subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Sun, Nov 23 2008 

Published: December 03, 2007 03:45 am    print this story   email this story  

Parents, put kids' safety first

In 2005, nearly 900,000 incidents of child abuse were reported to state agencies in the United States, according to the most recent federal figures.

It is easy to gloss over that number and overlook the fact that the figure tallies separate incidents of a child being hurt. Studies report that about 1,500 child-abuse fatalities occur annually.

The smaller number might be mentally more manageable, but remember, there are thousands of children in life-threatening situations at the hands of adults.

Another study reports that children living in households with unrelated adults are about 50 times more likely to die of inflicted injuries as children living with biological parents.

Those are frightening reports that must be taken as warnings.

In many cases of child abuse, the boyfriend of the child's mother was the alleged or convicted perpetrator, studies show. Scholars and social workers see the abusive-boyfriend syndrome as part of a broader, worrisome trend of greater risk of child abuse in nontraditional family units.

Brad Wilcox, a University of Virginia sociologist, said the higher risk is ``the dark underbelly of cohabitation,'' and that cohabitation often promotes relationships that aren't good for children.

Each family is different, and the compositions of family units are varied and changing.

As a society we still value the traditional model of parents and biological children; however, the diversity of family units ranges from single parents to unmarried adults with children, stepfamilies and homes with adopted children.

There are many successful parenting arrangements _ traditional or not _ that don't make news reports because they work.

Cohabitation is common. The U.S. Census reports that 30 years ago, nearly 80 percent of children lived with both parents; now about 65 percent do.

Of all families with children, nearly 29 percent are one-parent units, up from 17 percent in 1997.

In a recent Texas case, the mother and stepfather of a 2-year-old girl were arrested in connection with the toddler's death. The mother's attorney said her husband was overwhelmed by his sudden fatherhood.

Eliana Gil, clinical director for Childhelp, a national abuse-prevention group, said many cases of abuse are by boyfriends and stepparents who lack a relationship with the child and are primarily interested in their partner.

But mothers shouldn't be given a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Often, mothers are the first, best defense for children, and they are responsible for finding trustworthy baby sitters.

There is no room for doubt when it comes to finding child care, and single parents must realize that adults they see socially may not be ready, willing or capable of taking care of children.

The act and rates of child abuse are horrendous.

But we can heed the statistics of abuse and individual reports as reminders that children are vulnerable and need protection no matter what their family circumstances.

print this story   email this story  



monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Today's Premium Jobs

Office Manager
Office Manager FT 40+ hrs. to oversee 10 people. Pay commensurate with experience. $40,000 - $50,000 + benefits. Send Re...>MORE

Home Health Aide
for Hampshire House Adult Home. FT, PT, Weekends. All Shifts Available. Apply in Person call or Fax resume to: 1846 Co...>MORE

See all ads

Today's Premium Autos

Saturn L300 Loaded
85,000 mi. $5,500.or Best Offer. Includes Snow Tires. 607-397-8928...>MORE

99 Windstar SE
120,000 mi. Runs Excellent. Automatic, Air, Power $2,000. 607-286-9021...>MORE

Chevy 4x4 V6 Auto
8 Ft. Box No Rust. Like New 20 mi. Per Gal. Plus. $4,450. 607-435-9200...>MORE

Selling your car?
If you are looking for another way to advertise that you are selling your new or used vehicle, call The Daily Star Class...>MORE

2005 Audi 2.0 Turbo
Red Black Leather. All Options. 23,000 mi. Avg. 30 MPG. Must Sell $17,500 Call 607-434-1394...>MORE

See all ads

Today's Premium Real Estate

Storage/garage
$65/mo. City of Oneonta 432-0870....>MORE

2007 16x80 ft. heated porch
lg. Shed, W/D in Oneonta park. $54,900 Call 607-434-1443...>MORE

Bright, spacious, 2 bedroom
no pets/smoke lease, references, security. $650+ 434-9153....>MORE

Barn or Large Shed for Storage of Garden
Equipment & Household Goods. Oneonta Area. Call 609-977-9471...>MORE

2 bedroom 2nd floor
quiet neighborhood, W/D Partially furnished, $680+ no pets/smoke 434-4849...>MORE

See all ads

thedailystar.com
Home
Local News
Local Sports
Obituaries
Weather
Community
Police Blotter
Lifestyles
Letters to the Editor
Editorials
Columns
Community News
Blogs
Forums
Contests
NIE
Corrections
AP Headlines
Street Talk
Special sections
Web Extras
Archive
Photos
Video
Births
Step Back in Time
Support Groups
What's Going On
Communtiy Calendar

Columnists
Sam Pollak
Tanya shalor
Tom Sears
Tom Grace
Lisa Miller
Cary Brunswick
Mark Simonson
Additional Resources
Business Card Index
Employment Opportunties
Real Estate Professionals
Stay Tuned - TV Guide
Social Networks

Market Place
Jobs
Cars
Classifieds
Free Coupons
Yellow Pages
Place an ad
Circulation
Subscriptions
Renew Subscription
Use EZ Pay
Vacation Stop
Delivery Feedback
Address Change

Services
Report a website issue
Contact Information
Advertise with us
Website Design
Photo Reprints
Can't find an article
Full Page Reprint

Reader Submissions
Birth Announcement
Community Event Announcement
Wedding / Engagement Announcement
News Tip or Story Idea
Photos
Letter to the Editor
Closing, Delay or Cancellation



Partners
Real Estate Dental Plans Fundraisers Unique Wedding Ideas Full Tilt
Speedy-paydayloans and Cash Advance Wireless broadband Web design India designer Cash Advance Car Rental Avis - Hertz - Europcar
Casinos Canda Online Gambling News Online Casino Place Your Link Here!

 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2007. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
Advertiser index