Chapter 5 - Investigating Child Abuse

Scholarly Journal Article:
This scholarly article examines a study conducted by the US Department of Health and Human Services. In 2005, an estimated 1460 children died of child maltreatment. The object of this study was to see the pattern of bone fractures in child maltreatment fatalities. This article was a great read because it gave me a better understanding of child death review teams which were discussed in Heavy Hands. There are many benefits to child death review teams to include: describing trends and patterns to child death, child death investigative training, and participation in the development of prevention strategies (Ross, 99-102).
Check out the article here 

Physical Abuse

CAUTION - THIS VIDEO DISPLAYS GRAPHIC MATERIAL 

I chose this video because it depicts an actual child abuse investigation case. There are many cases of child abuse out there and this is just one. This is a pretty powerful video and makes you realize how close to home child abuse can really occur.

 This picture was obviously illustrated by a child. A child should never have to go through thoughts and feelings like the ones shown here.

Christina Aguilera - I'm Ok

Once upon a time there was a girl
In her early years she had to learn
How to grow up living in a war that she called home
Never know just where to turn for shelter from the storm
Hurt me to see the pain across my mother's face
Every time my father's fist would put her in her place
Hearing all the yelling I would cry up in my room
Hoping it would be over soon

[Chorus]
Bruises fade father, but the pain remains the same
And I still remember how you kept me so afraid
Strength is my mother for all the love she gave
Every morning that I wake I look back to yesterday

And I'm OK

I often wonder why I carry all this guilt
When it's you that helped me put up all these walls I've built
Shadows stir at night through a crack in the door
The echo of a broken child screaming "please no more"
Daddy, don't you understand the damage you have done
To you it's just a memory, but for me it still lives on

[Chorus]

It's not so easy to forget
All the marks you left along her neck
When I was thrown against cold stairs
And every day I'm afraid to come home
In fear of what I might see there

[Chorus]

And I'm OK
I'm OK

* I think that this song truly shares what children go through when they are victims of child abuse.

Relevant Internet Site

http://www.childwelfare.gov/responding/

This site is designed to help children from and with abuse. It gives children and parents the necessary tools to reduce the risk of future harm. There is an overview of child abuse and neglect, a way to report it, investigations and assessments, and case management in child protection. I viewed the site for a while and found a lot of helpful information.