What can we do?

Over the past two days, articles in the Minneapolis paper described how the mother of a disabled 10 year old girl starved the child to death and how the girl’s teacher saw something amiss, but did not report because she had no proof.

First of all, one cannot imagine how it would feel to starve to death and to receive the kind of neglect this young girl received at the hands of her mother. The mother’s seeming lack of concern, her alleged collusion with the girl’s personal care attendant to not work and split the money he received for her care, and the severe neglect that occurred are hard to explain. The use of alcohol and possible mental illness are certainly a part of the problem for this mother. But still…

Secondly, the teacher’s not reporting to the authorities raises other concerns. According to research shared by Victor Vieth, from the National Child Protection Training Center in Winona, underreporting by teachers is a serious concern. It is important to remember that child abuse reporting statutes do not require proof, just a suspicion, for reporting to be initiated. Also, child protection authorities are expected to accept those reports anonymously if the reporter wishes to keep it anonymous. They are also expected to make an assessment about the need to investigate and follow up the report within a reasonable period of time. While teachers have an enormous job to do, this is part of their job too.

While I understand that reporting takes time out of our busy lives and often people are discouraged from reporting by the systems in which they work, the law is clear. While I don’t know all of the factors in the case, I do believe that each one of us has responsibility for the children around us. I can’t help but wonder about neighbors, relatives, or others who share responsibility in this particular case. Where were they? How do they ignore their concerns. The right response is quite simple. Just pick up the phone…offer to help…don’t ignore a problem. As adults, we can always do something…it just takes a positive response to that little voice inside us that tells us the right thing to do.

Connie Skillingstad
Executive Director

If you want to step up and offer a helping hand, join our WAlk for Children or volunteer. Visit our web site: www.pcamn.org.