If you knew a child was being abused – routinely – in their home and by a parent, what would you do about it? If you became aware of an adolescent girl or boy being subjected to sexual abuse, what would you do? If you saw or were told of a baby/children being neglected, what would you do?

Believe it or not, even if you are one who believe that if you see it or know it then report it, and so you report it to police and/or CPS (Child Protective Services), those agencies FAIL to respond appropriately. They mishandle it in large part for being under trained in abuse, having huge caseloads, minimizing the severity of abuse and not believing a child or protective parent leading to continued suffering of the victim. CPS across the country has a reputation for protecting the system and not the child. I personally have experienced this first hand especially in Los Angeles County. The CPS office in the North San Fernando Valley stands out especially. I even went to the Director over Los Angeles County and Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s office to discuss huge problems known and experienced buy NOTHING was done accept lip service which doesn’t protect our children.

Consider the following from the SOTN News report: “Dozens of CPS workers caught lying, falsifying documents.” (2012) A study in LA county showed the following problems:
The caseload that CPS creates comes with the “catch” that only a certain percentage of reports should be investigated in the first place.

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act encourage agencies to make false accusations against parents in order to tear families apart for financial gain. ‘’the Catch-22 is the non-offending parent can be charged with a felony child endangerment and arrested if they do not report and the child will be kept and/or put in the abusive parents care. The financial incentives of CAPTA don’t come to the states and counties if there is not a significant amount of abuse going on in their localities. The professionals who make the recommendations and judgments have been educated to minimize allegations whenever there is a custody dispute. The result is the testimony of the young victim is effectively silenced and is consequently endangered (Concerned Citizens Advocates For Abused Children, 2015).

Everyone needs to interact and hold the CPS accountable for its actions as well as inactions in protection the children they are mandated to protect.

The 110 page report released regarding our federal government’s failure to enforce the nation’s child protection laws is a “national disgrace” according to the three year study. (Amy Harfeld, Children’s Advocacy Institute, University of San Diego Law School).

The Center for Judicial Excellence in northern California, in a 9 month study between 2009 and 2010, showed 75 children who had been killed by fathers involved in volatile custody battles. The Crime Report shows such tragedies are the consequences of family court procedures that allow abusive spouses to manipulate the system and leave children at-risk, with parents being forced to share unsupervised custody of an abusive spouse/partner. The judicial system in family court is broken and has gone unaddressed far too long.

HOW WE ALL FAIL TO PROTECT CHILDREN:
1. WE FAIL TO SEE ABUSE EVEN WHEN RIGHT IN FRONT US – LACK OF EDUCATION/KNOWLEDGE
2. WE SEE BUT WE DON’T SAY ANYTHING
3. CPS CORRUPT/OVER LOADED/NOT TRAINED PROPERLY AND ADEQUATELY ENOUGH IN ABUSE
4. COURT SYSTEM SET UP TO PROTECT PERPETRATORS BY
MAKING VICTIMS PROVE THEY ARE A VICTIM RATHER THAN MAKING A PERP PROVE HE/SHE IS NOT A PERPETRATOR
B. HOLDING ONTO HISTORIC BELIEFS THAT WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE VALUABLE ONLY AS PROPERTY AND CHATTLE
C. LACK OF JUDICIAL EDUCATION IN ABUSE/VICTIMOLOGY/TRAUMA RESPONSES ALONG WITH DISCOUNTING EXPERT TESTIMONY FOR MANY REASONS MOST OF WHICH IS UNDER THE IGNORANCE AND “I AM GOD” ENTITLEMENT THINKING THAT PERVADES OUR COURT SYSTEM
D. IGNORANCE ON MANIPULATION TECHNIQUES USED BY PERPETRATOTS
E. IGNORANCE ALONG WITH PERSONAL BIAS THAT IF WERE AS BAD AS BEING REPRESENTED THE VICTIMS WOULD HAVE LEFT, REPORTED, ETC BECAUSE ANY SANE OR NORMAL PERSON WOULD (WHICH THE THINK IT IS WHAT “THEY/ I” WOULD DO
F. LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON VICTIMS LIVING IN LYMBIC SYSTEM = DECLARATIVE MEMORY, TRAUMA BONDS, BETRAYAL BONDS = AND VICTIM/HOSTAGE PROCESS AND FOLLOW PERPS DEMANDS OR THEY COULD DIE
G. LACK OF JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT BY SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY COMMITTEE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY OF JUDGES RULINGS INVOLVING CHILDREN
H. NOT HAVING A JURY SYSTEM IN FAMILY COURT SO JUDGES ARE NOT THE SOLE DECISION MAKER
I. THE IDEA THAT “WOMEN AND CHILDREN LIE” SO NOT BELIEVED
J. PARENTAL ALIENATION WHICH IS A PSEUDO-SCIENTIFIC LIE ORIGINALLY CREATED BY RICHARD GARDNER WITH NO RESEARCH OR STUDY AND MADE IT UP TO BE USED SOLELY AGAINST WOMEN SEEKING CUSTODY OF THEIR CHILDREN WHEN CHILDREN STATED THAT THEY WERE BEING MOLESTED BY THEIR FATHERS AND MOMS WERE SEEKING DIVORCE
K. PAID OFF JUDGES, ATTORNEYS BY WEALTHY ABUSERS
5. PARENTS WHO LIVE IN FANTASY THEY CREATE PSYCHOLOGICALLY IN ORDER TO STAY IN A RELATIONSHIP THEY THINK WILL CHANGE
6. RELIGIOUS REASONS
7. SHAME, JUDGMENTS, HOPELESS, HELPLESS
8. TRIED TO TELL BEFORE BUT NO ONE BELIEVED OR HELPED
9. NO MONEY
10. NO PLACE TO GO
11. SOCIETY’S LACK OF EMPATHY
12. FAILURE TO PROTECT LAWS USED AGAINST ADULT VICTIMS
13. BETRAYAL AND COLLUSION WITH PERP (ESP. IF PERP IS A MINISTER/DOCTOR/FRIEND ETC.

History has shown that for change to happen it takes transparency, accountability, education and national advocacy by EACH of us so that children are safe in this country and in their homes.