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LICENSEDTO PREACH AT AGE 22 An 1786 HE PUR
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OPENED HIS OWN BETHEL CHURCH AND HAD A NEW
BUILDING BY 1794/ IN 1799 HE WAS THEFIRSTNEGRO
TO BE ORDAINED IN THE M.E.CHURCH /iN 1816 HE
BECAME BISHOP OF THE NEWLY-FOUNPfcD A.M.E.CHURCh/
/VATiy,cer —
THE TRIBUNAL AID
Child Abuse
What Can We Do?
FREDERICK C, GREEN, M.D.
CHILDREN’S BL'REAU, OFFICE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT,
U.S. DEFT, OF HEALTH EDI CATION AND WFi TARE.
a suspected case. ools of their own failure or of the
FIRST, it is important to non-loving parent against whom
remember that a potentially they might wish to strike out.
abusing parent is generally The child can then return to the
suspicious of authority. They family where the parents have
often grew up in hostile been helped to learn how to
surroundings and expect to be show love and affection without
abused themselves. To avoid fear of rejection or disap-
investigation, they may take pointment.
Continued from Pape 6
been elevated to the
position of Assistant
Director for State Office
Operations. A compar
able position for local
operations has not been
filled.
The three administra
tive positions eliminated
are: Director of Adminis
trative Services, held by
Edwin J, Hamlin; Director
of Field Services, held by
Ellen Bush; and Director
of Special Services, held
by Louis G. Christian.
These three people will be
offered positions within
the Department.
Four former field re
presentatives have been
elevated to Regional
Managers; Ben R. Car
penter, Region I; Floyd
Holt, Region II; Robert
Stewart, Region III; and
H. Leon Norman, Region
Push Backs Bellecourf
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, president of Operation Push, left, held a
joint news conference in Chicago with Vernon F. Bellecourt, 42,
right, and announced that Operation Push would stand behind
Bellecourt in his legal battle with the government. Bellecourt was
arrested at O’Hare on July 21, just after arriving from a trip to
Europe to raise funds for the American Indian Movement. He was
released on $10,000 bond after being charged with violating federal
anti-riot laws in connected with speeches he made of the Wounded
Knee occupation.
CHILD ABISE is. un-
'fortunately. on the rise. The
companion article to this one
described the conditions or
circumstances which “add up”
to the event itself. These con
ditions—the potentially abusive
parent, the vulnerable child and
the crisis or “trigger”—are
being aggravated by still other
circumstances which are on the
rise.
FACTORS which have been
linked with child abuse are (1)
alcohol or other drug addiction
in parents and (2) the assump
tion of parenthood by young
people who often have not had
adequate parental models and
are barely more than children
themselves.
The alcohol and other drug-
addicted parent and the teenage
parent are both possible can
didates as child abusers,
although many teenagers are
mature and excellent parents.
THE KEY to helping and,
indeed, saving both the child
and the abusing parent or
parents is the identification of
the problem. Unless it is known
that a child is being abused no
steps can be taken to intervene
and remove the peril to the child
and the agony from the parent.
Both private physicians and
hospital emergency room
personnel have become sen
sitive to the symptoms of abuse
and since the mid-60’s there
have been large steps forward
in laws and regulations
regarding reports of suspected
and confirmed cases.
ALL 50 states and the District
of Columbia have laws on the
reporting of child abuse cases.
Ordinarily, local child
“protective services ” bear the
major responsibility of stepping
in and taking ^me kind of
action to protect the child.
Although protection of the
child is the major immediate
purpose, many of the social
agencies working with abused
children have recognized that
the parents also need help
rather than punishment.
IN FACT, it is this “non-
abusive” supportive and non
punishing approach to the
parent which seems to offer
most promise to the future
welfare of the children and to
the families as a whole.
The entire community has a
role in dealing with child abuse
and should know how to handle
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their children to different
doctors or hospitals after each
episode.
SECOND, they often feel
honestly justified in having
abused their children. They
sincerely believe the child
“deserved” what he or she got.
Cloarly, direct accusation or
straight-forward questioning by
an interested friend or neighbor
might only add that bit of
pressure or tension which could
trigger the next abusing event.
Physicians and other
professionals have clearly
defined roles and procedures in
repoiting on child abuse. The
role of the friend or neighbor is
less clear.
RATHER than intervene, the
friend or neighbor should
contact the local American
Humane Association, Juvenile
Bureau, Department of Welfare
or whatever governmental
agency is responsible.
If it is apparent that an
episode is in progress—that is, a
child is being abused or
neglected at that pioment—call
the police.
Two treatment programs
which show great promise have
recently been started—one in
Colorado and one in California.
For the past 3 years, the
University of Colorado has
sponsored a program using
“parent aides” who go into the
home and develop supportive
relationships with the parents.
They emphasize their concern
for needs of parents by
listening, asking non
threatening questions and
showing sympathy for and
concern and patience with the
problems—real or otherwise—
of the parents. These parent
aides are lay individuals
ranging from 24 to 60 years old,
who have the personal qualities
and characteristics which make
them able to be mild and loving
in the face of a sometimes
ungrateful, hostile response to
their efforts.
IN LOS ANGELES, a former
child abuser, a mother with a
history of being in multiple
foster homes, institutions, rape
and prostitution founded
‘Mothers Anonymous.” When a
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15,1973
Continued on Page 5 A.iw.r
Bostic, Richmond County;
Ronnie Morgan, Franklin-
ton; Bryon Kearney,
Warrenton; and Darrell
Pinson, High Point Cen
tral.
The Aggies also landed
all-state eager Leon
Dickens from Roxboro
Person High.
Central claimed five
gridders who include;
Archie Cross, Northwood;
Anthony Price, Durham;
Charles Lindsay, Greens
boro; Dairyl Gilyard,
Greensboro; and Don
Alley. Greensboro.
Other black colleges to
get in on the state’s talent
were; Fayetteville State,
signing eager Walt Larry
from Winston-Salem; Vir
ginia Union, with basket
ball player Sam Kennedy
from Winston-Salem; Ho
ward University, claiming
Sherril Battle from Gar
ner’s football squad; and
little Kittrel College,
getting Tuscola’s basket
ball star Jesse Scruggs.
Forty-two of the All-
Stars are black.
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mother feels tempted to beat
On(te a family ifi need of help her child, or even after she has
is reieognized, modern treat- done so, she can call fellow
ment 'methods are called in to
play. And their emphasis is on
just that...treating the family.
OFTEN the abusing parents
were abused themselves, if not
physically, then emotionally or
spirtually. They are unsure of
themselves, lack of confidence
in their abilities and worth as
individuals. They are often
depressed, pessimistic,
frustrated and generally
alienated.
The aim of treatment is
reassure the parents, persuade
them of their worth, help them
develop the coping skills to
handle day-to-day stresses and
gain a direction and purpose to
their lives.
TREATMENT brings these
often isolated parents back into
the mainstream of family life
where the relationships and
members and get it all “off her
chest.”
A similar group, “Parents
Anonymous” has been formed
in New York and Virginia. Both
are well-recognized and en
couraged by experts and
professionals who often have
difficulty “reaching” these
parents.
THE MOST important thing
to remember is that a parent
who abuses a child is not a
monster or a bad person but a
person who is crying out for
help. We must all be able to
recognize this cry and answer
it...if need be, in ourselves! No
one of us is beyond the
possibility of committing
violence.
The key is to recognize the
stirrings before the act occurs.
There are people out there to
expectations of parents and' help—ministers, physicians,
children are more “normal” caseworkers and fellow sufferes
and healthy. They no longer themselves. We must not ignore
regard their children as sym- the cry when it is heard.
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