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the citizens' information source on children's issues December 2001 Newsletter IN
THIS ISSUE:
Impact
of Abuse and Neglect on Child Development A 1995 Baylor University study, conducted by Dr. Bruce Perry, found that "multiply abused infants and toddlers often experience developmental delays across a broad spectrum, including cognitive, language, motor, and socialization skills." A study of sexually abused children found that a high percentage of child victims display anxiety, depressive symptoms, regressive behaviors, and inappropriate sexual behaviors. Other studies found that many physically and/or sexually abused children displayed symptoms of such problems as eating disorders, or developed psychiatric conditions such as Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), phobias, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Early abuse is especially damaging to a child's developing brain. Brain research confirms that connections in the brain used repeatedly during the early years of a child's life become the life-long foundation of the brain's organization and function. The child's developing brain depends upon individual experiences to guide its growth and development; these experiences then determine how he or she thinks, feels, and behaves. A loving, secure, stimulating environment, therefore, fosters healthy development, while a continually neglectful, or physically or emotionally abusive environment can create significant, long-term harm. Children who are physically abused early in life, for example, develop brains that are highly attuned to aggression and danger; as a result these children often live in a perpetual state of fear. Such children may behave more aggressively to environmental stress and may have difficulty controlling their aggressive actions. A study completed in 1983 found that, of 97 boys who had been abused and neglected as children, 45 percent had become criminals, alcoholics, mentally ill, or had died before they reached age 35. According to one researcher, a child who is abused and neglected is 53 percent more likely to be arrested as a juvenile than a child who is not. Some long-term problems of children who have been traumatized include difficulties forming and maintaining stable relationships with others, and trouble meeting their own personal needs. Affected brain development can have long-term affects on children's cognitive abilities, their social interaction, and their abilities to regulate their emotions. Abused and neglected children, as they grow into adulthood, face such problems as: increased prevalence of drug or alcohol dependence; increased rate of status offenses (running away, truancy); delinquent behavior and adult criminal behavior; recurring health problems (physical and mental); and growing up to repeat abusive and neglectful parenting behaviors. Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other leading health researchers have documented and confirmed that there is a significant link between childhood abuse and adult disease risk factors. They have found a significant graded relationship between the extent of exposure to emotional, physical, sexual abuse and household dysfunction during childhood, and multiple risk factors for the leading causes of deaths in adults--including ischemic heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease and liver disease. Studies show that maltreated children perform significantly worse and have greater behavioral problems in school. Many show signs of language or cognitive disability, or learning disorders. Even when placed in situations that present no risks, maltreated children are affected by their constant fear and over-vigilance; they may have difficulty taking in academic information as a result of their intense concentration on the emotional and physical cues of teachers and others. In one study, the cortex, or thinking part of the brain, was 20 percent smaller on average in abused children than in those who had not been victimized. According to childhood trauma expert Mark Katz, PhD, it is a myth that children are resilient and can withstand the adverse conditions of abuse. He says, "If anything, we now know that children are more vulnerable to trauma than adults." While the brain's agility provides the potential for lessening the damage of trauma through positive experiences (protective influences found in families, communities and schools), these positive experiences are often lacking. It is not uncommon, for example, for a child to be berated or punished in school for poor concentration or aggressive behavior, even while these behaviors are themselves often the result of child's exposure to trauma and violence. In such instances, the school fails to be a supportive environment and a protective influence, and becomes yet another traumatizing influence on already vulnerable children. Most tragically, if the cycle of violence is not interrupted, child abuse can be perpetuated for generations. Parents that abuse their own children, and the perpetrators of other forms of domestic violence, are frequently survivors of maltreatment in their own childhoods. To learn more about the impact of abuse and neglect on child development, please see Chapter 2 of the "State Call To Action" on our web site, www.masskids.org/cta/cta_i_ch02.html.
MCC
Reaches Out to the Spanish-Speaking Community on Local Television In a series of 30-minute interviews, host Wilfred Labiosa, Director of Community Health, and Attorney Sanchez will discuss the "State Call To Action" and other pertinent information relating to child abuse and its prevention. Throughout Massachusetts all communities are struggling with the long-term effects of abuse (see the article "Impact of Abuse and Neglect on Child Development" above, and Chapter 2 of the "State Call To Action"). MCC's goal is to reach out and educate as many of these communities as possible; this media partnership is a great step toward effectively reaching out to our state's Spanish-speaking population. MCC is particularly excited about this opportunity in light of the 2000 Census data that revealed a 49.1% increase in the Hispanic / Latino population in Massachusetts between 1990 and 2000. Local television station Boston Neighborhood Network will air the segment, "Child Sexual Abuse: Awareness and Prevention," on January 29th at 5:00 p.m. Further program airtimes will be listed in upcoming newsletters. To learn more about child abuse and its prevention, or to view the "State Call to Action," please visit the MCC web site, www.masskids.org.
Child
Abuse Funding At the Federal Level is At Stake TAKE ACTION: Contact your Senators and urge them to vote for S.1503 with guaranteed funding to protect children. Visit MCC's online legislative advocacy site to take action now! Please go to www.masskids.org and follow the "Promoting Save and Stable Families Program" link in the highlighted "Take Action for Kids" section. Type in your zip code in the "Take Action" box and use the sample language provided to send an e-mail to your Senators. The House measure, H.R.2873, the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001 provides the additional (continued on page 3) funding of $200 million for the Safe and Stable Families Program, but only as recommended appropriations - not the guaranteed funding the program has had since its inception. H.R. 2876 also authorizes discretionary funds of $60 million for education vouchers for children aging out of foster care; and $67 million for a mentoring program for children whose parents are incarcerated. H.R. 2876 passed the House on November 13 by voice vote. Child
Abuse Prevention & Treatment Act (CAPTA) TAKE ACTION: Contact your Representative and Senators by phone or by e-mail and let them know you want to see an increase in funds for child abuse prevention. Visit MCC's online legislative advocacy site to take action now! Please go to www.masskids.org and follow the "Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)" link in the highlighted "Take Action for Kids" section. Type in your zip code in the "Take Action Now" box and use the sample language to send an e-mail to your members. You may also add state-specific program information to your e-mail.
A
Sweet Way to Help Homeless Families The One Family Initiative supports a coalition of a dozen nonprofit organizations committed to finding permanent solutions to family homelessness. The Sweet Home Project was launched this season as in an effort to develop a funding vehicle for the Initiative's efforts to assist families with housing and education programs. The Dancing Deer Baking Company is highly acclaimed for its all-natural products and innovative thinking. Located in Roxbury, MA, it has a commitment to hiring from that community, so that helping it grow also strengthens a potential employer for some of the families the One Family Initiative serves. Sweet Home Cookies will be available at Whole Foods Markets and the Shop at the Union this season, as well as on the web (www.dancingdeer.com/sweethome) and by phone (888-699-3337). For more information please contact sweethome@ppffound.org or call 617-442-7300, ext. 202.
New
England Revolution Soccer Team Selects MCC for Its "Kick
Back" Program PCA Massachusetts will be the highlighted Revolution Charity at a home game this spring. MCC will promote the game and sell discounted tickets to local youth soccer teams and the general public, and a portion of each discounted ticket sold will be donated to MCC. The New England Revolution will also link to MCC's web site, promote MCC at the game, and offer ongoing support through player appearances, corporate charity promotions, and more. MCC is looking forward to bringing New England Revolution excitement to our members, donors, and friends! For more information on the New England Revolution, please visit their web site, www.revolutionsoccer.net. ----------------------------------------------------------- The Massachusetts Campaign for Children is a program of Massachusetts Citizens for Children. Its mission is to build and maintain a statewide, grassroots membership organization, which can then become a powerful voice for the children of our state. The Campaign's goal is to engage in non-partisan electoral and legislative actions at the local and state levels that promote the well-being of all Massachusetts children, youth, and their families, and help us move children's issues to the center of every political arena. We believe that all our children have the right: to be free from poverty; to get the medical and preventive care they need; to learn in quality child care and school settings; to be safe from abuse, neglect, and violence; and to live in caring families and healthy communities. Please share this newsletter with your friends and colleagues, and urge them to join with us to become a powerful voice for the children of our state. We urge you, too, to join with us, or renew your membership if you are already a member. The Campaign for Children is a non-profit independent advocacy organization, and we receive no state or federal funding. We rely entirely on the generosity of our members and donors. Please visit www.masskids.org to join online; or call 800-CHILDREN for a free information packet. * * * *
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Massachusetts
Citizens for Children
14 Beacon Street, Suite 706 ~ Boston, MA 02108
phone: 617-742-8555 ~ fax: 617-742-7808 ~ www.masskids.org