^And The Child Gets Hurt’
Problems Add Up, Parent Finally Explodes ...
(The following is reprinted, with a
few changes, from the Neighborhood
Report, a publication of the Syracuse,
N. Y., Model Cities Agency. It is
used by permission.)
Some people call it “child abuse,”
but that term doesn’t help solve the
problem of violent tempers, injured
children, and emergency room visits.
The term “child abuse” puts all the
blame on the parents. And it’s not
that simple.
Many parents who hurt their kids
had the same thing happen to them
when they were children. Many family
situations are desperate, and it’s hard
for parents to control their feelings of
anger and frustration.
Kids often get hurt after a family
has a series of bad times — the father
loses his job, the parents fuss and
fight, maybe the family is deep in
debt, maybe one parent drinks too
much.
When problems like these add up,
it’s easy for a little incident to trigger
an explosion of violence.
And sometimes it’s the baby or the
little child who gets taken to the hos
pital.
EASILY HURT
Injiured children are often younger
that five years old. When they’re
that small, it’s hard for them to know
what makes their parents angry. And
because they are so little, it’s easy
for them to get hurt seriously.
Child injury is a problem that hap
pens as often in the suburbs as it
does in the cities. It’s just that the
problem might look bigger in the
cities because poor people have more
contact with government agencies and
with hospital emergency rooms. Sub
urban parents often take their kids to
private doctors and the cases aren’t
always reported.
Parents who hurt their children
usually don’t have relatives or friends
nearby. They usually don’t know their
neighbors very well. It’s hard for them
to tiun to anybody for help. Some
times they are afraid to ask for help
because they fear the police will get
involved.
Child abuse is, indeed, a criminal
act. But it is not a criminal act to
ask for help. And parents who hmt
their children intentionally or other
wise, are sick. They desperately need
help.
PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Parents who have this problem
should call the Guilford County De
partment of Social Services at 883-
7136 and ask for Richard Gainer or
Diane Green. They make up the pro
tective services division of that agen
cy. They know how to handle cases
such as these; it’s their job.
Guilford County Mental Health
Center can also help treat those with
ITiese pictures were taken by Ed and Nancy Zorensky last svinuner in the
Model Neighborhood. The names rf these children are not known, but they
represent children everywhere who deserve all the love and care they can get.
(In no way is it implied that these children are abused by their parents!)
emotional disturbances. They are
located at 404 N. Wrenn Street, and
their telephone number is 888-9929.
Family Services Bureau also deals
with family problems such as these.
They can be reached by calling 883-
1709.
Or Contact, Urban Ministry’s tele
phone service for people in a crisis,
can put people io touch with the
right agency for help. It number is
882-8121.
After hours. Contact can help locate
James Johnson, another Social Serv
ices counselor who is available in cases
of child abuse.
SIMILAR TROUBLE
What kind of help can parents ex
pect? It won’t be someone who will
condemn them. It will be someone
who is used to these problems, some
one who has helped other families in
the same kind of trouble.
Sometimes help comes in the form
of family counseling. Sometimes it
can help to place kids in day care
centers. Sometimes parents agree to
place their child in a temporary home
until the family situation gets better.
There are ways of helping without
getting the parents into trouble with
the law. Even neighbors or friends
who know about a case of child in
jury or neglect can call Gainer, Ms.
Green or Johnson for help.
Most counselors who work with
families in child abuse situations say
that all parents, at one time or an
other, are on the verge of hurting
their kids. Feelings of anger are un
derstandable, and parents who do hurt
their Idds can get help so they feel
better not only about their kids, but
about themselves.
Whenever possible, it’s best to pre
vent injury, rather than try to heal
the wounds after it’s happened.
Save an innocent child from getting
hurt. It’s not his fault.
Employment Careers Day Set For January 9
January’s monthly Careers Day
sponsored by Interagency Employ
ment Counseling Program (formerly
Comprehensive Manpower Services)
has been set for Tuesday, January 9,
from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Astor
Dowdy Auditorium.
The careers seminar is being co
ordinated by John Clark of the lEC
staflF, according to its director. Dr.
Robert Eller.
Every month lEC, a division of
Guilford Technical Institute, spon
sors a careers day where representa
tives from business and industry can
meet with prospective employes.
At least ten persormel directors from
local furniture and textile manufac
turers are expected to be present to
interview lEC clients January 9, and
other interested persons.
In addition, William Hollar of the
local Employment Security Commis
sion and Luke Medlin, training direc
tor for A&M Texturing and Dyeing
Company, have been invited to speak.
The recent expansion of the Inter
agency Employment Counseling Pro
gram, which includes the transfer of
a Guilford Technical Institute Learn
ing Lab to their oflBces in the Arcade
Building, will be explained.
The Arcade Building is located at
329 N. Main Street. lEC, a Model
Cities agency, welcomes clients from
The Model Cities Mobile Informa
tion Trailer, located on the comer of
S. Elm and Vail Streets, is now open
“to bring services closer to the people
and at the same time serve as a
library of informatioi^” according to
Milton Stallings, Citizen Participation
director.
Aljuana Curry of the CP staiF will
coordinate agency activity, while Jean
nette LeGrande and Loretta Alme-
Idnder serve as outreach workers. They
will be available to deal with prob
lems, make referrals, and try to in
volve more people in the Model Cities
process.
all over High Point, particularly the
Model Neighborhood. It was designed
to aid underemployed persons from
the job market who need training,
counseling, and placement.
All of its services, including educa
tion through GTI, are free.
Teresa Bodie of Sickle Cell Out
reach and Education will be at the
trailer January 4 with a presentation
of her Model Cities project. The fol
lowing week, Thurman DuBose, direc
tor of the Cultural Arts Center, will
be present to reach more Southside
neighborhood kids.
Hie mobile unit is ^n until 6 p.m.
Monday through Friday, and at night
upon request. As well as a center for
Model Cities projects to demonstrate
their services, the trailer can be used
for neighborhood meetings and work
shops.
Parties Are Treat
For 5,000 Children
Up to 5,000 kids from all over High
Point are expected to attend a Christ
mas party today sponsored by Model
Cities’ Citizen Participation project.
Seven parties will be going on at
the same time this afternoon from
2 to 5 p.m. at the following locations:
Hillside Recreation Center in the
Southside; Concentrated Social Serv
ices ofiBce on Wise Street in the
Macedonia neighborhood; the Citizen
Participation office on Franklin Street
in Spring Valley; Daniel Brooks Cen
ter in Harrison; J. C. Morgan Court
Center in Brockett; Fourth Street Y;
and Turnkey III Recreation Center.
Many of the children who attend
these parties are expected to come
from the Model Neighborhood.
Free toys, candy, and fruit will be
given to the children, whose parents
have also been encouraged to come.
According to CP director, Milton
Stallings, these parties are an annual
event coordinated by the Model Cities
project.
Mobile Unit Is Information Center
For Model Neighborhood Residents