Comments on: Social Services recommends stricter monitoring of homeschools

By: Heart of the Matter Online - bridging the gap between child and parent

Heart of the Matter Online - bridging the gap between child and parent — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:42:40 +0000

[...] I was constructing my post in response to these recommendations, I focused on how Sean was not of compulsory school age, how the state was involved with monitoring [...]

By: Principled Discovery » North Carolina Department of Non-Public Instruction to follow the law

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:53:42 +0000

[...] weeks ago, I discussed the report by the North Carolina Department of Social Services regarding findings and recommendations by the Child Fatality Task Force with regards to the death [...]

By: Nance Confer

Nance Confer — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:30:42 +0000

And Nance, it seems to go without saying that accurate information is the only information that would be helpful. But I am leery of what they will consider “homechooling.” They already claim people are homeschooling who never did anything to follow the barest minimum the law requires to homeschool in some of these cases.

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I would think it would go without saying. But if the info is to be used for anything meaningful, like claiming that more child abuse happens to ps students, the sort of games and inaccuracies you mention would have to be sorted out.

Nance

By: Sunniemom

Sunniemom — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:52:00 +0000

I agree Dana-it makes sense that CPS would not give out the name of the person who called in a report, but reporting as completely anonymous? Then there is no accountability for those who abuse the system to be vindictive and manipulative, just because they can. My dh and I have alot of hobbies, and one year we made these realistic cutouts of monkeys from 1/4" plywood and they hung from the tree branches in our front yard. We put a sign under them that said "Monkeys for Sale". We were reported to Animal Control, and they had to inspect our house to make sure we were not literally selling monkeys. It was just a hostile 'joke' that one of the neighbors pulled to be a jerk, not because they really thought we were selling live monkeys. That person should have been fined for a frivolous call and wasting taxpayer money, not to mention my time.

By: JJ Ross

JJ Ross — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:09:53 +0000

Dana, that makes sense but seems to me once we make that point, we wind up on the same road to outside definitions and regulation, and then inspections and reporting, all to determine who is legitimately “homeschooling.”

By: Dana

Dana — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:12:50 +0000

I think I don’t necessarily mind reporters remaining anonymous to the perpetrator, although we do have that thing about the accused being able to face their accusers, but why to CPS? It won’t change anything for anyone, and can help establish patterns in the rare case that someone is just harassing another family.

By: Sunniemom

Sunniemom — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:06:22 +0000

Short of testifying against the Mafia, I would not want anonymity to report criminal behavior, especially child abuse. And I think it is just as bad when someone uses anonymous reporting to hassle an innocent family.

The fact is, the CPS system is incredibly troubled- why is assault on a child not treated in the same manner as an assault on an adult? Why can’t an adult who witnesses a parent beating the stuffing out of a kid file charges?

By: JJ Ross

JJ Ross — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:57:38 +0000

Another disturbing policy aspect of how child abuse and schooling is wrongly approached –

I just realized that I put three “anyways” in that comment, and repeated without realizing it, that I had the kids with me.

This reminded me of test researchers who found that when one item subconsciously triggers any upsetting mental connection for certain children — something with high emotional valence like slavery say — it will disrupt their performance on subsequent items. And other studies reveal how learning performance is suppressed in females, for example, if right before the task you put them in the mindset of girls not being expected to do well at math, etc.

I’m an accomplished writer but the above comment, written as I recalled something very upsetting to me, reflected poor writing.

So wouldn’t it be worth serious attention — if society really means to address these issues of child abuse and school rules, that shell-shocked kids suppressing all sorts of emotional upset, can’t help but respond poorly even to well-meaning adults’ questions, and to test poorly on schoolish instruments in that precarious mental state, even when they actually know the material?

If that is poorly written, please try to read around it. I’m still upset by my menory.)

By: Nance Confer

Nance Confer — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:14:47 +0000

We need accurate information or the resulting policy decisions will inevitably only curtail the liberties of the law-abiding.

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Of course. Any study based on false information would be useless.

Nance

By: Dana

Dana — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:55:51 +0000

Indeed a frightening thought. I had to contact CPS twice, both in heartbreaking cases. In one, the girl wouldn’t talk so nothing came of it despite the rather graphic description she gave me and the school nurse and the physical evidence which corroborated her story. The other girl…well, let’s just say that the man was sick and knew how to hide the abuse. He knew how to inflict pain without leaving marks and knew enough to not send her to school when he did.

Nothing official came of either, but all I ever heard in response was a nice letter thanking me for my concern and cordially letting me know that the no evidence of abuse could be substantiated.

I know that CPS can be a monster to deal with when an innocent person is falsely accused, but my personal experience tells me you practically have to kill a kid before they move. So I’m always suspicious once removal takes place.

I can’t help it. I’ve read far too many files on kids whose goal is reunification and I wonder how the people responsible for those pictures are walking free let along given a few hoops to jump through to get their kids back.