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gw 029 Jcading of WNHVDOUBT INTER VENE The toddler was brought for treatment with both feel badly scaldedthe result his parents said of ste ping into an noverheated hat The doctor was skeptical child might put one foot in scalding water he reasoned but he would not follow it with the other Though it was never firmly established the doctor believes to this day that the youngster was victim of one of the many grotesque forms of discipline winflictcd on youngsters usuallv preschoolers by disturbed iminority of parents Siicli discipline is classified with other more SUD tie forms of neglect and cruelty under the general child abusea growing problem in Ontario and most other places in North America Child abuse can ran from mlflnllllfl child enying adequate medical care or no dcrlceding through ex cessively harsh spankings and inreasonablc stretches of stan iing in the corner to such horror stories as cigarette bur us or repeatedly broken arms and legs Even ra cs and fatal beatings fal within the ex periciice of Childrens Aid Society CAS workers and others whose work takes them into the world of child abuse Sometimes its little more than torture says Dr Ray Asquith lxtllilllltltlll who has practised in Barrie for the past 18 years But focusing on the sometimes sickening details is no way to handle the problem professionals involved with child abuse agree PROTECTING IIILD Protecting the child is the primary concern of course which is why the AS has the power to take an abused ypungstcr away from its parcii tsby orcc if necessary But helping the parents comes close second and AS workers along with most doc tors do their best to put punishment of offenders out of their minds The assumption is that the parents can be helped says Don Jackson local director for the Childrens Aid Societ of the County of Simeoe and ling of charges is avoided as tending to hold up the rocess of healing family difficu tics You may be disgusted you may be angry but you have to be professional and sym pathetic says Dr Asquith Youve got to get that arent set because that chii has lot years ahead of it in that house Child abusers tend to have some characteristics in com mon especially inability to deal with frustration but there is nothing about them that would help you recognize them on the street think the public image of the child beater is some kind of monster says Ken Heron one of three workers assigned to AS childabuse team earlier this year But in fact he says dealing with such parents can be very moving experiencemost of them want very badly to become good parents Even family doctors are often taken by surprise when child from an attractive family turns up with injuries obviously iii flicted by parent It can happen with any type of family says Dr Asqiiit its nothing to do with social DON JACKSON PS CHIA TRIS SA Inability to cope child abuse cause Why do parents abuse their children Briefly iit because they cannot dea with frustrations of zadult life especially paren thood says Dr Desmond Copas psychiatrist practising in Barrie Parenthood is frustrating business at times for everyone lr Copas says and everyone sometimcs ets upset or loses control to cgrce You sometimes feel how athe heck did get into this he says But some parents lack the normal ability to tolerate or deal with feelings of failure anger or frustration The inadequate personality the immature personality will seek an outlet for this usually at the expense of the child Dr opas says Most such people he says lcome from deprived fbackground of some sort whether economically culturally educationally or emotionnlly Very often these people were themselves battered as fchildren or subjected to other forms of abuse he says Illalrtull vzl Protecting victims and help ing arents are the most urgent heed in dealing with child abuse but those concerned with he problem would be happier if abuse could be prevented in the first place Suggestions for lowering the hicidence of abuse break down into two main categories education and support dont think that the average pantit has had any in struction into the art of raismg éhildreii says Dr Trevor Hunt Barrie pediatrician Sometimes its pure ig orancc and poor manage Stem says Judge Mor of the family court Theyve been brought up the gh wav their parents beat Sign badly and they dont know any other way Better training for pareir mood es Cially in the schools is somet ing both men would nketo see Youd not reduce the hard re of child abuse says Dr unt but it would likely educe what is likely far hrger number of miniabuses Not only the art of paren diood but how to understand ad deal with ones emotions stand be the subject of train ihg say Dr Ray Asquith Sediatrician and Dr Desmond opas psychiatrist lot of people who are go ing to end it as child batterers proba ly going to be turbed teenagers or sturbed children says Dr pas and help should be given ery Alcoholism marital problems and similar causes of emotional disturbance are of ten involved as well he says Not every abusive parent fits the basic pattern Dr Copas says SOME NEUROTIC Seine are neurotic without having serious personality deficiencies he says This type may do much psychological harm to child but is unlikely to go to the extreme of physical abuse Another situation found oc casionally involves relatives who take an orphaned child in out of sense of duty but have no real affection for the youn ster eres lots of sorts of things that never fit into any category he says But the deficient personality makes up the bulk of whom cases and is in the greatest need of help In treating such parents get ting through to them is the first step Without terrifying the parent youve got to get them to face what theyve done Dr Copas says Parents have to be convinced Dr Asquith is vocal in sup port of programs like Positive LifeUsing Skills tPLUSt operated experimentally in number of Simcoe County schools during the past two years but now cancelled due to lack of funds In the PLUS program mem bers of the interdeno miiiational Alcohol and Drug Conderns Inc of Toronto headed by Rev David Reeve United Church minister and former Barrie pastor taught teachers how to instruct fourth fifth and sixth graders about themselves and their emotions Though funds which came from private sources have dried up Irving Harris superintendent of educational services for Simcoe County Board of Education says teachers who worked in the pro gram are likely to continue us ing its techniques Mr Harris says the PLUS program is just one way of get ting across material which forms part of the standard curriculum Support for children and parents in all their troubleswanything that pro motes good family lifeare also valuable in preventing the strains that lead to child abuse says Dr Copas He names churches city recreation programs Big Brothers Alcoholics An onymous welfare depart ments and countless other agencies and groups in this con nection It isnt just social workers aste It has do with frustration personal frustration that one takes out onachild BEGINS WITII REPORTING Dealing with abuse begins with reporting the offence 0n tarios Child Welfare Act rovides that every person aving information of the aban donment desertion ph sical illtreatment or nee for protection of child shall re rt the information to chldrens aid society or the Crown attorney Another clause provides that even confidential information of this sort must be reported and no one can be sued for makin such re ort unless it is file malicious or without due cause But reporting is not always as simple as it sounds Many people even professional people dont realize that if they suspect child abuse they have respon sibility for reporting it says Dr Nancy Armbrust medical officer of health with the Sim coe County District Health Unit And of course most people tend to mind their own business or at least give the parent the benefit of the doubtlta big mistake according to authorities When in doubt intervene says Mr Jackson who notes that failure to report suspicions is hell of thin to have on your conscience something serious happens MOST IIAVE POLICIES Most agencies likely to deal with battered children have for mal or informal policies calling for the CAS to be notified Staff members at Barrics ltoyal Victoria llosntal are directed to report use cases and teachers with the Simcoe Coun ty Board of Education have been informally told to do likewise Doctors too say they are well aware of their obligation would be very surprised if there are any physicians who would not report cases of this sort says one Barrie family doctor Most common sources of reports are neighbors public to that help is both necessary and possible and therapy not necessarily with psychiatrist must be undertaken to teach them how to control their emotions The parents own childhood is often an important topic of con versation at this stage Dr Copas says They must be made to un derstand that they need not tract now as if they were still children in that bad home he says While all this is going on Copas favors keeping the child out of the home If you leave them the problem they may just carry on in the way thats causing the problem he says Parent child contact can be resumed slowly and under supervision he says But if parents prove uncooperative with attempts to help them he questions whether the child should ever be returned to the home Therapy may also be necessary for abuse victims especially older children to help them deal with their feelings toward their parents Dr Copas says Parenthood training suggested in school IRVING HARRIS and psychiatrists that are needed he says Its all sorts of services in the community But the current crop of agen cies and services is not enough Dr Copas says dont feel that the present services for children in Barrie are anywhere near adequate hesays At present Dr Copas is work ing with number of agencies toward the goal of converting an old house into centre at which children could be assessed and treated for any form of physical developmen tal emotional or family pro blem Child abuse It can health nurses and teachers Most reports go to the CAS very few to the Crown attorney Once complaint is received even an anonymous telephone call the CAS is IL uired by law to investigate it Within 21 days In practice complaints which appear to involve immediate danger to the child get almost instant ICSpOlISC About one complaint in three turns out to be without foun dation says Don Jackson Wellfounded complaints are pursued and necessary act ion is taken to protect the child If possible CAS Workers try to avoid taking the child iwav nly it to 20 per cent of cases require separat ions There are lots of ways you can build safeguards around child says Ken lleroii Even when separation is necessary Mr lleron says it is often possible to get parents to consent to it since child abusers are often well aware of their need for hpr IIIE AIOMIt IIOMlt In extreme cases AS worker can take the child away on the spot Mr Jackson calls this the atomic bomb an ac tion to be avoided but notes that if it is extremely urgent one way or another we wouldnt leave the child in that dangeroussituation The AS must justify its ac tions within 1ivccays iii war dship hearing before the fainin court which in ltarrie means Judge Morton Judge Morton has the power to return the child to its parents at once but in most cases he finds that the CAS has acted on sufficient grounds One factor in the CASs favor Judge Morton says is the biir den of proof If charges are KIZN IIICIION laid the burden of proof lies on the Crown or the tAS and the parents must get the benefit of aiiydoiibt lliil iii wardship hearing the burden of proof is on the parent the judge must be satisfied that the child would be safe with its parents and any doubt is resolved in favor of the childandtthAS If you are in doubt as to whether that child is in safety or not yoii bring that child into care licsays Ordinarily the tAS applies for and is granted tciir porary waidsliip ranging anywhere from few months to maximum of two years Also possible but rarely sought or granted at the beginning of child abuse case is Crown wardshi which is permanent its iasically my policy to try to get the parents and the children back together again Judge Morton says But the policy can vary if piireiits are not cooperative If theyre belligerent and think theyve done no wrong that theyre their children and theyll damn well do as they like you dont give them the same coiisidcration he says When the original wart ship runs out the CAS must apply for an extension atid when the twoyenr temporary wardship maximum is reached the cliotce lies between Crown wardship or return to the parents SOMETIMES DISAGIIEIZS Judge Morton sometimes disagrees with CAS workers at wardship extension hearings with various results will usually give the paren ts every opportunity he says Sometimes Ive found Ive been wrong others can point to where Ive been sue ccssfullvc had several cases where sliotild have listened to thehildrensAid This latter sort of case he says usually ends up back in court on separate incident Kc to the CAS approach whet ici the cliiid sta hoiiicor is kept in wart ship is establishment of therajwiitic relationship bet ween the parent and some out side person who can be relative friend AS worker clergyman or any of wide variety ofotlicts Parents are referred to ap propriatc agencies for whatever special help they may need are given instruction in dealing with children mid are watched for improvement in their ability to cope with problems Where separation has oc curred children may be brought back into the home gradually perhaps weekend at time We tend to supervise for fair period of time says Ken lleron CAS officials estimate that children are restored to the parental home about half the time the other half of separations turn out to be per manent lhoiigh punishment is avoided in dealing with abusive parents there are occasions when the severity of the abuse or the iincoojwrative attitude of the parent makes charges necessary IINIISJAII The Child Welfare Act provides for fines of up to $500 and jail terms up to one year for various forms of abuse in cluding physical abuse not am moiiiiting to iin assault For more serious cases parents may be charged under the criminal code for assault or worse as the facts of the case may warrant and face the ap propriatepenalties Mr Jackson says he recalls onlv one case in the past it years in which the AS laid charges under the Child Welfare Act case in which criminal charges were not warranted but the parent was so uncooperative that charges of some sort seemed the only way to convince him of the serioiisncssof the situation Most cases worthy of charges Mr Jackson says can be classified as assault In ex tretiicly rare cases less than once year severity of injury to child will lead the tAS to lay criminal charges on its own Question of how many cases not an easy one to answer Its hard to talk about child abuse without raising the question how often does it happen in my coiniiiiiiiity But in Barrie as elsewhere thats not an easy question to answer The Childrens Aid Society covers all of Simcoe County and does not break its statistics down by community Royal Victoria Hospital does not list child abuse in separate category among its emergency department recor ds Even among cases which come before family court child abuse is not always specifically mentioned as in cases where parents consent to give Childrens Aid temporary war dship and specific evidence does not have to be brought before the judge But more important than these obstacles is the fact almost universally accepted among those close to the problem that reported cases of child abuse are only the tip of the iceberg and there are numerous batteriiigs and other instances of abuse which never come to the attention of any of ficial The Child Welfare Act requires everyone having iii formation of the atmiidonmcnt desertion physical ill treatment or need for protec tion of child to report the mat The espra Horticultural Society Flower Show will be presented today from 10 to 930 pm at the liiiesiiig Community Centre ENGLISH PRACTICE Barrie Public Library is of fering free series of practice sessmns in conversational English for those who speak English as second language The informal sessions will be held every second Saturday from 10 am to noon beginning Sept 25 Emphasis will be on idioms and expressions used in daytoday speech Those in terested should call the librarv at 7231010 CONCERT AT IOI SONS Canadian bluegrass and folk music will be featured at fivehour concert Aug 28 at tei to Childrens Aid or the Crown attorney Authorities agree that those who even suspect child abuse should report it but as one Harrie jxdiatrician told The Examiner you have to define suspicion theres lots of cases where wonder vaguely DOCTORS OFTEN LIIIIRY Doctors the pediatrician says are often leery of repor ting despite the fact that no legal action against the in IOII AIIIIIIIY LOCAL AND GENERAL FLOWER SIIO lolsons Park starting at in The tiood Brothers March Jordon Jackson Hawkc and Black Creek are among the ar tists to perform The concert is sponsored by the Barrie Ys Mens Club Aduince tickets at $350 each are available at Sams Muntz The Bandstand or the Barrie Chamber of Coni merce END TO END IIIKE The Blue Mountains Bruce Trail Club Will hold its annual endtoend bike for experienced hikers Aug 28 and 29 The first day hikers will travel an 18 niile distance from Swiss Meadows to Devils Glen Par ticipants will be attempting to earn the Blue Mountains chevron and certificate For further information call Bill Batcinan 7151954 formant can succeed unless the report is malicious or without reasonable and probable cause He himself would never be deterred from reporting he says but the evidence has to be good Husbands and Wives often refuse to inform on one another neighbors dont like to get involved in other peoples business parents excuses to doctors in the emergency ward are often convincing and many cases are never witnessed by anybody With one thing and another it is widely agreed that only 10 to 25 per cent of child abuse cases are ever reported Here for what they are wor th are the available statistics The Childrens Aid Society of the County of Simcoc in vestigated 65 reports of child abuse throughout the county in 1975 only 35 of those reports were found to be valid As of July the society had been called in on 40 cases this year Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie had one admission listed as resulting from child abuse in 1975 as mentioned above the emergency department does not keep separate records of child abuse bill hospital nur sc who has worked in emergen cy and who would not give her name or grant an interview says cases are common enough Dr Trevor Hunt pediatrician who has practised in Barrie for one year had two clearcut child abuse cases in that time Another pediatrician Dr Ray Asquith says he suspects child abuse in an average of two or three cases year family doctor who didnt want to be quoted by name said he sometimes goes year without case You dont get the im pression in Barrie that its common problem says Dr Asquith Its fairly un common DIDNTIIANDLE CASE Police chief Earl Snider says his department did not handle child abuse case in his first four months on the job and his predecessor Ed Tschirhart who retired early this year says he can only recall two or three cases in his 21 years as chief Judgi Morton of the family court estimates he deals with 10 cases year mainly wardship applications and no more than half concern severe batterings This number he says would not include uncontested warv dship hearings where child abuse is the cause but is not brought out in the proceedings nor would it include cases where charges are laid under the Criminal Code and tried in other courts Crown Attorney John Murphy says two or three cases year would be conservative estimate for child abuse leading to criminal charges Across the province there were 769 cases of child abuse which found their way into community and socml services ministry files in 1975 Statistics for previous years are 562 in l974 598 in 1973 49l in 1972 and 1221n 1971 Were not convinced these are all the cases says lord McLellan executive director of social services with the agency that The Barrie Examiner Saturday Agust 21 19763 happen with any family initiative More often information will be turned over to the Crown Atv torney This step Mr Jackson says is taken when there seems to be enough evidence to warrant it atid the parent is proving difficult to deal with in any other way Crown Attorney John Murphy says he bases the laying of charges solely on the available evidence If there is enou evidence for conviction will bring charges and if there isnt he wont Barrie Police Chief Earl Snider siiys his force in vestigatcs child abuse com pliiints on the same basis as anyothercomplaint liew would deny that there are times when ii child iibuSer Illlitill MOIIION must be made to pay the legal penalty of his or her actions CANT UNDO IIAIIM But no punishment can undo the harm that will have eometo the child by the time abuse becomes so severe that charges are called for What happens to the victims of child abuse Some of them die In 1971 for example 11 children died in Ontario as the result of injuries inflicted on them Others are crippled physically And the Ontario ASStKitlllOll of Childrens Aid Societies estimates that 25 per cent of battered children an astounding one in fourbecomes mentally retarded as result of brain injuries Nor are physiological injuries the only problem Theres very good chance that victims will grow up to be emotionally inadet uate says Barrie psychiatr at Dr Desmond Copas Abuse victims often become unaffectionate selfcentred parents he an And nearly everyone who eals with child abuse is struck by how many of the parents were themselves abused when they were children The CAS and the family court too are dedicated to cat ching abuse before the damage is irreversible if possible and to preventing future abuse whether by solving the familys problems or by taking away the child They need the help of everyone from concerned neighbors to professional people to report problems early and work for their solution The stakes are high CALL CHILDRENS AID ABOUT CHILD ABUSE Do you suspect that your neighbor friend ijiusc pa ticnt casual icqiiaintiincci is abusing child Are you abusing child yourself about 10 zill721ifibtl7 or afraid you might be Thats the Childrens Aid Society of the County ofSimcoe with headquarters in thccounty building at Midhurst They are there to help not to punish people They dont reveal their sources of information unless re qiiired in court case and the Child Welfare Act protects you against lawsuits from the parents unless you report out of inaliceor for no good reason you may save childs life let going Examiner Stories by Richard Dunstan Staff Reporter Steps taken Barrie agencies involved in dealing with child abuse have taken the first step toward team approach to the problem Representatives of the Childrens Aid Society the Sim coe County District Health Unit the family court both public and separate school oards Georgian College and the Ontario Ministry of Com munity and Social Services met this summer to discuss the possibility of child abuse seminar and other group measures Doctors the Simcoe County social services department and other agencies are also ex pected to become involved Funding for seminar public mtxetings or other activities is available from the ministry which plans to spend $250000 across the province upgrading methods of dealing wtth abuse We do feel its growing problem explains Manley Chew community consultant working out of the ministrys Barricoffice PubliCizing the problem and the available serViccs is major goal of the ministry Better reporting of child abuse is one result expected from publicity People dont recognize it says Mr Chew They dont know what to look for Another hoped for result is lessening of parents fear of MYDERPROZET QTIO Abuse not limited to childbeating The most widelyknown type of abused child is the toddler with black eye broken arm or physical injuries of an even more severe nature But childbeating is not the on ly form of abuse Here are few others hsexual abuse Lnlike hystcal abuse this type of havior is usually directed against teenagers or sub teens and there is often considerable history of it before it gets reported hemotional neglect behaving as if theyre not even there not even their child in the words of Bar rie pediatrician Dr Ray Asquith emotional abuse in the form of an atmosphere of hostility or the like created inthe home verbal abuse it can damage personality as surely as whip can cut skin says Don Jackson local director for the Childrens Aid Society lrphysical neglect This can include failure to pro vide food clothing medical care or supervision and ranges to the extreme of abandonment Most of these forms of abuse are harder to stop because they are not so obvious as physical injuries Wre left with some very in tangible criteria says Dr Trevor Hunt also Barrie pediatrician But the harm that such forms of cruelty can do to child is just as serious as the injuries VI by agencies seeking help ASASTIIIIEAT So many oplc see the Childrens Ai Society as threat Mr Chew says We want people to know that they wont be treated like criminals Team counselling with ap propriate agencies sitting in with childrens aid workers on difficult cases is also possibility We feel that With the team more people can be coun selled Mr Chow says No firm plans have been established yet but further meetings are scheduled One community figure who hopes to get involved in the work is Ed Tschirhart who retired earlier this year after 21 years as Barries chief of police Child abuse is one of those things that doesnt come into the open and it should come in to the open for the benefit of both parties Mr Tschirhart says Were trying to make people aware that there is child abuse Protection for the child and help for the parents are essen tial he says and therefore reporting of abuse by doc tors neighbors hospitals or anyoneelse isalsoessential Once theres strong suspicion then we can help hesays that come from beatings Warped inadequate even criminal personalities can be the result of emotional abuse or neglect during childhood One Barrie family doctor who asked not to be quoted by name also emphasized the phySical harm that can come to child as result of neglect even by parents who would never think of beating their children Underprotection is his word for this sort of neglect and it can range from leaving poisons within reach to lettinga child stand up in moving car Injuries resulting from on derprotection which the doctor traces to lack of common senseare fr uent Its somet ing that we are seeing all the time he says