The Neglected Part I

It never ceases to amaze me how parents and other adults can treat or fail to care for children either in their charge or living near them. Too many times I hear the words, "Boy, it sounds like hell is breaking out in that apartment" and I ask the question, "Did you call the police or children's services?" and they reply, "Well....no, I would hate to see the kids taken away".

Time and again I find myself shocked at what people will allow to go on around them all in the name of minding their own business. Also, a factor I guess would include those who aren't doing all the right things hate to point the finger lest it be pointed back at them. Regardless, it is a shame what the children of our world must endure. It's a wonder they ever grow up to be anything more than what their parents show them. I know in a lot of cases they turn out alright and find a way to use their childhood horrors as badges of honor, much in the way I have, but there are those others who don't make it or don't come out 'on top'.

We see it on the news everyday, children killing children, and many will propose banning violence in video games or movies, less sexualized television, V-chips, ratings systems, etc. All of these are a smoke screen whether relevant or not. The smoke screen is that somehow if there are less violent video games it will reduce violence in children but the 'experts' fail to realize just how much violence there is in these children's lives, NOT in some fantasy game that many of them play to escape the cold reality of what kind of damage Mom and Dad can do. Here is an excerpt from the page where I stole the graphic above from.

By Colleen Heild - Journal Investigative Reporter

He was an ex-con convicted of shooting his wife and using his two young sons as a shield during a police standoff. But after his release from prison in 1990, the state of New Mexico deemed him fit to care for his six children. Within three years, he was arrested for raping his 5-year-old daughter. An investigation revealed she also had been molested by a baby sitter and several of her older brothers.

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Last October, an angry Ruben Duran took his 2-year-old son outdoors to change his diaper. Duran two years earlier had come to the attention of Child Protective Services for mistreating his other children. While hosing off the boy's bottom that day, he allegedly inserted the garden hose into the child's rectum and let the water run. The boy died two days later. His father was charged with child abuse resulting in death.
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I read this and I am immediately disgusted as I am sure you were. These stories are all around us on a daily basis. These are your neighbors, your families and friends, these are NOT some strange monsters that live out in the middle of nowhere. How many of the children we hear about who are killed or abused were in apartments or other dwellings where help was just on the other side of the wall in the form of neighbors who refused to 'stick their nose in other people's business' or 'just hate to see the kids get taken away'. I tell my tenants "If you fear for a child's safety, you call the police or children's services people. In most cases, they come and investigate and offer services or other kinds of help to parents in need of help. In serious cases, there might be a need for intervention, there might be a call for the children to be placed elsewhere temporarily or even long-term. God forbid I don't report something and a child is killed or hurt. God forbid I do nothing". I don't know if people believe me, I hope they will. But, all I can do is try, I cannot force them. Isn't it sad that I have to fight people to get them to do the right thing?

I called this article Part I as I intended on speaking about some of my families but, instead, I will leave this as an overview for the following stories I might tell regarding this matter. I have several stories ready and will be publishing soon. After that, I would rather I had nothing to say but I know the world will not allow that and I am sure there will be more for me to say.

Let's just hope it helps.