What You Can Do

In September 2005, there have been several excellent newspaper articles that indicated we were starting a universal screening program, in the High Desert of Southern California that would identify children with behavioral disorders before age 5. This is being done to head off severe mental-health problems among at-risk school children.

Screening is the answer. Using the modern tools of medicine and psychiatry, we can
identify tomorrow's serial killer, rapist, and arsonist in-the-making. If we help them by stopping the abuse, and guarantee their basic human rights as American citizens, we can change their very destiny.

Abuse suffered by people as children causes them to be dysfunctional, which in turn causes them to be unable to hold a job, which perpetuates poverty. Poverty has been proven to be one of the biggest factors in the perpetuation of abuse. It is a vicious cycle.

It is hard to be responsible and hold a job when you've been subjected to what these people have experienced. The abuse they suffered as children is comparable to that suffered by those who've been incarcerated in concentration camps.

Victims of abuse clog our prisons and mental hospitals, they murder our sons and daughters, they steal what we've worked long and hard for. They must steal, because they cannot make a living being responsible. It is impossible to be responsible when you're mentally crippled, and that is what child abuse does.

Whenever you see homeless street people, gang members, prostitutes, and other mentally ill people, what you are seeing is people made into what they are by child abuse. With the implementation of Proposition 63, and screening at-risk children, that can all end.

Big things are happening in the great state of California-things that, if successful, could have an impact on our entire nation-which is a world leader. What is being attempted here has never been done before.

Know that you have taken the initiative in our war against this thing that cripples our children and makes monsters of men. As they say, all is fair in love and war. Hedge your bets in this struggle.

When the Mental Health Services Act passed, we got the active participation of the voting public. We need to keep true to our promises to those voters by keeping them informed of our efforts against child abuse. To do that, we need a Public Relations campaign to keep the active participation of a sympathetic, informed public.

I read an article in April of 2004 about two girls riding a parasail at the beach. The wind suddenly gusted, and broke their rope. "…It took as many as 100 people a half-hour… (to save them). 'It was awesome seeing the whole beach react. Everybody didn't even think, they just ran down, grabbed the rope, and started hauling those girls down.'" The moral of the story: most people are good at heart, and willing to help. Those people at the beach saw that there was an immediate danger, and knew their help could make a difference. They got immediate, visible reinforcement for their actions to save those girls. Everyone went back feeling good for what they'd done.

Show those who voted in the Mental Health Services Act that their vote was not in vain. Do everything you can to maintain the support of the voters who helped in this endeavor. We could start by publishing anonymous letters from children who were being abused, thanking the voting public for saving them. That would make the voters see that the danger of abuse was very real for these children, and that their vote for Proposition 63 helped make a difference.

Another part of the PR campaign could be letters and interviews from patients in mental health facilities, and prisoners in our jails and prisons. From my experience working with the mentally ill for 30 years, I know most would speak of the abuse that befell them if they thought that it might help some innocent child in the future.

Preventing the abuse of children is not only the humane thing to do. If done properly, it can be lucrative.

In April of 2001, I read an article where Prevent Child Abuse America estimated abuse and neglect costs our great nation 258 million daily, or 94 billion a year.

In March of 2003, The Rand Corporation estimated we'd save 15 times the investment, if we focused on treatment rather than building more prisons. If we stop the scourge of abuse from destroying our at-risk youth, instead of maladjusted career criminals who are costly liabilities to us all, these people would be happy, well-adjusted, tax-paying citizens. We need to fight for the money that we will save and reinvest it in the campaign against abuse.

In opening this new front against this enemy of us all, we need to approach people of power and influence in our great state. If they see that we represent our community, maybe they will give us enough time to hear what we have to say. If they see how important our endeavor is, maybe we would get their support. We need to approach Hollywood Celebrities and see if anyone there understands how important this is. Important people in high places would see not only that terrible suffering would be alleviated, but that great amounts of money could be saved. To guarantee those children the rights we all enjoy is only American.

There are other important people on our community. They may not be rich and famous, but if they saw the value of our efforts, they too would be willing to lend us their support. Maybe they would only be willing to vote in initiatives we need to get this thing done. But they might see the greatness of this thing we would do, and want to be a part of it. There are many out there who would believe in saving children from child abuse.

The reason I urge such a strong public relations campaign is this: we cannot fail in this endeavor.

I have another article from a newspaper from August of 1998 that says, "Reports of child abuse nationally rose 41 percent between 1988 and 1997…" A different article from January 2003 said, "The number of kids…(who were abused) increased 67 percent from 1997 to 2001." If we combine the statistics above, we're looking at an increase of 108 percent! That's in only 14 years.

I've read quotes where the chief of police said that the problem was beyond the police. A leader of a coalition of churches-hundreds strong-said the problem was beyond them too. A prominent social worker, with decades of service in the field, recently said that nothing else has worked.

Despite the horrible statistics, which could foreshadow the very collapse of our society, Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act, is our ray of hope.

Children aren't born monsters-they're made into monsters.

With the screening program, we will seek out the child who will someday end up in prison, or in a mental institution, and stop the terrible abuse they are suffering.

Those who seek to stay the hand of child abuse are helping mankind turn the corner in our development as Human Beings. The eradication of child abuse is the next step in our evolution as a race.

The ending of child abuse would change humanity-do all you can in the making of this brave new world.

I know you would help the children if you could, good reader. Now you can. You only have to lift a finger and contact your local newspaper and express your interest. Let them know you'd like to read more about these children who are being screened. Don't let yourself be guilty of indifference. Lend a finger and call, write, or email.

Stephen Park
www.childabusemuststop.org