15,000 Children Forced Contact with violent dads

Calls for overhaul of family law system 

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Laurie Nowell

June 07, 2009 12:00am

CHILD welfare campaigners have called for an overhaul of the family law system, citing statistics they claim show courts have forced children to spend time with abusive or violent parents.

Campaigner Barbara Biggs says an analysis of the latest Family Court statistics shows courts are forcing children to spend time with parents they fear.

A recent speech by the Family Court's Chief Justice, Diana Bryant, appears to confirm this. But the Family Court has rejected the analysis.

The court says each case is determined on its merits and much of the contact between parents and children under the court's orders is supervised.

The court data shows children in at least 267 separated families in 2007-8 were forced to spend time with parents who the court deemed abusive or violent.

Of fathers before the court, a third were awarded less than 30 per cent custody and in 29 per cent of those cases it was because of abuse or family violence.

Of the cases in which women were awarded less than 30 per cent custody, abuse or family violence was the reason in 16 per cent of cases.

Ms Biggs claims up to 15,000 children might have had forced contact with violent parents over the past five years.

In a public lecture at the Queensland University of Technology in April, Chief Justice Bryant said: "In a third of litigated cases, the Family Court ordered that children spend 30 per cent or less time with their father.

"Abuse and/or family violence was the major reason why this order was made. In 9 per cent of litigated cases, the Family Court ordered that children spend 30 per cent or less time with their mother, the major reason being the presence of health issues."

A spokesman for the Family Court said: "Each case is judged on its merits and statistics tend to make it look as though they are all the same. You need to see the individual orders to properly understand the situation and before you can draw conclusions."

Women vs Men in sentencing for murder

On her honey moon, Christina Thomas Watson was murdered by her new husband during a scuba diving trip.  He was jailed for one year.  This is how cheap a women's life is in Australia.  Gabe Watson has since remarried.  Heather Osland suffered 14 years of violence by the man she killed.  She was sentenced to 9.5 years in prison and remains on parole with restrictions her movements, relinquished employment prospects and a legal bill.  You can read more about Heather here .  

   

Human Rights Council Concerned about the Treatment of Women and Children in Family Law

A full day was held on women and equal access before the law.  Amongst the many violations, arose the abhorrent practices in family law.  It was recognized the lack if equal access for women in child custody cases.   The burden of proof involving rape was also mentioned.  It was revealed that many women were prevented from further pursuing justice in concern for reprisal and their economical status.  Domestic and sexual violence were discriminated against.  It was further noted that the deaths of women were not taken seriously by governments.  More can be read here. 

California's bill against junk science

As many arrived to support the protection of children and women from child abuse and violence, so were those who seeked to continue its reign.  Much to be considered about the motivations of those who wish to use a junk science theory that is well known to harm children and cause hatred towards women.  Much debate raged on as even with some agreement on the need to protect children, the opposing suggested that Sexual and Physical abuse be removed so that it just states, "Abuse".  This was intended to include psychological abuse.  The consequences of this would be converting a useful bill aimed at protecting children to a bill that perpetrators could still peddle Parent Alienation or Parent Alienation Syndrome as a form of psychological abuse.  The current status of children in the family court remains that what is referred to as, "psychological abuse" nullifies the underlying factors of child abuse and violence.  The psychological abuse whilst it may be useful in further describing intimate partner terrorism and the strategies that are used to maintain control, there is still a real danger that this could be used against women and children.  The mimic, a movie about a predator that mimics its prey best describes how human predators continue to violate children and women's rights to be free from torture.

Listen to the hearing here- http://centerforjudicialexcellence.org/1%20AB%20612%20MP3.mp3

Latest news

Man faces murder counts in slaying of wife, child  by Meghan Moravcik Walbert - Jun. 4, 2009 04:28 PM The Arizona Republic The Maricopa County Attorney's Office has filed a criminal complaint against a man suspected of killing his wife and daughter and injuring his son. Michael Miller, 29, of Glendale, is accused of two counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted first degree murder. The complaint was filed Tuesday. Miller is suspected of stabbing his wife, 10-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son with a kitchen knife last Saturday. His wife and daughter died. His son was injured, underwent surgery at a local hospital and is expected to recover. "Our prosecutors will seek justice for the mother and child who lost their lives in this alleged double murder," County Attorney Andrew Thomas said in a written statement. "These crimes demonstrate vividly the devastating impact that domestic violence has on our community." Miller called 911 after the attack to report that he had killed his family, according to a Glendale police probable cause statement. Miller told police that the stabbing stemmed from an argument he had with his wife about not getting enough sleep the night before. According to the probable cause statement, Miller also told authorities that he is bipolar and schizophrenic. He said he was possessed at the time of the incident and that God and Lucifer told him to commit the crimes. Man Gets Probation In Baby's Death  Baby's Grandmother Upset By Sentence POSTED: 4:57 pm CDT June 4, 2009 UPDATED: 7:15 pm CDT June 4, 2009 MIAMI COUNTY, Kan. -- A Miami County judge handed down a seven-month suspended sentence Thursday for the death of an 8-month-old girl. The baby's grandmother, Karen Dwyer, said the man, who pleaded guilty to aggravated endangerment of a child, wouldn't have even gotten that if she had not stepped in. "He didn't show any remorse. He never said he was sorry, so I looked into it," Dwyer said. Three years ago, Dwyer's granddaughter, Janis Joelle, died after suffering burns on 72 percent of her body. The girl's mother's live-in boyfriend, James Boomer, was holding a pot of scalding water when he lost his balance and poured it all over the baby. "He never ever called 911. He put her in a baby swing right after he burned her," Dwyer said. About an hour and a half later, the baby's mother came home from work and rushed her to the hospital. They flew her to a burn unit in Cincinnati, where she later died. The Miami County district attorney believed it was an accident and never filed charges, so Dwyer went to the Kansas Attorney General, and Boomer was then charged with one count of endangering a child. "He killed a baby and didn't give her a chance to survive by withholding medical attention for a long time -- an hour and a half or more. An 8-month-old baby, and all he gets is probation," said Dwyer. When the judge asked Boomer if he had anything to say before sentencing, he said, "No." When KCTV5 News tried to talk to him after the sentencing, he avoided the news camera and went out the other door. "He had no remorse, no nothing. And they give him nothing -- a slap on the hand for killing an 8-month-old baby," said Dwyer. Boomer spent four months in jail after his arrest. As long as he follows the terms of his probation for the next eight months, he will not have to go back to jail. Missing Baby Found in Sandwich, Father Arrested    Massachusetts: 38-year-old John J. Fielding is in custody after assaulting the mother of his 11-month-old daughter and fleeing with the infant, telling the mother this was the last time she would ever see the child. The incident sparked a police search which ended when Fielding contacted police and revealed his location in the town of Sandwich. When police arrived he became aggressive and had to be subdued with pepper spray. The infant is back with her mother. As a result of the incident Fielding, who was drunk at the time of the incident, has been charged with felony child endangerment, violating a restraining order, and domestic assault and battery. Nampa man accused of hurting, burning 2-year-old child  Sharon Strauss sstrauss@idahopress.com  Thursday, June 4th, 2009 CANYON COUNTY — A Nampa man faces two counts of aggravated battery after a 2-year-old child was taken to the hospital with broken bones and cigarette burns. Mario J. Gonzalez, 23, faces up to 15 years in prison for each count if found guilty. He is held in the Canyon County jail on a $250,000 bond. The victim is Gonzalez' girlfriend's 2-year old child, according to Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney John Bujak. Officials say the mother took her child to Mercy Medical Center where the toddler was examined. Medical personnel then contacted the Nampa Police Department to investigate the circumstances of the injuries. The mother believed the injuries resulted from an accident, according to the prosecutor's office. The allegations in the complaint include descriptions of injuries to the child of both arms being broken and several cigarette burns to the child's feet.   Gonzalez, who has no prior criminal convictions for a violent offense, is set to return to court at 10 a.m. June 15 in front of 3rd District Magistrate Judge Karen Vehlow for a preliminary hearing. A no-contact order is in place, prohibiting contact with the victim and any minor children.   Missing 9-Month-Old Found, Father Still Missing  Posted: 5:21 AM Jun 5, 2009 Last Updated: 2:35 PM Jun 5, 2009 Reporter: Eric Lupher Email Address: ELupher@kktv.com PLAY VIDEO: Missing 9-Month-Old Found A missing 9-month-old baby girl has been found in Pueblo but police say her father, a registered sex offender, is still on the run. Pueblo police say 26-year-old Ted Perez went missing on May 29. Police believe he had also abducted his daughter, 9-month-old Iyana Perez, who also disappeared that day. Pueblo police say they found Iyana at 9 a.m. Friday. Police say they began searching all addresses known to be associated with Perez. One person they encountered, who is remaining anonymous, gave police a tip about the whereabouts of the little girl. That tip turned out to be good. Police found Iyana in a home, being cared for by the sister of a friend of Ted Perez. 11 News spoke with that friend, who tell us Perez dropped the baby off and asked that he take care of her. The friend then brought Iyana to his sister's house and that's where police found her, healthy and unharmed. Both the friend and his sister tell 11 News they had no idea that Iyana was missing or that Ted Perez was wanted by police. Iyana is now in the custody of Pueblo police. According to police, her father, Ted Perez is known to be unstable. Police say Ted Perez is known to use narcotics and is suicidal. Police say he also made statements that he would kill Iyana before she went missing. Perez and Iyana's mother are not married and have no known residence. Police cannot find Iyana's mother at this point either. Police say Perez has two active warrants, one for a domestic violence allegation and one for violating the terms of a registered sex offender. Police say the third warrant is not activated yet but will be for a domestic violence charge that allegedly occurred with the child's mother very recently. Perez was convicted of harassment with a factual basis for sexual assault more than 10 years ago. That is what put him on the registered sex offender list. Since he was a minor at the time, police will not release details of the charges. Ted Perez is a Hispanic man, 5'7" tall with brown eyes and brown hair. He has a tattoo on the right side of his neck that reads, "Selena". According to police, Perez does not have a vehicle. They say he travels by foot or bicycle. If you have any information on this case, you're asked to call Pueblo police at 553-2502 Man arrested in suspected domestic abuse  Used tot as a human shield By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/Times-Herald staff writer Posted: 06/04/2009 01:00:56 AM PDT   A Vallejo man was arrested Wednesday after using his toddler as a human shield against police, a Vallejo Police Department spokesman said. Police contacted Gary Garner of Vallejo, 32, at about 9:15 a.m. at a North Vallejo residence, to investigate a report of domestic violence, Vallejo Police spokesman Sgt. Sid De Jesus said. Garner was uncooperative, he said. "He held the child close and wouldn't relinquish the child," he said. Garner "was eventually physically restrained without further incident, no one was injured, and he was taken to Solano County Jail." The 18-month-old girl was returned unharmed to her pregnant mother, who was also on the scene, De Jesus said. "(The woman) had a cut upper lip, was bruised and battered, but she wasn't hospitalized," he said. Garner was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, child endangerment, resisting arrest and for an outstanding warrant out of Santa Cruz, De Jesus said. The nature of the warrant was not immediately known, he said. Hudson man accused of child abuse after baby taken to hospital  By Times Staff  Published Wednesday, June 3, 2009 HUDSON Baby in hospital leads to Man's abuse charge A 2-month-old girl was taken to the hospital on May 25 for projectile vomiting. Doctors there noticed blood spots on her brain and sent her to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. There, she was diagnosed as having neurological damage and hemorrhaging in her brain and eyes: All the symptoms of shaken baby syndrome. "I did it," Anthony B. Curatolo told authorities, according to his arrest report. "I was too rough with her." Curatolo, 22, told investigators the child might have been injured when he accidentally smacked the back of her head against a doorway while carrying her. Or he might have bounced her too much in her bouncy swing, he said, according to the Pasco Sheriff's Office report. Kevin Doll, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said the baby was released from the hospital on Sunday and is in custody of caregivers. He would not release the identities of the caregivers or Curatolo's relationship to the infant. He said the girl's long-term prognosis is not known. Curatolo, a laborer who lives at 10160 Briar Circle in Hudson, was arrested Monday on a charge of aggravated child abuse and is being held without bail at the Land O'Lakes jail. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, this is Curatolo's first arrest in Florida. Celina man guilty of murder in baby's death  Comments 4 | Recommend 4 June 4, 2009 - 10:39 AM Greg Sowinski Published June 5, 2009 CELINA - A 25-year-old man faces 23 years to life in prison when he is sentenced July 22 for killing an 11-month old child. Jason C. Thomas pleaded no contest this week to murder and felonious assault in the Jan. 14 incident that led to the death of his stepson, Kole Mathew Atkins, the next day. A doctor at Children's Medical Center in Dayton said the child had injuries that were consistent with Shaken Baby Impact Syndrome. The child had numerous bruises, broken bones and internal injuries, prosecutors said. Emergency responders were called to the home of the infant's mother at 119 Garmin Ave. on an injured child not breathing. Thomas was the only person home with the infant at the time, Celina Police Department officials reported. Kole was taken to a local hospital and then transported to the hospital in Dayton. Celina Police Chief David Slusser said an autopsy at the Montgomery County Coroner's Office found severe injuries to the baby's head, body and extremities that were inconsistent with any type of accident. After charges were filed, Thomas was held in jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Filicide Planned

Farquharson accused of 'grooming' witness 

AAP

June 04, 2009 02:53pm

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A MAN convicted of killing his three children by driving them into a dam tried to "groom" a prosecution witness into giving the "right" answers to police, a court has heard.

Robert Farquharson, 39, is appealing his conviction for the murders of Jai, 10, Tyler, seven, and Bailey, two.

The three drowned in a dam near Winchelsea in Victoria's south-west on Fathers Day 2005.

Just months earlier Farquharson told his friend Gregory King at a local fish-and-chip shop he would make his wife pay by killing their three sons on Fathers Day so she would remember it for the rest of her life.

After the boys died, Mr King wore a recording device and tried to get Farquharson to talk about the fish-and-chip shop conversation.

Mr King told Farquharson he was to be interviewed by police the next day.

Farquharson urged him to focus on the positives.

"All you have to say is he's a good bloke, I've known them (Farquharson and ex-wife Cindy Gambino) for a long time, that I loved my kids and that we (Cindy and I) get along,'' Farquharson said.

Today, Douglas Trapnell for the Crown said this conversation was evidence of a guilty Farquharson coaching his friend to give the right answers to police.

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• Killer must pay ex-wife $225,000 compoThe Australian, 14 May 2009
• Man to pay ex-wife for murdering sonsNEWS.com.au, 14 May 2009

"If this was a sex case we would say he was grooming,'' Mr Trapnell said.

But he said the case against Farquharson stood up even if Mr King was not believed.

But Farquharson's lawyer Peter Morrissey said much of the fish-and-chip shop conversation did not take place.

"It was simply unbelievable that he (Mr King) did not tell his wife these details,'' Mr Morrissey said.

"It is unbelievable that he would not approach anyone about it.''

He said if the evidence of Mr King was not believed, a conviction could not be sustained.

The appeal before Chief Justice Marilyn Warren and justices Geoffrey Nettle andRobert Redlich continues.

Australian murder suicide

Murder-suicide at Ingle Farm in Adelaide's northern suburbs 

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DOUG ROBERTSON

June 03, 2009 08:40am

POLICE say reports that an Ingle Farm man called American police to confess killing his wife before taking his own life were incorrect.

Last night, Elizabeth CIB Chief Inspector Peter Duance said US police informed NSW Crime Stoppers who then alerted SA police.

But police now say they are investingating several calls between the US and Australa, but these were not to officers there.

Officers forced entry into the Derrilin Rd home where they discovered the bodies of a man and woman, both aged in their 30s, about 2pm. 

It is believed the Indian couple were married with a daughter, 14, and a son, 10. Police, who collected the children from schools in the area and put them into the care of counsellors, said they could not explain why the deceased man had called U.S police. "None of that has been established, it's very early in the investigation," Chief-Insp Duance said. 

Friends of the dead couple who came to the suburban street after being told of the tragedy said they were shocked at the news. A male witness, who declined to be named, said he had known the deceased couple and their children for more than a year. 

He said the parents had "a good, strong relationship". 

"When you are living away from your country it's important to have a strong relationship," the man said. 

"It's very difficult to realise this situation . . . they are a really good family." 

He said the woman had been studying in Australia for at least two years before her husband joined her. 

She had recently been granted permanent residency and had been working as a registered nurse at an Ingle Farm aged-care home. 

The alarm was initially raised when she did not arrive at work yesterday. 

The man, a tradesman, and the two children joined their wife and mother from southern India about five months ago. 

Nearby residents said they knew the children by sight but had rarely spoken to the parents. 
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Alienation: Who is Alienating Who?

 Janelle Burrill is a major assailant in Americas Parent Alienation Scandal(PAS) .  One of the most major rationales that defies the pseudo syndrome logic is the fact that mothers are the ones who are not only alienated from their loved ones, but from the rest of the community as "Vindictive women".  How and why?  One may ask and this very post will unfold one of the biggest family violence scandals of our times.  We all know that violence against women occurs to one in three women at least once in their lifetime.  Thats obvious.  We see the deaths in the news  and hear about it from our love ones.  There appears to be bizarre perception that country leaders are actually taking steps to curb these numbers and educate the community about how wrong family violence is.  There is a big hole in all of this and the only way it comes to light is when women goes through this with children .  This has become a revelation that mothers and children all over the world are now writing their hearts out about. Some write about it with raw emotions and others write about it trying to fill the gaps of information as to why a system that they have been taught would work for them in due fairness has failed them and their children miserably.  Some appeared to have gone mad with conspiracy theories and fanatical religious beliefs.  When asked about what happened, their lives were conveyed in a logical and rational manner that appeared to veer into this world of injustice and lack of information. The missing information breaks through the notion of trust we lay upon systematic approaches, professionals and the present laws, it rocks our core beliefs upon natural justice, human compassion and experts in psychology.  For most it is a new ground to discover that what we thought existed does not.  We cannot know why such cruelty has continued at the hands of Judges, Officials and Professionals, but we can tell you a little about what drives them to believe that this cruelty is the work of "good".

Lets go back to some basics about knowledge and how it influences our day to day decisions.  We clean our dishes with hot water, utilize disinfectants to arm ourselves against microscopic creatures that make us sick.  We can only see these creatures in a microscope and trust what we are told that they can make us sick.  The only people that know the truth are those of whom have had the privilege and equipment to test this out.  We are dependent upon this knowledge and coax others who do not practice such methods to conform to this action.  Some may even hold the person with contempt that a person would provide a dish cleaned without these measures taken.  Laws have been built around these measures to ensure that restaurants also take these measures too.  Hot water and disinfectant is considered a necessity in preparing our food and the news about sickness from bacterial infections continue to satisfy this belief to be true, despite the fact that a majority of the population has not physically sighted bacteria causing harm to a living being.  We trust that this is true. So what if it was all a big fat lie? What if you found that the bacteria that you had been disinfecting against was a natural resource to stop you from becoming infected?  What if this lie was told for financial gain?

So one would begin to rethink and wonder what else is a lie and how many others were told and most importantly, what is true? Some people might feel that there is a high probability of truth to something if a large proportion of the population believes it.  An old saying said mostly by mothers to their children, 

"If everybody decided to jump in the oven, would you do it?"  

So lets modernize this term,

"If everybody decided to rip children away from their mothers, would you do it?"

If it was put in this way, the answer is "No".  

Perhaps if it was put in a more friendly way,

"If everybody decided that children need their fathers, would you support it?"

We all know that not all fathers are good to their children, so the answer is, "Maybe"

Perhaps some sales language could help.

"If everybody decided that children need both parents, would you support it?"

That sounds fair and nice, we are not worried about the missing pieces of information as we expect there to be some real antidotes with such language, so the answer is "yes".

So what happens if one of the parents does not comply ?  If it is unreasonable, we expect there to be some sort of assistance to remove some of the barriers that stops that person from complying.  If the parent is abusing the child we expect that the agreement be altered so that the child is not at risk of harm.  That is not an unreasonable request.  

We expect that if the parent was being violent to the other that their safety would also be protected too.  

"Most mothers lie about violence to get full custody and child support payments".  

We cannot see what goes on, so this could happen and after seeing how they uncover evidence on all of those crime shows that must be the problem.  There is no evidence and has ever been such evidence to suggest that.  

Then we see the experts who have been explaining away the mentally ill to what appears to have some truth to it backed by the credentials they have who tell us,

"Some mothers are affected by a condition called Parent Alienation Syndrome where they project their hatred towards the father onto the child, she may be resentful for past violence against her"

"Children affected by Parental Alienation Syndrome make allegations against the other parent mostly the father"

Not only is there no physical evidence of this, but it is a theory that has not been accepted by any credible scientific organization in the world.  Testing for the abuse is also considered a form of abuse which is referred to as, "Medical Abuse" .  Concerns for harm of the child being investigated have resulted in court orders that restrain the mother from taking the child to practitioners and counsellors.  So now any investigation into child abuse or family violence can be halted.  The law changes combined with practice principles have moulded together an oppressive collaboration to contain any evidence the mother has and halt any intentions of supporting justice for the child/victim of violence in order to stop this imaginary syndrome .

International: Child Abuse Rising

Brutal child abuse on the rise 

By Kate Santich | Sentinel Staff Writer

May 31, 2009

The girl was 7 years old. Her father, raising her by himself, was just 23. Her great offense, Orange County detectives would later learn, was losing the cell phone her dad had given her. Terrified of what might happen, she lied and said it was stolen.

She had reason to be wary.

When the Orlando man learned the truth, he beat his daughter so badly he broke her spine, bruised her spleen and made her face "unrecognizable" to her own grandmother. Then he called relatives in Washington state, persuaded them to fly out and take the girl, and he put her on a plane in a veiled costume.

If anyone asks, he told the girl's aunt, "Just say [she] was in a car accident." Instead, after reaching Washington, relatives took the child to an emergency room. A nurse practitioner said the force of the father's blow might easily have been fatal.

Related"It was horrendous," said Carrie Hoeppner, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Children and Families' central region, which includes Orlando. "He beat her like he was fighting a grown man."

Though the father — who is not being named to protect his daughter's identity — was arrested in January on attempted murder charges and the girl is recovering, the case continues to trouble child-abuse investigators for other reasons. It is, they say, only one example of a growing trend in which Florida children are being killed or severely injured by the people who are supposed to be taking care of them.

In 2008, the number of fatal child-abuse cases in Central Florida more than doubled over 2007, from 14 to 30. Already this year, the deaths of 59 children are under investigation, though some will likely turn out to be accidental or the result of neglect.

Among the recent cases is the early May shooting spree of 34-year-old Troy Ryan Bellar of Lakeland, who used a high-powered assault rifle to kill his wife, Wendy, and two of their sons, 8-year-old Ryan and 5-month-old Zack. Their 13-year-old son managed to escape to a neighbor's house as his father fired after him. Ultimately, Troy Bellar shot and killed himself in the family's front yard.

"This is one of the most tragic, senseless and horrific crimes we have investigated," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

That case came a month after 6-month-old Jeremiah Shaneyfelt was found dying at his mother's Osceola County home. Investigators said he had been shaken, head-butted and dropped. His mother's boyfriend, Michael Reid Jr., 27, is now charged with first degree murder in the infant's death. As it turns out, he was awaiting trial on similar child-abuse charges in a case where a 6-month-old was severely injured.

The crimes join a litany of baffling, bizarre abuses in which Florida infants and toddlers have been starved, shot and thrown out of a moving car onto a highway.

"When you think about what you're hearing now in the news, I think unfortunately we will see another increase [in child-abuse deaths] next year," said Major Connie Shingledecker, chairwoman of the state's Child Abuse Death Review Team, which examines cases reported through the Florida child-abuse hot line and verified by investigators. Though the team is only now looking at deaths for last year, Shingledecker notes there already has been a documented increase in familial murder-suicides, which used to be virtually unheard of.

She and other officials say the recession may be a contributing factor.

"We know of whole families being wiped out, not only in Florida but across the country," she said. "And in a lot of the cases, there is a link to economic troubles. People feel such hopelessness. They may be dealing with a dramatic change in their lifestyle, and they see no way out."

Economic problems can lead to depression and a loss of identity when the family's breadwinner, often the father, loses his job, experts say.

"If you're already stressed out — maybe you got laid off from your job or you're worried about the bank foreclosing on your home — you're also more likely to abuse [drugs and alcohol]," said Alan Abramowitz, director of DCF's family safety program. "Add a crying baby, and that can be a recipe for disaster."

Men are more commonly the perpetrators in abuse cases, while women lead in cases of neglect. Statistics show the most typical abuser profile is the boyfriend of a single mom, 18 to 30 years old and unemployed. If the mother is facing financial difficulties herself, she may have the boyfriend move in to share living expenses — or to have free child care while she works.

The fact that these men have no biological bond with the children, and often no prior parenting experience, makes them ill-prepared to deal with crying jags, potty-training accidents and the battle of wills that can come with feeding very young children.

"If you look at the age curve for victims of shaken-baby syndrome, it often correlates with the crying curve of babies — the amount of time each day that babies spend crying," said Dr. Mark Kesler, medical director of the state's child protection team for Orange and Osceola counties. "People don't understand that babies can cry a certain number of hours each day, and that's normal."

It doesn't take much, Kesler notes, to seriously injure an infant by shaking. The difference in size and strength between adult and child coupled with a baby's weak neck muscles and disproportionately large head can quickly lead to permanent brain damage or death.

"All you have to do is lose it for 10 seconds," Kesler said.

Kate Santich can be reached at 407-420-5503 or ksantich@orlandosentinel.com.

 Child abuse rates to increase: agency 

AAPJune 1, 2009, 12:02 am

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A national child protection agency warns that as the recession bites deeper, child abuse and domestic violence will increase.

Australian Childhood Foundation chief Dr Joe Tucci says the current estimate of a 10 per cent rise over the next year was "conservative".

It could go higher, as the foundation has been reporting a 15 to 20 per cent increase in referrals to its counselling service.

"The last three months we've seen a real spike in the number of referrals to us, April and May in particular," Dr Tucci told AAP on Sunday.

"In the last couple of months, we've really seen a spike of 20 per cent. It's not coming down."

Dr Tucci said domestic violence cases made up the majority of referrals over the past few months.

"The biggest increase is coming from parents, generally the mum, who is looking for some support and counselling for their child who has been exposed to domestic violence in their household," he said.

Dr Tucci said there was a connection between financial stress and parents who respond to pressure with violence in the home.

He said in the current financial climate children were living in emotionally-charged environments where parents were feeling the heat.

"With an escalation in financial pressure, more children will find themselves in a home environment that is emotionally charged, potentially involving alcohol, and probably resulting in verbal or physical violence," he said.

Dr Tucci, who worked in child protection during the last recession, said there was a similar increase in violence and neglect of children in the early 1990s.

"It's happened before and it will happen again," he said.

He called on all Australian governments to release figures regularly, rather than annually, on the number of children placed in care to gauge the full impact of the recession on rates of abuse and violence.

"I think everyone to a degree is responsible for protecting kids and we need to be a little bit more attuned to the vulnerability of children at this time.

"The release of information into the community is a good way of ... keeping us informed of how the financial crisis is manifesting itself in relation to children."