Protection through prevention

Responding when child abuse happens isn't enough. Maryland needs to rethink the system.

Thirty thousand children. That's how many are investigated by the Maryland Department of Social Services every year in suspected cases of abuse or neglect. About enough to fill Baltimore's old Memorial Stadium. Yet only when children die in the custody of DSS does the public become aware of the plight of those tens of thousands of kids. Unfortunately, the most common reaction is to assign blame without fully understanding this basic fact: Our society does not have a system designed to protect children. The current system does not focus on prevention; it merely reacts to try to prevent repeated abuse and punish abusers.

Child abuse and neglect often go undetected at all levels of this "system." Friends and family, police officers and doctors - all can ignore, miss or misinterpret the signs of abuse. The only time a professional has a chance of getting into a home to assess a family is after the abuse has been reported. Then, is it the job of an often underpaid, undertrained, overworked caseworker to evaluate the situation. If DSS moves to protect an abused child - and about 80 percent of investigations do not lead to a removal - a judge might not understand the complex medical and psychological issues, and the child may be returned to an abusive situation.

Each step of the way, nothing ensures that only properly trained people are making decisions that affect children's futures - even their lives. We need to create a comprehensive child-protection program. What would this look like?

* Families and communities would be involved in their children's and neighbor's lives. They would be aware of the substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health and anger issues in the child's family and seek to intervene with professional and community resources, or even just a helping hand. A comprehensive public service campaign can be the starting point for educating the public about the risk factors for child abuse, the signs of child abuse, and what to do if abuse is suspected.

* Parents would receive resources and education about child rearing. In order to be a successful parent, you need to have knowledge of appropriate developmental expectations, an ability to control anger and frustration, and tools to teach children how to behave without violence. These skills are not being taught in our classrooms and are not available to parents in a coordinated or sufficient fashion.