A new study shows that the majority of states fail to protect the rights of abused children. Fortunately, the state-by-state report card shows that most states are improving. The study, conducted by two leading child advocacy organizations, showed that in most cases, the court fails to listen to the childrens’ wishes or provide them with adequate representation in court during dependency trials. On the overall grading system, California earned a B for it’s representation of minor abuse victims. Seven states, including Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, and North Dakota received F’s.
“In the current economic recession, these children are suffering more than ever -reports of child abuse have skyrocketed while resources to help them have been placed in jeopardy.” said Amy Harfeld, Executive Director of First Star, one of the organizations performing the study. Herald deplores the fact that the alleged abusive parents are given an attorney, but the children are herded through the system without ever having their voices heard.
This is the second report of its kind. The first report, issued in 2007, prompted 17 states, including California, to issue new laws on the matter. Additionally, the federal government has recently funded a $5 million grant to study the effect of providing legal council to these children, up until this point, there has been little research on the subject. The effect will be interesting, as many of the children will likely urge their San Francisco family attorneys to keep their family together, while those experiencing serious abuse will likely be thankful for the protection and ensure that they are kept away from their abusive homes.
To read more on the issue, see the article in Rueters. Image originally via D Sharron Pruitt [Flickr]