporter
Examining the actions of child welfare authorities during last year's armed standoff on Shirley Street would conceivably be the purpose of a public inquiry into the incident.
But is an inquiry absolutely necessary?
Supporters of the parents at the centre of the controversy say an investigation is not only warranted, it's needed to probe what they consider to be a dysfunctional system harming families.
Others say they're not convinced public hearings, sure to cost taxpayers plenty, will solve anything.
Justice Michael Baker has said he won't authorize an inquiry unless new information comes to light.
Critics who say they've been ill-served by the child welfare system, and have had their children taken from their care, are not happy with the government's position.
"The children in Nova Scotia are being abused by this (child-protection) system," Marilyn Dey, a Halifax supporter of standoff couple Larry Finck and Carline VandenElsen, said in a recent interview.
The couple had their infant daughter removed from their household at the end of the May 2004 siege. In a court ruling Thursday, Mr. Finck and Ms. VandenElsen lost custody of her permanently, though the decision can be appealed.
Ms. Dey acknowledged that backers of the pair, who face a sentencing hearing that begins today for their role in the 67-hour standoff, want a public probe to stretch beyond the Shirley Street event.
"This is the way Larry and Carline feel, too, that the whole child protection business, or industry, needs to be inquired into," Ms. Dey said.
Ms. VandenElsen has been on a jailhouse hunger strike to back demands for a wide-reaching inquiry; Mr. Finck has also been behind bars awaiting sentencing.
They were convicted May 12 of several charges after a jury trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
Halifax police are doing an internal review of how the department handled the standoff, but that report is not expected to be made public.
The provincial Public Inquiries Act says one commissioner or more would be appointed by the government to look into a public matter. Witnesses would testify under oath and relevant documents filed with the commission during open hearings.
Once an inquiry's report is released, the government of the day usually provides an official response.
Recent inquiries called by the province have been linked to the separate deaths of three people: James Guy Bailey, Donald LeBlanc and Theresa McEvoy.
Nova Scotia has had other probes that weren't held under the Public Inquiries Act, including one, called a "review," that examined the province's youth detention compensation program.
The high-profile review was headed by a retired Quebec judge hired by the Nova Scotia government. In 2002, he released a 632-page report with 105 recommendations.
The Halifax standoff case, which made headlines when it happened 13 months ago and later during the trial stage, has prompted letters to the editor and other public commentary.
"Children are not apprehended on a whim; they are apprehended based upon fact," a former child welfare worker said in a letter last month to The Chronicle Herald.
She said an inquiry is unnecessary, adding, a child's "right of privacy far exceeds . . . anyone else's 'need to know' " what happened in the Finck / VandenElsen case.
"Histrionic demands for information by people who don't know the facts accomplishes nothing except to stir up public sentiment with half-truths," the letter writer said.
The apprehension order regarding Mr. Finck's and Ms. VandenElsen's baby was issued after child welfare officials in Ontario alerted colleagues in Nova Scotia. Officials here wanted the couple to agree to home visits to check on their child and undergo mental health assessments, and they wanted the baby to remain in Halifax.
They wouldn't comply.
Ms. VandenElsen's sister, Maureen Davidson, is hoping the government will change its tune and launch a public probe.
"That would be, for me, a miracle," the Mannheim, Ont., woman said, of an independent inquiry.
"I would love for people to see how this really all transpired."
If anything, the Shirley Street standoff has drawn attention to child protection services and prompted those who work in the field to try to explain why the province's 20 child welfare agencies do what they do.
Earlier this month, the Hamm government, along with the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers, published a pamphlet on child welfare.
It says in 2004, there were about 11,500 child welfare cases in Nova Scotia. Some 840 of those involved court proceedings; less than one per cent of all cases involved taking a child from home.
Graeme Fraser, the association's co-ordinator, said his group has not formally discussed the inquiry issue. Speaking in general terms as someone who knows as much about the case as the public, he said: "I'm not aware of any factors that would warrant a public inquiry."
Mr. Fraser said apprehension orders are executed as "a last resort" in child protection cases, and "only after very thoughtful consideration."
He conceded "no system is perfect." But, Mr. Fraser said, the child welfare system is better at ensuring trustworthiness than most.
"There are a lot of safeguards and checks and balances in this particular system," he said. "Part of the reason for that is because of the kind of authority that the children's services agencies have."
Mr. Fraser added that in his experience, it's "fairly common" for police to accompany social workers removing kids from their homes. "It's such a highly-charged situation," he said, of the reason officers attend.
Halifax lawyer Burnley (Rocky) Jones, who has represented Ms. VandenElsen in the past, said her case opened his eyes "to such an extent, that I never want to see another (family law) case like this."
Asked about a public inquiry, he didn't hesitate before answering yes.
"There needs to be clarification of the role of Children's Aid, which we believe to be a private organization, which on the other hand works as a complete government agency," Mr. Jones said.
"They have it two ways."
Yeah, what's that about 'absolute power'?
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