IN THIS ISSUE
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OTHER NEWS
Call for Proposals:
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The 25th Annual "Kids Are Worth It!" Conference on Child Abuse & Neglect will be held in New Orleans, January 19-21, 2011. Workshop proposals should be submitted to PCA Louisiana no later than July 30. Click here for an application.
New Sexual Predator
Laws Take Effect in LA
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On July 7, Governor Bobby Jindal signed five bills into law to strengthen the ability of law enforcement to track down & punish sexual predators that prey on children. Click here to read more about the governor's new laws.
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ABUSIVE HEAD TRAUMA IS DEADLIEST FORM OF CHILD ABUSE |
Abusive Head Trauma, commonly referred to as Shaken Baby Syndrome, is the number one cause of fatal child abuse. Abusive Head Trauma is the general medical term for injuries or death caused by shaking young children. Infants under the age of 2 years are at the most risk for suffering the effects of Abusive Head Trauma.
A 2003 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association(1) estimated that in the U.S. an average of 300 children will die each year, and an additional 600 to 1,200 will be injured as a result of Abusive Head Trauma. Two-thirds of those injured will suffer severe and permanent disabilities. Abusive Head Trauma can result in loss of vision, brain damage, paralysis, seizures or death.
Medical professionals believe that thousands of additional cases of Abusive Head Trauma are being misdiagnosed or are not detected. Abusive Head Trauma often results in permanent, irreparable brain damage or death to an infant and may result in more than $1 million in medical costs to care for a single disabled child in just the first few years of life.
On January 16, 2007, the United States House of Representatives recognized the third week of April as National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week, proclaiming the significance of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Research has found that the victims are generally between the ages of 0 to 4. There is a peak in cases when the child is between 2 and 4 months old. More boys are victims than girls. The perpetrators are generally male; often the mother’s boyfriend or the child’s father and are usually a primary caretaker. The primary trigger of Abusive Head Trauma has been inconsolable crying by the infant, unrealistic developmental expectations of the child and perpetrators with a violent predisposition.(2)
Possible indicators that a child has suffered Abusive Head Trauma:(3) |
- Vomiting
- Decreased appetite
- Seizures
- Irritability
- Coma
- Difficulty breathing
- Rigidity
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- Sleep apnea
- Lethargy
- Fixed and dilated pupils
- An inability to lift the head
- Change in response to stimuli
- Poor sucking or swallowing
- Lack of smiling or vocalizing
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WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A "MANDATORY REPORTER" |
How important are mandatory reporters? In many cases their intervention can mean the difference between a child’s life and death. We often are not privy to the details of what happens to a child once they are removed from a dangerous and abusive environment. On the rare occasion that we do hear how a child’s life was changed once someone took the necessary steps to protect the child, we are reminded that whether the law requires us to report suspected abuse and neglect or not, we all have a responsibility to protect children. |
Tristen's Story
Tristen lived with his uncle and aunt, and at the age of 8 his body was no larger than a 4 year old’s. Tristen slept on a feces, urine and blood-soaked mattress. He wasn’t allowed to eat with the family, but was forced to watch as the parents and their two biological children ate at the kitchen table. Fortunately for Tristen, one of the children’s soccer coach often drove her home from practice. The coach was never allowed in the house but he often got a glimpse of the small, dirty boy. The coach didn’t want to take any chances and decided to report the family to child protective services. Upon the case worker’s first visit to the home, she saw enough evidence of neglect that all three children were removed from the house. Today, Tristen lives with a loving foster family and is experiencing a life he always deserved, but knew nothing about.
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As mandatory reporters and concerned citizens, we are obligated to ensure that helpless and defenseless children grow up in safe and healthy environments. If you suspect the abuse or neglect of a child as described below, it is your duty to do something to help the child and the family.
Abuse means any one of the following acts which seriously endanger the physical, mental, or emotional health and safety of the child:
(a) The infliction, attempted infliction, or, as a result of inadequate supervision, the allowance of the infliction or attempted infliction of physical or mental injury upon the child by a parent or any other person.
(b) The exploitation or overwork of a child by a parent or any other person.
There are three types of abuse and neglect that are to be reported as soon as they are witnessed and/or suspected:
- Physical —a physical injury inflicted upon the child. Includes any use of excessive force which threatens the health or well-being of the child, even if the person considers the acts appropriate discipline.
- Signs: Unexplained marks on the body (cuts, bruises, welts, burns, black eyes, fractures or dislocations). Bruises or welts in various stages of healing, or in clusters or patterns in the shape of an object, like a belt or an electrical cord. Pattern burns, such as cigarette burns, iron burns, burns in the shape of a specific object, or scald burns in an immersion pattern. Marks in areas of the body that are not typically subject to normal childhood injuries.
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