1994-1995 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest

Should Government Intervene To Help Children and Teens in Trouble: If so, How? If Not Government, Who or What Entity Should Offer What Type of Assistance?

Excerpts from Essays submitted by

Strausburg High School StudentsIn  Strausburg, Colorado

Teacher: Mary Schoonover

1st Mundrov Plumen        2nd Jennie Wailes       3rd Keo McBroom

The 1995-96 essay contest, Alternatives to Government Provided Services, required students to go into their communities to question and interact with ordinary citizens, members of the media and public officials. Unfortunately we did not realize that the students at Boys Town, who had been participating in our contests for several years, were not able to participate in these activities, When we realized the problem we immediately offered an alternative contest. Newt Gingrich had recently made his infamous reference to orphanages and Boys Town and had consequently been getting flak from the media. We thought, who better to shed light on the issue than students actually experiencing the disruptions under discussion. We decided to extend the invitation to several other schools to compare points of view. We were hoping for the type of contrast that we found in the opinions expressed by students living in loving supportive homes and the opinions of their less fortunate peers.

Too often gangs act as substitute homes:
"Many children's way of getting attention could be joining a gang who says they'll care for them... They join gangs because this is their way of receiving what they've been longing for."
Vicki Davis, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"Gangs are tough places to grow up. They prey on and victimize the weak and helpless. Those in gangs carry razor blades, guns, knives, and other weapons. The youth will do virtually anything to get in. Initiation is getting beaten and kicked by half a dozen gang members to show how tough you really are. But that's not so bad. These kids are used to getting kicked while they're down. ...gang [members are] usually boys, but recently girls have been turning up in gang society...girls are sick of getting pushed around, so they have started pushing back; they have gotten tough. They join gangs for many reasons: to get close to a boy they like, to obtain protection, to get attention that home life lacks, or just to feel safe. So the kids go from a life of mostly fear in the home, to one of complete fear in a gang. They don't care anymore. They have gone numb. Now that girls are in gangs, even more violence is turning up in school. In one classroom a girl was upset at another, so when the teacher's back was turned, she reached in her pocket and plunged a 6-inch knife into the back of the other girl."
Marissa Deffenbaugh, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

Many students echoed the sentiment expressed by Thomas, above, that something is not right:

"How can a human of only age ten kill a human of age five? What causes this? How can we prevent these actions in the future? ...The problem is mostly the parents in my opinion. If the kids aren't taught the difference between good and bad, then they're not going to know that what they are doing is wrong. Kids need to be informed about these things."
Melissa Kay Rood, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"Minors who commit little felonies know that nothing will be done but a little community service [and] time in a detention center."
Vicki Davis, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"All around the world children are thrown into, or allowed to make their own choices, which they are not old enough to do. They [should] learn to control [aggression] from [teachers] and ...parents. Today police and courts play [a large role] in the life of a child because of our violent, and unorganized society and family breakdowns."
Brett Berry, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

These kids have been around less than two decades but they see problems everywhere:

"In the time it takes to read this summary almost 400 children in deserts, jungles, and rotting urban slums around the world will die. Most will suffer from illness such as measles and pneumonia, which if doctors and cheap medicine had been available most of the diseases could have been prevented. Some starve to death. There are more than 250,000 deaths a week and 14 million a year. Every day, millions who cling to life are so weak from hunger that they cannot stand. Millions of others are beaten, sexually abused, abandoned, sold into slave labor or forced by poverty into prostitution.

Hundreds of the street children are malnourished and sick. The Mexican branch of the United States-based Covenant House has 100 five-to sixteen-year-olds taking refuge at any one time in the agency's two shelters. [Some children] are addicted to alcohol and the fumes of paint thinner. Others have AIDS, bronchitis, intestinal parasites, lice, and skin disease such as mange. Many are prostitutes. ...Children suffer at the hands of adults. They are beaten, kicked and burned with cigarettes. They are thrown against walls. They have their heads held under the water of toilet bowls. They are scalded by hot water; they are forced to stand in freezing showers until they pass out. They are stuffed into running washing machines. They are sexually molested. They are victims of incest. They suffer from neglect, including starvation and lack of medical attention."
Nichole Diedrich, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

Parental responsibility:

"Laws should encourage people to be more responsible for their children."
Mundrov Plamen, Strasburg High School, Strasburg Colorado

"Children's attitude and self esteem all come from what they are told and how they are treated by their role models at home: the parents. If there are no role models at home then we really cannot expect too much from the kid who has no one to tell him the way he should behave. Many parents today do not instill a set of morals into their children. I know that everyone makes a few mistakes, but if shown a little tender loving care and given some stern yet gentle discipline, who knows, we just might give our kids a chance. Otherwise, the cycle will continue. If we, as people, took greater care in the upbringing of our children, maybe they could see that they are special and important. But when we know of something going on, we turn our backs [and] pretend not to see. [We] justify it by saying, 'It's not my problem.'"
Marissa Deffenbaugh, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

Of course there were students outside of Boys Town who were aware that major problems are connected to foster care:

"The foster care program also needs to be changed. The foster care service is designed to substitute for natural parental care. It is the predominant child welfare service. Of the total number of children receiving child welfare services in the United States, more than half are receiving service away from their own homes and families. This is ridiculous. These kids are just thrown from foster home to foster home. They do not have stable family conditions, and when they get into the real world, they are going to be the ones who sexually, and physically abuse kids because that's what has happened to them in the past, and they don't think it's wrong."
Evan Duryea, Strasburg High School, Strasburg Colorado

"One out of five teen victims of date rape tell their parents. This one in five figure is because the girl fears that her parents will disapprove of her behavior, or she is afraid her history of sexual activity will be revealed, or she fears that her parents will blame her. She also fears that her parents will want to press charges, that the news will destroy her family, and that she will lose her independence. Fear is a great factor in most rape cases and most often keeps the girl from reporting this illegal matter. I know if I were ever raped, this would be hard for me to report because of the same fears."
Jennie Wailes, Strasburg High School, Strasburg Colorado

Students did a lot of research. They learned a lot about abuse:

"The incidence of child abuse has increased dramatically over the last decade. The 2.3 million cases reported in 1983 has a striking increase over the 400,000 cases reported in 1976. ...Doctor Ray E. Helfer, professor of pediatrics, Michigan State University, 1984, said that, 'These past twenty-two years demonstrated that some combination of public health nurses, homemakers, parents, aides, Parents Anonymous, direct counseling and good medical care can improve the outcome for parents at greatest risk and their children. Yet everyone of these services has been curtailed....the military development of space currently is getting more attention than children and their families.' It's always the same story: nobody, or better, not enough people care about it."
Anna Giovancirandi, Strasburg High School, Strasburg Colorado

Every year there are a few false child abuse claims... Unfortunately these few cases make it harder for people to realize that most child abuse cases are real. ...There are also a lot more victims holding back their secrets because they are afraid of what will happen to them for telling."
Danielle Rush, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"Reports of child fatalities resulting from abuse are increasing—36 percent from 1985-1988. Another recent study prepared by the American Humane Association states that, nationwide, neglect consistently has accounted for the greatest number of maltreatment reports... In dozens of interviews with pediatricians, psychologists, social workers and others involved in issues of neglect, two points were made over and over again concerning the root causes of neglect: that while there is a close link between neglect and poverty, the overwhelming majority of families living in poverty do not neglect their children. That many, if not most, neglectful parents were neglected themselves as children and therefore have little first-hand knowledge of the parenting required to meet the physical, social and emotional needs for children. Psychologists, pediatricians, educators and other experts who have worked with and studied children from neglectful families warn that society will continue to pay a high price if it fails to deal with this major social challenge."
Nichole Diedrich, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"I think all too often a child dies of abuse because there are not enough case workers to handle all the complaints. So a lot of the time the social workers are unable to thoroughly investigate a situation, and here lies the problem. There are many children who have died of abuse [because] a case worker was careless or had too many cases to investigate....We read in the papers every day about some child dying from abuse...where a case worker had been to the home the day before and found nothing [wrong]. Either the social worker was not well enough trained to spot the abuse or did not take time to check the situation thoroughly."
Summer Bell, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"No one knows how many instances of child abuse occur each year because many cases are never reported. However, the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect estimates that nearly one million children in the United States suffer non accidental, life-threatening, physical violence each year. Today many experts believe child abuse is widespread because society regards physical abuse by parents as a good way of changing children's behavior. So, adults who hurt children sometimes only intend to correct them, not knowing how easily children can be hurt. Another cause of child abuse is stress. Parents who may be unemployed, or under great stress are more likely to abuse their children than parents who do not have those problems. Children who are difficult to care for, such as handicapped children, add more stress for a parent [and]are more likely to be abused than are other children. Experts say a better solution to the problem of child abuse is preventing parents from getting too stressed out. Parent groups such as Parents Anonymous and other professional services can help relieve many of the stresses that lead to abuse. In other cases, a court may put children in a foster home."
Evan Duryea, Strasburg High School, Strasburg Colorado

Students had recommendations:

"There is no reason anybody should have to put up with abuse. The help that is out there should be more readily available to people. I think the social workers that are assigned to investigate alleged abuse cases should do a better job than they do. Sometimes social workers do not always get help to the abused families. Sometimes false accusations are made and families...are torn apart."
Danielle Rush, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"The only way to eliminate some of the fears that girls have is to have the government fund help lines such as National Child Abuse Hotlines which would give [victims of rape] someone to talk to personally and be encouraged to report the case confidentially. These numbers would give them the support they might not get from home because they are afraid to tell their parents. If these numbers were encouraged in schools, on billboards, etc., rape would not be so hidden from people, and girls might report it. ...I think that a school should offer a program to students ranging in age from 12 years to 18 years that teaches them to avoid a rape by staying sober, understanding what 'no' means, and being assertive. ...There should be a nation-wide list of all rapists. This list should be posted in a local newspaper and in schools so that the communities know who rapists are. Because 84% of rapes were committed by attackers the [victim] knew, lists would allow the community to know about [its] members. Rapists should not be allowed to work in jobs such as child care and teaching positions where they might be more likely to commit a similar crime [against] the young and vulnerable."
Jennie Wailes, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"I think the police need to be more aware of the problems of domestic violence and child abuse. They need to be more willing to act on referrals from relatives, friends of the abused child and from the children themselves. Once the abuse has been identified, the children should be removed from their situation. In order to ensure the children's well-being, the foster care system should be upgraded. We need to be sure our children are safe and living in a healthy environment in order to reverse the effects of childhood abuse."
Brock Soathcoick, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"Today there are a lot of organizations that help abused children. For example, in my country, Italy, there is 'Telefono Azzurro' (Blue Telephone). It's a free number where help and comfort can be found twenty-four hours a day. Help lines are happening in all the world, but there is still much to do. ...In the last years people have been trying to identify parents who are judged most likely to abuse their children before their children's birth. Many other programs are helping to prevent child abuse and everybody: parents,, schools, hospitals, and government should be involved. This is a subject that must be [discussed in order] to achieve some solutions."
Anna Giovancirandi, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

Many students advocated stiffer penalties for abusers:

"If the government would start handing out stiffer sentences to [child] abusers it would help."
Summer Bell, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"I think that we need to make stricter laws to protect teenagers from rapists. ...The government also needs to put more money into finding rapists so that the 2 percent conviction rate would be more like 50 percent and above. The government needs to put more money into rape prevention before...more people are hurt!"
Jennie Wailes, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"We must as citizens be alert to possible child abuse and report it to the authorities. Those in a position of authority should investigate and take the kid away from the abusive situation and bring the offenders to justice. ...I think that the government should make more serve punishments for this crime."
Aaron Bauer, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"Child molestation is a terrible thing, especially when the child can't [prevent] it. That's when the government should take over and do something about it. Child molesters are getting off too easy. ...When somebody finds out that a child has been molested, they should report it immediately, and then the government can take it from there. When you remove the child from the abuse early, then he or she won't go through as much misery and may not even remember it."
Stephanie Miller, Strasburg High School, Strasburg Colorado

"Before the 1800's little was done to prevent child abuse. In the late 1800's citizens of large cities set up programs to help with problems, including child abuse. Child abuse gained major attention in the United States during the 1960's. ...laws [were passed] requiring doctors to report any case of abuse to the government....Today, with help from government agencies, service providers, private institutions and young people, New York City has set up an advanced youth line. The NYC Youth Line is for everyone; it is part of the city's support system. It supports family relationships, enhances and increases school services and is always available when a youth, parent or any other person needs it; even children that are being abused. I feel that setting up a youth line should be required in every town across the nation. The NYC Youth Line has been very effective in preventing suicide and in saving kids from home abuse. This is just one of the ways I think the United States Government should intervene with juvenile affairs."
Evan Duryea, Strasburg High School, Strasburg Colorado

"Violence against children is a crime that is extremely monstrous. One reason it is so bad is because the victims are often trusting of their abusers. Too often the crime goes unpunished because a child is afraid that exposing the abuser will only bring more pain and hurt. If only someone could find a way to reach these kids to let them know that they can be helped.

Parents and other caretakers may try to justify their methods of punishment as a way of getting back at children for being 'bad'. Some might take the other route and say that they are scaring them into being 'good'. Sometimes they are unconsciously repeating a pattern of child abuse learned when they were small. Parental cruelty may escalate from the slapping and routing spanking to battering, burning, stabbing, and other acts of mutilation. The physical abuse of children can be recognized in undernourished bodies or untreated illnesses as well as unexplained bruises and broken bones. Other forms of child abuse are more subtle, though equally cruel. Children are emotionally scarred when they are labeled as stupid, ugly, or unwanted. Before they are even born, babies may suffer brain damage because their mothers abused alcohol or other drugs during pregnancy. Sometimes the government seems to have a hard time defining abuse.

One of the first national laws designed to stop the mistreatment of children in their own homes was passed in 1884. This was when Britain's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was organized. Earlier statutes had outlawed infant abandonment and failure to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care for dependents. Child-labor laws regulated working conditions for underage factory workers. These laws also tried to improve the status of young apprentices, who lived pretty much as slaves while learning a skill from tradesmen. New York State's child-protection law of 1876 served as a model for the other states, all of which now have laws making child abuse a criminal offense. The extent to which government can intervene in a parent-child relationship remains a controversial issue, however. Both state and federal laws generally mandate that families be kept intact. Even when the signs of abuse are unmistakable, courts tend to return young victims to homes where their lives continue to be threatened. In a 1989 decision on a child-abuse case that had ended fatally, the United States Supreme Court declared that state and local officials are not required to protect individuals against 'private violence.'

I believe that in this case the government was wrong. When there is any danger to the life or well-being of a child the state should intervene. They might make it mandatory for the child to be removed or have some protection. The biggest problem with a solution like this is where to draw the line as to where it is in the child's best interest to be removed. Hopefully someday a good solution will be found. In the meantime these are my ideas and I think the government might do well to think about them."
Keo McBroom, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

Students came up with a variety of proposals. Proposals to help kids already caught in a struggle:

"Experts say many young offenders are better off getting intensive counseling at home rather than being put in lockups. In the Choice program of the University of Maryland at Baltimore county, case workers visited 650 troubled kids three to five times daily. The children's ages are nine to seventeen, and they must follow strict rules set by their families and the social worker. A study showed 73 percent of them had avoided further trouble six months later."
Stacy Miller, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"A lot of people think miscreant youth should be sent to Boot Camp. Boot Camp costs $15, 000 for one year while the program Stars, (an academic and recreation program started in Fort Myers, Florida) only spends $158 to provide music and dance lessons, sports and tutoring."
Stacy Miller, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"Today there are a lot of organizations that help abused children. For example, in my country, Italy, there is 'Telefono Azzurro' (blue Telephone). It's a free number where help and comfort can be found twenty-four hours a day. Help lines are happening in all the world, but there is still much to do...In the last years, people have been trying to identify parents who are judged most likely to abuse their children before their children's birth. Many other programs are helping to prevent child abuse and everybody–parents, schools, hospitals and government –should be involved. This is a subject that must be [discussed in order] to achieve some solutions."
Anna Giovangrandi, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

They uncovered programs already attempting to solve problems:

“Iman Reed at the age of 11, liked to pick fights on the streets of Wichita, Kansas, making him a prime target for a revenge shooting. His mom then enrolled him in a Big Brother program,...five years later, Iman is getting A's and B's in school, and has been thinking about a law degree. 'If I wasn't in the program, I'd be in one of those gangs.' he commented....In Fort Myers, Florida the juvenile crime rate has dropped 27 percent since they started up an academic and recreation program, called Stars.”
Stacy Miller, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"Some people have tried to help America's troubled teens. There have been some attempted solutions. Rehabilitation centers try to give kids an environment they feel safe in and...instill a sense of right and wrong, while trying to make them better. ...The question is: 'Should the government intervene?' When gang violence or child abuse cases go to court, government intervention is inevitable. ...Government needs to provide a way out for the children. These are the dangerous cases that occur in the neighborhoods where nobody notices, or if they do, don't do anything about it. When the government hears of such a case, it needs to get the child/children out of a bad situation before it gets worse. If the people and the government will join hands and come together, we can fight a common enemy and win the war."
Marissa Deffenbaugh, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

"Family counseling may not always be an answer, but help from surrounding neighbors willing to care with a helping hand can dramatically change things."
Vicki Davis, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

Young people are eager and willing to work for a solution to what they believe is a top priority problem:

"The main reason why this topic bothers me so much is because I'm very frightened. What can I do, now, as a teenager to prevent this from happening to my kids and not only my kids, but friends and relatives? I hope that this problem gets some sort of solution..."
Melissa Kay Rood, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado              

"Iman Reed at the age of 11, liked to pick fights on the streets of Wichita, Kansas, making him a prime target for a revenge shooting. His mom then enrolled him in a Big Brother program,...five years later, Iman is getting A's and B's in school, and has been thinking about a law degree. 'If I wasn't in the program, I'd be in one of those gangs.' he commented....In Fort Myers, Florida the juvenile crime rate has dropped 27 percent since they started up an academic and recreation program, called Stars."
Stacy Miller, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

Students considered the role of government:

"Some people have tried to help America's troubled teens. There have been some attempted solutions. Rehabilitation centers try to give kids an environment they feel safe in and...instill a sense of right and wrong, while trying to make them better. ...The question is: 'Should the government intervene?' When gang violence or child abuse cases go to court, government intervention is inevitable. ...Government needs to provide a way out for the children. These are the dangerous cases that occur in the neighborhoods where nobody notices, or if they do, don't do anything about it. When the government hears of such a case, it needs to get the child/children out of a bad situation before it gets worse. If the people and the government will join hands and come together, we can fight a common enemy and win the war."
Marissa Deffenbaugh, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado

Vicki wants government action now:

"A local community can help only so much, and this is the time for the government to put in their assistance. The government should put in a share of money just for troubled teens, by setting up youth camps instead of sending them straight to jail. Kids at such a young age, 13, 14 or even 15 still have a chance. Their strong wills, minds and hearts are anxious and primed to succeed....Troubled teens need to be heard and understood. The government should increase [its] budget in order to provide more programs, especially for teenagers in trouble, to further educate them, boost their self-esteem and prepare them for the future. The teenagers of today are the leaders of tomorrow."
Vicki Davis, Strasburg High School, Strasburg Colorado

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