The child who came to be known as Case No. 95-2011-00009 was the fourth born into a home where abuse and neglect were practically a family tradition.
The mother, who was both a victim and perpetrator of abuse, had abused cocaine and suffered with mental illness. She repeatedly refused treatment; knowing that keeping her family intact depended on it.
Still, she refused, and one by one, the authorities removed the children. She lost custody of her 10-year-old son in 2004. Her 7-year-old daughter was removed in 2005. And her 3-year-old daughter was taken in 2008.
When she became pregnant with her fourth child, there was an active neglect case against her. Yet when she delivered the healthy boy on Dec. 27, 2010, he was released to her care.
Within a month, he was dead.
ENOUGH ALREADY!!
Child abuse is any act of maltreatment of a child by a parent or guardian that results in injury or harm and included instances of neglect, emotional injury, physical abuse and sexual abuse.
The Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act of Alberta defines the four main types of abuse as:
1.Neglect
Each situation and family is different so, while some of the signs might point to abuse, they might also mean that the family is facing other problems that may contribute to child abuse such as:
- A lack of parenting skills
- Immature parents
- Parents with negative childhood experiences and social isolation
- Alcohol and/or drug use in the home
- Manufacture of drugs, indoor marijuana grow operations, drug trafficking, or other forms of illegal drug activity in the home
- Family violence in the home
- Frequent family crisis
- Unrealistic expectations of a child’s behaviour and capacities
The worst case of child abuse in Canada occurred in 1998. See clip of the week on Randal Dooley.
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