Do some churches help children who are being abused by their parents?

[Boojatta]

I don't wish to suggest that, if the answer is yes, then this compensates for authorities high in a church hierarchy negligently allowing those lower in the hierarchy to abuse children. However, it suggests that even if you could wave a wand and magically cause all churches to disappear, there might be the same amount of child abuse as there is now. Of course, another possibility is that there would be less child abuse.

In the case of children who are home-schooled, help from a church might be particularly important. What options do children who are home-schooled and home-churched (is that a new word?) have if they are abused by their parents? Under the law, are children allowed at least one hour per day outside in an exercise yard, like prison inmates? Do legal aid clinics answer questions from children? Do law enforcement agencies ever put a wire on a child who requests recording of sounds that might indicate what is being said and done to the child when there is no obvious third party observer?

[jeepnstein]

1. The system is pretty much broken.

I belong to a group that deals with kids and takes youth protection quite seriously. I was obligated to notify authorities of a case of neglect with one of our kids in the program. Their response? "They are poor and live on a farm, what do you expect out of them?" No kidding. They basically told me not to waste their time reporting anything else. And this was from an agency that is supposedly an advocate for the children. So now we're stuck with a kid who we know needs help and a local government that says don't call us, we'll call you.

A good church would involve itself in dealing with abuse issues. Sadly, good churches are few and far between these days. But the family would have to be willing to submit to the church's authority quite voluntarily and that's a problem. The most likely scenario is the family pulls out and goes to a church that "minds it's own business".

As a police officer, I can tell you I have never seen a case of abuse or neglect hinging on the child/victim having to wear a wire. Can you imagine the beating a kid would take if the wire were found? There is usually ample evidence of abuse without putting the child in harm's way. Those cases are maddening and generally go nowhere fast. Again, we as a society don't put much of a priority on it as compared to some other crimes.

[Boojatta]

2. "Can you imagine the beating a kid would take if the wire were found?"

A beating that would be very painful but would be carefully planned to avoid leaving any marks on the child? How impulsive should I imagine the abuser to be?

"There is usually ample evidence of abuse without putting the child in harm's way."
If we have reason to believe that it would be putting the child at risk of any harm, then I think there is already sufficient moral basis to give the child the option of permanently leaving that environment without saying goodbye.

[jeepnstein]

3. Beatings come in all forms.

I know people who can tear a kid apart just by messing with their head. And and I know a few straight up savages who leave marks. Both types tend to get free passes from society and the justice system. Monsters are real and some kids call them Dad, Mom, or whatever.

I once knew of a kid who was being repeatedly molested by his own dad. One day the boy had enough and rammed a butcher's knife through good old dad's thigh and left him stuck to a kitchen chair. That was an interesting call seeing as how dad's pants were down around his ankles at the time. The boy got sent to a juvenile detention center and was quite happy about being sent to jail. It was better than the prison the child protective services had condemned him to with dad.

[Boojatta]

4. I started a new thread (no replies so far) in another part of DU.

It gives some attention to at least one subtopic of this thread.

Link to new thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2247482