INVISIBLE CHILDREN
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This slightly edited article was submitted by
University of MN Student Volunteer Nikki Bank
CHILD ABUSE & SELF-HARM
Kids At Risk Action tracks the stories of abused and neglected children and the people, policies and programs that impact them.
If we knew more, we could do more
Nikki Bank Child Abuse and Self Harm –
https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-018-1754-3
Emotional neglect and abuse effects self-inflicted injuries – Children who have been abused or neglected have a higher rate of self-inflicted injuries – Those who have self-inflicted injuries in their lifetime 30.8% reported at least one type of child maltreatment –
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00149/full –
Child maltreatment is a risk factor for those who self harm – “Generally, when compared to males, females who experienced childhood traumatic experiences (particularly sexual abuse) were more vulnerable to NSSI and suicidal behaviors” –
“Up to 79% of individuals who self injure report physical and/or sexual abuse during his or her childhood”
Disturbances in the regulatory pathway from trauma affect thinking and feelings, those who self harm are looking to make up for an irregular regulatory pathway –
https://journals.healio.com/doi/full/10.3928/02793695-20171016-04
Psychiatric nurses have a responsibility to keep an eye out for abused children – Have a direct line to help them, can work to prevent child abuse –
https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles/162425.pdf
Child abuse is a community problem – “Goal of law enforcement is to investigate to determine if a violation of criminal law occurred, identify and apprehend the offender, and file appropriate criminal charges” – Must be consistent –
A police officer noticed that a home was an unfit living environment for children and tried to report it – “He phoned the state’s 24-hour hotline to request an investigation, but a DCFS worker who answered said he would have to wait two to four days for a callback” – Once the childwelfare agency finally called back, the children’s situation had escalated so much they had to be in protective custody – “nearly half of all first-time callers between 2015 and 2017 had to leave messages and wait several days for a callback — even in cases that were deemed emergencies by department standards” –
“Every adult in this situation failed this child,” Will Jawando, a county councilmember, told CNN. “The systems that were set up to support him. School system, supposed to be a place of learning, of support, of love, of care. Those administrators failed. Police, supposed to protect and serve. They failed him.” – Police were called to help retrieve a 5 year old child who did not wish to come back to school – The police officer had all of the power in the situation –
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/xreporting.pdf
“In Minnesota, when maltreatment occurs on Tribal land, the CPS agency and the police department must notify the Tribe’s social services agency and Tribal law enforcement when a report is received” –
Child maltreatment is a risk factor for self-harm – Emotion regulation is a pathway for children of abuse to self-harm – –
Teacher’s and abuse; 10 former students came forward detailing incidents of sexual harassment, grooming and cyber stalking – Happened in Newfolden, MN
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