Question by MamaKate: Abuse, Adoption and Lots of Questions?
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2010/03/08/adoption-gone-awry-launches-couple-onto-child-abuse-list/52663/

I came across this article this morning and it made me wonder about several things:

1. Do you feel that the actions of the AM (cutting the AD’s hair as punishment) should be considered abuse – why or why not?

(I also wish I knew how well the APs were educated about their AD’s history and issues, but on the other hand, the APs are relatively well educated in a general sense and work in the medical and law enforcement fields…)

2. Do you think the APs received “special treatment” due to their job statuses?

3. “We got off their list, but there are a lot of people out there who don’t have the resources we have,” Bette said. “ They don’t’ have a husband who’s an attorney, they don’t know what the law is. To me, it’s a really sad state of affairs when your liberties are taken away from you and you have no recourse. We want the public to know that this situation exists. Is there anyone else who’s been in this situation?”

Do you feel that this statement applies could apply to some biological parents also? What do you feel should be the recourse for people who have been “bullied by the system”?

4, The APs lawsuit against DSS states:
“This case amounts to an unconstitutional abuse of power by county social workers and county policies that both violate and demonstrate a deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of Plaintiffs, parents and others who work with children. County social workers, acting as judge and jury, and without meeting any burden of proof, have the ability and authority to arbitrarily and falsely stigmatize individuals as ‘child abusers’ and without providing any pre-deprivation procedural due process, then blacklist their names by reporting them to a central registry maintained by the California Department of Justice without prior notice or an opportunity to be heard. In doing so, the (county and state) trample on the constitutional rights of parents to raise their children and maintain family integrity, do irreparable damage to the reputations of those stigmatized as child abusers, deny them procedural due process guaranteed under the 14th Amendment and ultimately harm the very children the defenders are supposed to protect.”

Do you agree or disagree with these statements and what kind of impact could this have on the way we handle abuse cases?

5. What would you change about the way the system works to prevent issues like this? How can we best balance protecting abused children and ensuring sure the system is not being heavy handed towards parents?

I will be ruminating on these questions today and I’d love to hear your opinions on any or all of these questions if you have the time. Thanks!
ETA: I guess I should add that I DO feel that cutting a child’s hair as punishment is indeed abusive.

Best answer:

Answer by smarmy
I don’t think its abuse but its still not very cool.

Yeah I think they got special treatment because of “his” position, not necessarily hers.

Part of me wants to say “too bad” but i have to agree that there are some seriously over zealous case workers. Their rights were trampled, they were put on a registry without being able to defend themselves, how does that feel? Similar things happen to parents and adoptee’s every day.

I’m glad the story was told, but I still don’t feel very sorry for them, they got this story told and will probably win their law suit because of their status. They talk about their rights but what about everybody elses.

Give your answer to this question below!