[Billy_bob_bob]

What about when a neighbor hears a child being beaten for hours on end? Screaming and yelling and pounding going on and on and on? Broad daylight, full afternoon sunshine when the beating starts, pitch dark when it ends? Would you call the cops then?

Because I wish to God someone had called the cops when that was being done to me some thirty-five years ago. Maybe the cops would have taken me away from that psycho b!tch, and I could have had something resembling a childhood instead of the hellish nightmare I got to grow up in.

So where do you draw the line? At what point do you pick up a phone and call someone to get involved? The kid can't do it for themselves, they're too brutalized and terrorized to be able to call for help. Would you call for help for them? Or would you just remain silent while the beatings go on and on and on?

Oh, and the best thing about beatings like that one? They never really end. They just keep on giving and giving. But don't get involved. Don't want to disturb your perfect little world.

[spokanite]

If I saw a kid that was beaten to a pulp by it's parent(s), yes I would call the authorities. But, if I knew my neighbor and I had seen their child happy with life and having fun most of the time, then I would probably brush aside the screaming and crying from next door if it happened on rare occasions. The child probably wasn't getting their way and probably needed an attitude adjustment.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Very sorry to hear of your experiences, and glad that you nonetheless managed to grow up into a compassionate adult.

I think some people here are confusing the act of calling police about signs of abuse, with some of the methods employed by "Child Protective Services" workers who respond, and the courts which rubber stamp CPS actions. The former is the responsibility of any civilized person, but unfortunately the horror stories of CPS seizing uninjured children from perfectly innocent parents, and refusing to give them back, have resulted in many people thinking it's better not to call in the first place.

Furthermore, regardless of the parents' guilt or innocence, in a huge number of cases, CPS agencies have placed children in foster homes where previous serious abuse has been documented, and in a few cases children have even been killed in the foster homes.

It's all a pretty miserable situation, and I really hope it's starting to get enough publicity to get some serious changes made. If you have the time and energy, and aren't already doing it, it would be a great area for activism. Many state agencies are way out of control, and too often no one but accused parents are mounting a serious challenge (you, on the other hand, would have a lot of credibility). The tragic result is a growing chorus of "better not to call the police in these situations", and too many children not getting rescued when they urgently need to be.

[lsee]

I wish to God someone had called the cops when that was being done to me some thirty-five years ago

I'm so sorry for the child you were then and I sincerely hope you're enjoying the best sort of life now. One song that broke my heart several years ago when I first heard it was this one by Susan Vega:

My name is Luka, I live on the second floor
I live upstairs from you, Yes I think you've seen me before
If you hear something late at night, Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight
Just don't ask me what it was ( x3 )

Maybe it's because I'm clumsy, I try not to talk too loud
Maybe it's because I'm crazy, I try not to act too proud
They only hit until you cry, And after that you don't ask why
You just don't argue anymore ( x3 )

Yes, I think I'm okay, Walked into the door again
If you ask that's what I'll say, And it's not your business anyway
I guess I'd like to be alone, With nothing broken, nothing thrown
Just don't ask me how I am ( x3 )

My name is Luka, I live on the second floor
I live upstairs from you, Yes I think you've seen me before
If you hear something late at night, Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight
Just don't ask me what it was ( x3 )

And they only hit until you cry
And after that you don't ask why
You just don't argue anymore ( x3 )

I hear parents say the worst things to their kids in public places...and when I see parents behaving harshly to their kids, I often tell them what a beautiful child they have and ask questions like "how old is he/she?" Sometimes my attention distracts the child from whatever they were doing and gives the parent a moment to remember how precious their kids are. Sometimes just knowing that someone is noticing their child and their own behavior reminds the parents to think about what they are doing.

[NYCVirago]

Because I wish to God someone had called the cops when that was being done to me some thirty-five years ago. Maybe the cops would have taken me away from that psycho b!tch, and I could have had something resembling a childhood instead of the hellish nightmare I got to grow up in.

Thanks for your post. I'm getting tired of hearing how the state is evil if they separate children from abusive parents; it's good to hear from the voice of one of the abused.