Protecting Children
Posted Courtesy of The Post and Courier (http://www.charleston.net)
Published on 11/3/00
This is referring to the article written on 10/26/00 about the $15M Porter-Gaud verdict
I am writing to express appreciation for your recent
article providing information about the lack of any
legal requirement that children be protected or that
abuse be prevented within a school setting.
Your article has done our community a favor by showing
the public the attitude that there is no legal
obligation to protect children from abuse.
We believe that this attitude needs to be confronted
and changed. As a result of this attitude, we have
children who have been abused and not protected. It is
my opinion that this attitude "gives" adults
permission to ignore or to discount the abuse of
children. Changing this attitude is a first step in
our willingness to take responsibility to keep our
children safe.
As with other types of risk to our children (i.e.,
mandatory car seats and seat belts for children) and
the presence of hazardous material (e.g., the presence
of asbestos), laws have been passed that are
specifically focused on the safety of children.
Child abuse is a well-documented major risk factor and
health hazard to both the physical and emotional
health of our children. The prevalence of child abuse,
as with any other health hazard, should be defined as
an epidemic. It is time that we, as the adults in the
lives of our children, respond by demanding that
adults in a position of authority over children have
the mandated responsibility for their safety from
abuse.
Your article has given us as a community a challenge
to take action to help every adult within our
community to shift from an attitude of no
responsibility to an informed attitude of "How do
I keep our children safe and free from abuse?" If
we can be successful in accomplishing this shift, the
outcome can only be good for the children and families
of our community. If it is good for them, it is good
for all of us.
M. ELIZABETH RALSTON, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Lowcountry Children's Center
1061 King St.
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