>>> A RECENT CASE OF ALLEGED ABUSE WHICH LED TO THE DEATH OF
A CHILD IN FITCHBURG HAS MANY OUTRAGED AND WONDERING WHAT CAN
BE DONE TO PREVENT SUCH A TRAGEDY.
APRIL IS NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH, AND
"CONNECTING POINT"'S CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH
PEDIATRICIAN, DR. STEPHEN BOOSE. THE CO-MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE
FAMILY ADVOCACY CENTER AT BAY STATE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
EXPLAINED HOW STRONGER COMMUNITIES CAN HELP PREVENT
CHILD ABUSE. >> I AM A PEDIATRICIAN SO I TAKE
CARE OF CHILDREN AND I'VE BEEN DHOOG FOR 35 YEARS.
ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO I FOCUSED IN THE AREA OF CHILD ABUSE, MOSTLY
IT'S ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHEN THERE'S A CONCERN OF ABUSE,
WHETHER THE MEDICAL EVIDENCE SUPPORTS ABUSE BEING PRESENT OR
WHETHER THE MEDICAL EVIDENCE SAYS NO, THIS IS NOT A
INDICATION OF ABUSE. IN EITHER CASE, GUIDING PEOPLE
TO APPROPRIATE CARE SO THAT CHILDREN DO AS WELL AS CAN BE
EXPECTED AND THEIR FAMILIES DO AS WELL AS CAN BE EXPECTED.
>> SO, AS FAR AS PREVENTING A BECAUSE, CLOSE KNIT NEIGHBORS AS
A WAY TO PROTECT KIDS. >> THERE'S A VERY RECENT PAPER,
I THINK IT'S DATED 2018, IT'S BRAND NEW, AND THE RESEARCHERS
TOOK A GROUP OF COMMUNITIES AND TRIED TO MATCH THEM FOR OTHER
FACTORS THAT WOULD INFLUENCE THE RATE OF ABUSE, AND THE RATE OF
INVOLVEMENT WITH WHAT WE CALL D. C. F., WHAT IS NATIONALLY
CALLED CHILDREN'S PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
SO THESE COMMUNITIES WERE MATCHED, BUT THEN THEY SURVEYED
AND COMMUNITIES AND ASKED THEM WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR
NEIGHBORS, ARE THEY PEOPLE YOU CAN TRUST, PEOPLE YOU CAN GO TO?
ARE THEY HELPFUL TO YOU? IS THIS A NEIGHBORHOOD IS THAT
CLOSE KNIT. SO NOW THEY HAD THIS DATA AND
THEY GRABBED ANOTHER PIECE OF DATA, THEY SAID HOW OFTEN HAVE
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY BEEN INVOLVED WITH CHILDREN'S
PROTECTIVE SERVICES. AND THEY COMPARE THOSE TWO AND
WHAT THEY FIND IS THAT IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE TRUST
THEIR NEIGHBORS, HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR
NEIGHBORS AND FEEL THE COMMUNITY IS CLOSE KNIGHT, THE RATE OF
ABUSE WAS SIZZLY LOWER. THE RATE OF INVOLVEMENT WITH
D. C. F., C.P.S., IS SIZZLY LOWER.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS IS A
PREVENTIVE. IT'S PROTECTIVE, OF CHILD ABUSE
AND INVOLVEMENT WITH CHILD PROTECTION AGENCIES IN THE
FAMILIES WHO LIVE THERE. >> THIS CAN HAPPEN IN ANY
COMMUNITY, CORRECT, IN ANY TYPE OF FAMILY?
>> CERTAINLY. THE RATE OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT
VARIES SOMEWHAT BY THE NATURE OF COMMUNITY.
BUT THERE ARE NO COMMUNITIES WITH NO CASES.
IT HAPPENS EVERYWHERE. NOW, OFTEN IN THE WEALTHIER
COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED, THERE IS
NATURAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE.
THEY'RE HAVING THEIR GET TOGETHERS, THEIR BLOCK PARTIES,
WHATEVER. WHERE AS WHEN WE GET TO
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HIGHER IN CRIME, HIGHER IN POVERTY AND
DRUG INVOLVEMENT, THOSE PEOPLE ARE OFTEN MORE ISOLATED IN THEIR
HOMES. WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO GET
THOSE PEOPLE TOGETHER. THESE ARE THINGS THAT THE PEOPLE
THEMSELVES CAN DO, FIND NEIGHBORS WHO ARE ISOLATED AND
REACH OUT TO THEM AND DRAW THEM INTO A RELATIONSHIP.
BUT THESE ARE ALSO THINGS WE CAN DO INSTITUTIONALLY.
WE CAN HAVE COMMUNITY PARTIES, HAVE GATHERING PLACES.
THIS IS WHAT PARKS ARE ABOUT, THIS IS WHAT COMMUNITY CENTERS
ARE ABOUT. SO THE WAY WE PLAN OUR URBAN
ENVIRONMENTS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT.
>> IS IT MUCH AS BEING CONNECTED, IF YOU KNOW YOUR
NEIGHBORS AND THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING NONYOUR HOUSE AND YOU KNOW
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR HOUSE, THERE'S SORT OF AN
ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ALSO THERE'S ALSO HELP FROM THOSE PEOPLE AS
WELL? LIKE IF YOU WERE HAVING A
DIFFICULT DAY WITH YOUR CHILD, IS THAT WHAT HELPS DECREASE
THOSE CALLS? >> SO, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, BUT THAT'S NOT A QUESTION THAT'S
ANSWERED BY THIS RESEARCH. THAT'S LOGICAL THINKING.
AND WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE CALL UPON NEIGHBORS FOR HELP WHEN YOU
NEED EMERGENCY DAY CARE. WE KNOW THAT THEY CALL ON
NEIGHBORS TO WATCH THEIR ONE CHILD WHEN THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE
OTHER CHILD TO SEE THE DOCTOR. WE KNOW THAT JUST WHEN THEY'RE
FEELING DOWN AND BLUE AND THEY HAVE SOMEONE TO GO OVER AND HAVE
A CUP OF TEA WITH, THAT IS HELPFUL TO PEOPLE.
BUT TO SAY THAT THE CONNECTIONS ARE USED THIS WHAT I AND THESE
ARE THE ONES THAT PREVENT THE ABUSE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA
YET. >> OKAY.
TALK ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE A LITTLE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNICATION. >> CERTAINLY.
SO, SEX ALL BECAUSE TAKES PLACE IN SECRET.
-- SEX ALL BECAUSE TAKES PLACE IN
SECRET THE ABUSER KNOWS WHAT'S GOING
ON, BUT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE FAMILY TO GET THE
FAMILY TO TRUST THEM WITH THEIR CHILD.
PERHAPS IT'S THEIR OWN CHILD, PERHAPS THEY'RE A STEP PARENT OR
A MOTHER'S BOYFRIEND, OR PERHAPS THEY'RE THE COACH OR JUST
SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE
FAMILY TO GET ACCESS TO THE CHILD.
THEN THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH THE CHILD TO GET ACCESS TO TOUCHING
AND GAMES AND THEN FINALLY THE ABUSE OCCURS AND THEY HAVE TO
MAINTAIN THE SECRET, OTHERWISE THEY DON'T GET ACCESS AGAIN, OR
THEY DON'T GET TO PROGRESS FROM THE MILDER INITIAL FORMS TO THE
MORE INVASIVE, INTRUSIVE AND DAMAGING FORMS THAT COME LATER.
ALL OF THIS REQUIRES TRUST, WHICH MEANS THE FAMILY NEEDS TO
RECOGNIZE WHEN NOT TO TRUST, AND IT REQUIRES TRUST WHICH MEANS
THE CHILD NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE WHEN NOT TO TRUST.
AND THEN IT REQUIRES THE MAINTENANCE OF SECRECY. SO IF
WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILIES, WHAT ARE THOSE
INDICATORS THAT SOMEONE MIGHT BE TRYING TO MOVE IN ON YOUR CHILD
TOO MUCH. WHEN SHOULD YOU SAY, SOUNDS LIKE
A GOOD THING, BUT MAYBE IT'S NOT.
THAT'S A COMMUNICATION FROM PROFESSIONALS TO FAMILIES.
IF FAMILIES CAN COMMUNICATE TO CHILDREN, HEY, THESE ARE THE
NAMES OF YOUR PARKS, SO IF YOU HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME
ABOUT THEM OR THINGS THAT GO ON WITH THEM, YOU HAVE WORDS TO
USE. AND BY THE WAY, WE TALK ABOUT
THIS IN OUR FAMILY, THIS IS AN OPEN CHAIN OF COMMUNICATION.
IT'S NOT SO SHAME NATURAL YOU CAN'T MENTION IT.
-- IT'S NOT SO SHAMEFUL THAT YOU
CAN'T MENTION IT. THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU LOOK
OUT FOR. >> YOU HAVE THIS CONVERSATION
WITH KIDS AT WHAT AGE? >> FROM BIRTH.
>> AS OPPOSED TO JUST LOCKING THEM IN A ROOM, AND NO, YOU
CANNOT BABY-SIT. >> THE PROBLEM WITH THE TALK IS
THAT ABUSE HAPPENS BEFORE THE TALK.
THAT THE TALK DOES NOT OPEN UP COMMUNICATION, IT'S A DELIVERY
OF INFORMATION. BUT INFORMATION DELIVERY ISN'T
THE ONLY THING THAT HAPPENS IN COMMUNICATION.
WE'RE ALSO COMMUNICATING VALUES, WE'RE COMMUNICATING ABOUT THE
ABILITY TO TALK. AND BY WAITING FOR THAT MAGICAL
MOMENT AT 10 OR 11 OR 12, WE'RE COMMUNICATING THAT THIS IS A
HARD THING TO OH TALK ABOUT AND THAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT,
WE'RE MAKING IT TOO SPECIAL, TOO PRECIOUS.
ON THE OTHER HAND IF YOU'RE CHANGING A BABY, THIS IS YOUR
EYES, THIS IS YOUR NOSE, THIS IS YOUR EARS, THESE ARE YOUR
PRIVATE PARTS, OR WHATEVER TERMS YOU HOPE TO, USE BUT WE HOPE YOU
PICK ONE THAT OTHER PEOPLE OUTSIDE YOUR FAMILY WILL
RECOGNIZE SO THEY CAN COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS.
THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NO HITTING, NO BITING, NO
KICKING, AND THESE ARE YOUR PRIVATE PARTS.
IF I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEM OR IF THE DOCTOR NEEDS TO TAKE
CARE OF THEM, THAT'S OKAY. BUT OTHER PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE
TOUCHING THEM. AND YOU ARE A CHILD, YOU DON'T
NEED TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE, YOU SHOULDN'T BE TOUCHING OTHER
PEOPLE'S. AND IF THAT HAPPENS, YOU NEED TO
TELL ME SO THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF IT.
>> HOW DO KIDS RECOVER FROM THIS?
CAN YOU RECOVER FROM SEXUAL ABUSE SITUATION, FROM CHILD
ABUSE? >> SO, MANY KIDS RECOVER
PERFECTLY WELL. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT
CHANGED. THEY HAVE MEMORIES, THEY MAY
HAVE MADE DIFFERENT CHOICES IN LIFE, THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT
PERSONALITY FEATURES. BUT WE COULD SAY THEY'RE
FUNCTIONAL, THEY'RE DOING WELL. OTHER CHILDREN HAVE PROBLEMS,
SOMETIMES THEY HAVE PROBLEMS THEY CAN GET OVER WITH THERAPY.
AND A LOT WHAT WAS IS DONE AT THE FAMILY ADVOCACY CENTER IS
SPECIAL THERAPY TO HELP CHILDREN GET OVER THESE EXPERIENCES.
SOME PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES WILL HAVE CERTAIN AREAS
THAT ARE DIFFICULT FOR THEM, CERTAIN PROBLEMS, AND MAYBE WE
CAN MAKE THEM LESS, BUT THEY WILL PERSIST AND THEIR LIVES
WILL BE AFFECTED IN WAYS THEY WOULD PREFER NOT TO HAVE THEIR
LIVES AFFECTED. THEN A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF
CHILDREN GO ONTO REPEAT THEIR ABUSE WITH ANOTHER GENERATION.
BUT THAT'S REALLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE.
SO I WOULD SAY THE EXPERIENCE IS ONE THAT SHOULD GIVE PEOPLE HOPE
FOR RECOVERY, BUT SHOULDN'T MAKE US COMPLACENT.
WE STILL NEED TO PREVENT, WHERE WE, CAN WE STILL NEED TO
COMMUNICATE, WE NEED TO LISTEN WHEN CHILDREN COMMUNICATE TO US
AND RESPOND. NOT SAY NO NO NO, I KNOW BETTER.
>> AND JUST REALLY LISTEN TO THEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, THIS IS SUCH A DIFFICULT TOPIC, BUT CERTAINLY
ONE THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AND WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN
TODAY. >> YOU'RE WELCOME.