There's reasons why people don't call, which aren't understood by most.
1. Many of these people have already had their kids removed by social services or have been scrutinized by them.
2. Drug are hot in these types of areas and no one wants the "heat" on them.
3. Many people feel it's not their business.
4. Many people think the days of 'beating a child's *advertiser censored**' need to come back in
5. Minorities especially feel that social services is a 'white institute' and no well off white lady in the white cadillac has any business coming and taking their kids
6. Many people think foster care is no better than existing situations
7. Many people think it's best to handle things without getting police or other agencies involved
1- probably for good reason. Many kids are beaten in middle-class homes every day of the week..Think Social Services is going to treat a two-family parent living in a 600k house the same as a poor mother with five kids living in public assistance? Ones going to get chalked up as a bratty kid whose parents didnt give him his Ritalin that morning after a lawyers threat, and the other is going to be told to show up for court in the morning.
Lets not forget that many children in foster care dont have bad parents, they have parents in the hospital with no one to take care of them, parents who die, handicapped or disabled parents, and quite often, their parents are deported to another country. (The latter is what is making up a good portion of foster care these days)
2- they could call in an Anonymous tip. Course they could. Most calls are anonymous, but spend one day on the streets of Washington, DC and see how many people call anonymous tips in to the police or any authorities. People lose their lives over this every day.
3- it's EVERYONES BUSINESS TO PROTECT A CHILD Go into an inner-city ghetto and suggest this. Its complete disrespect to interfere with another persons parenting in the hood.
4- stupidity. There's a HUGE difference in disciplining a child and ABUSING a child.
One persons version of discipline might be abuse to another. I know people who will quickly call social services if they see a parent spank a kid who ran in front of a car. I had some woman once in a store threaten to call the police on my friend because she pinched her daughter who was severely acting up. My sister-in-law is a teacher and had a parent try to have her arrested and fired for restraining their child who was hitting another kid.
I know people who will slap their teens mouth in a heartbeat and put them up against a wall if they sass, is that abuse? I know people who believe at about the age of 4 you need to give your kid one good beating and they will never act up again because you just have to threaten them with that. I know people who have lost their temper with their children once or twice, but do not go around beating their kids day in and day out. I know someone whose son got a severe cut after her bipolar son whose son tried to hit her and missed and his hand went through a window. He lied and said she did it and she was arrested for child abuse. Know another woman who put a mark on her son, but it wasnt intentional. She was cooking and he came over and was pulling on her leg right when she was trying to move a hot pot and she kicked him really hard out of protection. Kid couldnt go to school for a week. Is that abuse? It's hard to say what is clear-cut abuse or one time incidents, unintentional abuse, etc.
This situation is a little unique and reminds me of the Jahi Turner case. Erick and Jahi had never been raised by their parents, and both died within weeks of their "real parent" claiming them.
We also do not know what goes on in most peoples houses. I personally have know one woman who is a noted school teacher - even has won lots of awards, puts on the sweetest act around people - I mean everyone who knows this woman think's she's so great, but behind close doors shes an alcoholic with a ferocious temper.
5- I have yet to meet a social worker that can afford a cadillac.
They are there, but I do have to admit not really in DHS anymore. The pay for state social workers is piss poor, so they all try to get in private companies where they make double their salary. Whats in DHS? Lots of people who are just staying there a year or so to get experience to move to the private sector, people who barely speak English, or people who wont be hired elsewhere.
6- Foster care has it's issues, yes. But most kids in foster care don't get their head bashed in and then left for dead and then have their corpse mutilated.
They dont? Ive read just in the last week about four social workers pleading guilty to molesting children, one leaving a kid in a vehicle for four hours, and one drinking and driving with a child in the car, and one who beat a child in her care. In foster care, Ive read about nine molestations this week, six abuse arrests, one starvation death, and one child beaten to death. In Baltimore, MD, theres a HUGE problem here with children dying in foster care. Lets not even forget that social services has lost track of over 10,000 children across the US. Is this where you want your kid? Sorry, I wouldnt want mine there.
7- She could've "Handled It" by contacting the police. OR defending the child.
As I said, you dont interfere in the ghetto. What I personally would have done in her shoes is knocked on the door and said I was taking my kids to the park and can I take yours too? This is what works in the ghetto
PS - I'm not advocating this woman's actions - I'm just saying a lot of people have no experience with inner city cultures and apply the why's to their own backyard.
Just wanted to make that clear.
