You suspect a child is being battered or otherwise mistreated. What do you do?

Some argue we remove children from the home too quickly while others contend we don’t act quickly enough.

Whether you agree authorities step in too soon or not soon enough, the fact remains child abuse is a growing problem not just nationally and statewide, but here on the South Plains as well. This is especially the case when the economy is struggling and jobs are limited. Unfortunately, some lash out at those most unable to defend themselves – the children.

Last year there were 70,589 confirmed cases of child abuse in Texas and, considering its population, a disproportionate percentage of those reports were from the South Plains, reported Enrique Rangel, A-J Austin Bureau chief.

The South Plains region holds the second-highest per capita rate of child abuse in the state. Lubbock led all Texas counties with 1,540 of the 70,589 child abuse cases statewide last year, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

There are many complicated factors that lead to child abuse, according to the non-profit resource center, Helpguide.org. Risk factors for child abuse include:

n History of child abuse. Unfortunately, the patterns we learn in childhood are often what we use as parents. Without treatment and insight, sadly, the cycle of child abuse often continues.

n Stress and lack of support. Parenting can be a very time intensive, difficult job. Parents caring for children without support from family, friends or the community can be under a lot of stress. Teen parents often struggle with the maturity and patience needed to be a parent. Caring for a child with a disability, special needs or difficult behaviors is also a challenge. Caregivers who are under financial or relationship stress are at risk as well.

n Alcohol or drug abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse lead to serious lapses in judgment. They can interfere with impulse control making emotional and physical abuse more likely. Due to impairment caused by being intoxicated, alcohol and drug abuse frequently lead to child neglect

n Domestic violence. Witnessing domestic violence in the home, as well as the chaos and instability that is the result, is emotional abuse to a child. Frequently domestic violence will escalate to physical violence against the child as well.

The number of child abuse cases could be worse here without CPS and organizations like the one she leads, said Lynnette Wilson, executive director of the Family Guidance and Outreach Center. Her non-profit organization works with CPS to educate parents.

Holiday season is quickly approaching and is always an economic stressor. Even more so now in these challenging financial times. Those child abuse report numbers will climb and the smiling face of a child you see today may be one of horror tomorrow.

We must be vigilant and proactive for all children at all times. If you suspect a child is being mistreated, don’t ignore it. Report it. Child abuse isn’t just the abuser’s problem. It’s everyone’s problem.

In Nevada, looking at child pornography is a Class B Felony, punishable by one to six years in prison and a five thousand dollar fine. Many experts say a child pornographer will never see a day behind bars, just a mere probation sentence. After that, they’re off “free and clear,” usually with no lifetime supervision.

Child pornography is a three billion dollar industry, that’s according to the Internet Filter Review. Some experts are saying that the sentencing for people who look at child pornography is much too lax.

Child pornography is much more pervasive than people might think. And it’s often seen as a victimless crime. But one detective says that couldn’t be further from the truth…it can involve children as young as three years old being raped. And often, he says, those who look at child pornography move on to actually touching children.

We met with a man who has seen how child pornography and molesting a child overlap.
Ted says his world was shattered three years ago when Richard Raymer took his son’s innocence.

“I wanted to kill him I had so much anger.”

Washoe County Sheriffs Detective Dennis Carry handled Raymer’s case.

Carry says, “Richard Raymer was a two time sex offender he had convictions in Oklahoma and Florida. He moved to this area in 2005.”

That’s when detectives found out that Raymer’s addiction went beyond child pornography.
He’s now serving a life sentence. But Detective Carry says if Raymer had received a stronger punishment initially, he may have not had the chance to molest a 10-year-old boy.

“A large percentage of people that get arrested on child pornography cases are receiving probation when its a first offense child pornography charge,” according to Carry.

Probation–instead of jail time. Hard for Ted to understand. “I’m really worried because I don’t ever want this to happen again.”

Former D.A. Dave Clifton says it’s difficult for child sex offenders to change. “These type of criminal offenders are not likely to be rehabilitated, they’re not likely to be safe back in society.”

Many child pornographers say their affinity toward child porn is an addiction, an uncontrollable urge.

Raymer was in a sex offender treatment program in prison…yet while he was there he still fantasized about young boys. In his prison diary, he wrote about a young boy that was “ten luscious years old” and how once he gets out, he wants to hook up with a boy named “Ricky.”

“Some have said they want to get rid of it they want to stop and just couldn’t they would delete it and then go back for more,” says Carry.

Detective Carry says nearly all of those he has arrested first looked at pictures and video.
“We’re talking children 5 years old, 6 years old, 7 years old being raped.”

And then, like a drug, they need that next fix.

“They want something harder and harder. Research shows the next fix at some point down the road is touching a child.”

He says studies show that more than 85 percent of those who look at child porn move on to molest a child.

In Nevada, looking at child pornography is a Class B Felony, punishable by one to six years in prison and a five thousand dollar fine. Many experts say a child pornographer will never see a day behind bars, just a mere probation sentence. After that, they’re off “free and clear,” usually with no lifetime supervision.

Clifton says the likelihood of a child pornographer re-offending or moving on to molest a child hasn’t been enough to change the law. “So do we want them running around in our streets? No. But because constitution doesn’t allow us to put them in prison for the rest of their life for a crime they may commit…”

Detective Dennis Carry handled the investigation of William McCaffrey, who had one million pornographic images of children on his computer. When detectives asked him if he would ever touch a child he responded–“I really can’t predict the future.”

We may not be able to predict a person’s future behavior, but maybe the future is closer than we think. According to the Butner study, two psychologists studied 155 child pornographers. When these offenders faced the court, they admitted to molesting a total of 75 victims. But after sentencing, these men were treated for their addiction and took polygraph tests, and the number of victims went from 75 to an astounding 1,777 victims (The Butner Study Redux).

And that disparity is why experts like Detective Carry say stronger sentencing is imperative. The current court system has offenders take a psycho-analysis test to determine whether they’re a high risk to society. An exam both Clifton and Carry say is not reliable

“The psychosexual exam, I have to admit, most people pass because they’re only considered a moderate risk, and the expert would say this person’s eligible for probation,” asserts Clifton.

Although, they must register as sex offenders.

“That allows government to monitor people and where they’re living for the rest of their life.”

However, since most child pornographers are considered low risk by the courts, Tier 0 or 1, they won’t be listed on sex offender location web sites. Only Tier 2 and Tier 3 sex offenders are listed.

And even Clifton says programs like lifetime supervision and sex offender registration aren’t fool proof. Phillip Garrido was a registered sex offender and on lifetime supervision when he allegedly abducted Jaycee Dugard.

So if all signs point to the fact that child pornographers are likely to re-offend, should state law change to give these offenders stronger sentences?

Clifton: “It may be the legislature increases sentences for these crimes some day, we’ll see…I don’t know if the public outcry is going to be enough to make that happen.”

If that day comes, it will come too late for Ted and his family.

Ted remembers the fear in his son’s eyes when he was molested. “He come out crying to me and said ‘dad, I’m scared.’ I said what are you scared about?

He said, ‘I’m scared he might get me.’”

What, if anything, would you think should be done when it comes to child pornographers?

You can post your comments below.

US Has Highest Rate Of Child Death By Abuse Worldwide By Far

A new report shows that child abuse and neglect kill more children in the United States than in any other industrialized nation — five every day.

Every Child Matters Education Fund President Michael Petit wrote that the report should be a wake-up call.”This is a report sure to sadden — and perhaps to anger. How could it be otherwise when we look at the innocent faces of children whose lives were cut short by abuse or neglect?” wrote Petit.The report, We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America, was released by the Every Child Matters Education Fund. It found that at least 10,440 American children died from abuse or neglect between 2001 and 2007. The report noted that the number of children killed could top 15,660, but poor record keeping could have missed many deaths.The report was the first survey of its kind to examine the issue state-by-state and noted the states with the highest rate of deaths due to abuse and neglect.In 2007, Kentucky took the grim No. 1 spot with 41 deaths, a rate of just over 4 in 100,000 children. Other states near the top were South Dakota, Florida, Nebraska and Missouri.States with the lowest rate of child death in 2007 — the latest year for which data is available — were Delaware, Rhode Island, Idaho, Maine and Montana.Of the 721, 646 children confirmed abused and neglected nationwide in 2007:

60 percent did not receive proper food, clothing, shelter, hygiene, education, medical care or protection.

13 percent suffered from multiple maltreatments.

11 percent were physically abused.

8 percent were sexually abused.

4 percent suffered from emotional abuse.

1 percent suffered from medical neglect.

4 percent suffered from other mistreatment such as abandonment, threats, and congenital drug addiction.

50 percent or more of child abuse and neglect cases are associated with alcohol or drug abuse by parents.

Every Child Matters Education Fund

Compared with other rich countries, the United States child death rate is off the scale. The U.S. rate is three times higher than Canada’s and 11 times higher than Italy’s. The closest to the U.S. rate is France with 1.4 children out of 100,000 dying due to abuse or neglect — 2.4 out of 100,000 die in America.Petit said states with high rates of child death should take note and take action.”Much can be done to reduce these child abuse and neglect deaths. There exists a vast body of knowledge about healthy child growth and development, including how to prevent abuse in the first place,” wrote Petit. His preface to the report went on to say that “…despite the best efforts of the many who work daily to address this problem, we continue to fall far short in applying our knowledge.”The report said that there are many, many reasons the United States has such a high rate of child deaths compared to the rest of the world including overworked child protection workers and a lack of public awareness.The Every Child Maters Education Fund called on lawmakers to strengthen federal standards, increase funding and create more public awareness across the board.

Child Safety Tips

One in 42 children will become lost, missing, kidnapped or run away this year.  While stranger abduction is relatively rare, it still happens.  Most abductions are perpetrated by someone the child knows.

Child abduction is a tragedy….It devastates the parents, families, and touches all of us.

Please read the following carefully about ways to keep your children safe.

Things You Should Do

• * Pay attention to where your children are at all times; don’t lose sight of your child in public places.
• * Never leave children alone in cars.
• * Establish strict procedures for picking your children up at school, at a friend’s, a movie, etc. Tell your children not to accept rides from people with whom you have not made previous arrangements – even if they say they are a police officer, teacher, or friend of the family.
• * Establish a family code word. Tell your children never to go with someone who does not know the code word.
• * Teach your children their full names, your full name, address, and telephone number. Teach them how to reach either you or a trusted adult, and how to call for police assistance.
• * Make sure they know how to make local and long distance telephone calls. Even a small child can be taught to dial 911 or 0 for “Operator” for help.
• * Tell your children about the abduction problem in a calm and simple way as if you were teaching any other important coping skill.
• * Listen attentively if your children talk about anyone they encounter in your absence.
• * Have photographs of your children taken four times a year (especially for pre-schoolers). Make a note of birthmarks and other distinguishing features.
• * Have fingerprints taken of your children.
• * Remember that child predators look like regular folks.
• * Keep an open dialog about safety; give situational quizzes about all safety issues.

Teach Your Children

• * Never to leave the yard without permission. Very small children should play only in the backyard or in a supervised play area.
• * Not to wander off, to avoid lonely places, and not to take shortcuts through alleys or deserted areas.
• * They are safer walking or playing with friends.
• * Always to come straight home from school unless you have made other arrangements.
• * Never to enter anyone’s home without your prior approval.
• * To scream, run away, and tell you or a trusted adult if anyone attempts to touch or grab them.
• * Not to give out any information on the telephone, particularly their name and address, or that they are alone.
• * Never to go anywhere with anyone who does not know the family code word.
• * To keep all doors locked and only admit authorized people into the house. No one else should be permitted to enter.
• * To memorize their full names and address, including city and state.
• * To memorize their telephone number, including zip code.
• * How to use the telephone to make emergency, local, and long distance calls.
• * Never to go into your home if a door is open or a window is broken.
• * How to work door and window locks.
• * How to answer the doorbell and telephone when they are home alone.
• * To run to the nearest public place, neighbor, or safe house if they feel they are being followed.
• * To tell you if someone asks them to keep a secret, offers them gifts or money, or asks to take their picture.
• * To always tell you if something happened while they were away from you that made them feel uncomfortable.

STEP 1 LEARN THE FACTS….
It is highly likely that you know a child who has been or is being abused.

* Experts estimate that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually
abused before their 18th birthdays. This means that in any classroom or
neighborhood full of children, there are children who are silently
bearing the burden of sexual abuse. Read the rest of this entry »