Child Abuse Review
Introduction
Case planning is exceptionally significant in child welfare. Every single day children are prone to neglect, abuse, and any form of maltreatment within a family, and sometimes only child protective services with a proper case plan can alter the situation to the core. State Government Victoria explains (2018) that “case planning in child protection practice specifically relates to the processes of planning with children and their families following substantiation of child protection concerns.” In other words, a case plan is a legal document with particular objectives, goals, and approaches to follow to reach the positive outcome for a child and overall substantial changes in a family with the target to avoid abuse or maltreatment in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to corroborate that rigorous case planning is crucial for efficient child protection/welfare intervention for social services.
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Write My Essay For MeThe current child, eight-year-old Jamal Brown, suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which means hyperactivity, impulsivity, and the lack of concentration. It is not an issue for child protective intervention, but the neglect and abuse from the mother, 35-year-old Paula Brown. Paula’s father gave a call to the social service filing for child maltreatment. Jamal got bruises all over his legs and back. It is yet to determine why Paula beats her son. Is it her single life, much pressure at work, or concerns with her son’s deviant behavior due to ADHD? That is why a case plan is an excellent aid to conduct an intervention and sort out issues which have arisen over the last year. A group of scientists proved (2014) that the majority of children with ADHD were likely to experience maltreatment and abuse from family members and peers at school due to aggression, hyperactivity, and the lag in academic success. Moreover, Paula may feel like Jamal is a burden since his father is absent so that she has to spend most of the money or time on him. Since a lot of premises and aspects need to be detected and analyzed, case planning is the only solution to it.
Before implementing a case plan, it is necessary to define whether services will be inside or outside the home. In-home care takes place inside the shelter, where a kid and his/her family residents; out-of-home care is a temporary or long-term living arrangement. Even though out-of-home services can be traumatic for eight-year-old Jamal Brown, considering his ADHD and mother’s neglect, it is better to opt for out-of-home care to lower risks of physical abuse, protect from the unhealthy environment at home, and deal with mental health issues alongside other unfavorable conditions and consequences for the child. A CPS worker will have made a final decision whether Jamal will be put in foster care or relatives, but it is still better to choose the closest people to family so that the social help and care will pass more smoothly than with strangers.
Usually, ASFA estimates maximum 15 months on dealing with a case plan to decide the future of a child. Within approximately 7-8 months, effective case planning should portray all the ins and outs of the family issues from the first day of child removal by social services; permanency hearing, permanent guardianship, administrative desk review, and the last hearing are the main steps in the case planning, which all takes up to 15 months. The most critical point is that case hearings can recur every 170 days for so long as the child is in custody to make the final choice for the family. The Broward Country, Florida has Florida Department of Children and Families, whose protocols are the same as the standard guidelines. Since the Department has a lot of social services, including child welfare, domestic violence, community-based care, mental health, foster care, and so forth, families, including the Browns, can afford. However, even if a family cannot pay for any services, the Department will do it instead of them, just to use child protective services on the way to recovery and changes. Florida Department of Children and Families Office care about a community partnership, particularly Economic Self Sufficiency program, aiming at strengthening Florida’s families through private and community involvements, including the Brown family. Hence, Florida presents a wide array of services that pull in community partnerships and help families in child welfare.
Since case planning is a thorough process of mapping out strategies, goals, objectives, and outcomes of child protection, the results of the case plan of the Jamal Brown should reach the consensus, whether he comes back home, cooperating with his mother’s issues and own mental health problems or he remains in foster care (likely with his grandparents) until the improvement of the overall situation. With the help of family group meetings, the details of Jamal’s life and the Browns’ ones will get clearer and logical with step-by-step planning. A case planning provides the deep insight into the family’s matters due to members, close relatives or friends along with teachers and other specialists, who may play a significant role in the process. Therefore, case planning is about mapping a way forward for a child, and this is the only favorable outcome of the plan.
History of the Family
Paula Brown, 35, has a Black African descent as her parents are immigrants from Jamaica. All her life she has spent in the United States, going back and forth to find a job and earn money for her two children – a daughter Shakira, 6, and a boy, Jamal, 8. The children are from different parents, but the thing is, Shakira’s father, John Black, is present while Jamal’s dad, Jeremy Jefferson is fully absent in his life. Since an early age, Jamal has been suffering from ADHD, which characterizes with hyperactivity, the lack of attention, and impulsivity. It results in a lot of unpleasant factors, such as depression, anger, low academic performance, and the interaction with peers at school. In other words, Paula finds it difficult to handle her son’s deviant behavior on a daily basis. Jamal has problems at school since he is bullied due to being Jamaican and having ADHD symptoms every now and again. Ruefully, Paula does not try to do anything to help her son deal with the condition; instead, she uses physical abuse and maltreatment, which has been reported by her parents.
When the child protective services got involved, they found multiple bruises all over Jamal’s back and legs, which just confirmed Jama’s grandparents’ report. However, when the social worker asked Jamal about injuries, he did not respond for a long time and turned into a very impulsive and off handle boy. Later, Jamal confessed that his mother had been using violence to ‘handle with his deviant behavior.’ Within 30 days, the social services agency rigorously analyzed the situation within the family, and the environment for Jamal was not healthy whatsoever. It was literally impossible to help him with ADHD and domestic violence by being around an abusive mother. Thus, Jamal had to be removed from the Browns and stay in with his grandparents. According to one study (2007), “the highest rates emerged from Africa (8.5%) and South America (11.8%).” Simply put, Jamaican and Thai children portray the highest scores in the ADHA prevalence, whereas Japanese and Finnish children – the lowest, and American children – the average. It makes the situation even clearer as the disorder is not Jamal’s choice or problem, but Paula Brown simply opted for physically torturing him instead of helping, aside from his mental instability. Consequently, Jamal lags behind in the class, cannot control his behavior, and feels loneliness, fright, and fury because of the mother, who failed to care about her son properly.
Perhaps, one of the reasons for Paula’s irrational attitude to Jamal is her criminal past. At the age of 21, she was accused of petit theft as she stole the bottles of beverage. Paula had an option to pay $600 as a fine or get probation. As it was found out later, she was accused of the same case once again at the same age. So, the fine worked well in the first case, but the second one led to probation, and if she committed the third theft, she would go to the county prison up to six months. Actually, the criminal history prevented Paula Brown from working in any shopping mall or any store since the HR managers were ambiguous about her past and possibility of working even as a cashier.
As it was mentioned, Paula’s daughter, Shakira’s father, is present in her life. During the conversation with him, John affirmed that Paula’s behavior had been unreasonable from time to time, especially to her oldest offspring. When the social worker asked Paul about his former wife’s criminal history, he raised eyebrows at first, but was not surprised afterward, claiming that ‘everything is possible from her.’ John Black does not have any criminal records, and even Paula’s terrible attitude and habits did not force him to hit her or Shakira with Jamal. When the social worker asked why he had not reported about child abuse, he preferred to fly under the radar. Regarding Jamal’s father, Jeremy Jefferson, he was charged for theft several times. As Paula’s parents said, he was not the best husband, father, or even a human being. It turned out that Paula Brown had gotten pregnant by him accidentally, and the couple married readily. However, Jeremy was absent most of the time, drinking and hanging out with his crime partners. At that time, Jamal was diagnosed with ADHD, and Paula’s parents took him for a vacation to a beach house as the hope for his recovery. But, Paula was dissatisfied and fought with her parents, taking her son home after a week.
When the social workers investigated the Browns’ apartment, a lot of factors hinted on the so-called unhealthy environment, literally and mentally. The apartment is somewhat small, consisting of a kitchen, bathroom, and joint rooms – one for children and the other for Paula Brown. Starting by the kitchen, the social workers did not find any effective in-built safety features, such as insurance or smoke detectors; only fire extinguisher was evident. Even though the fridge was full of normal food, the room itself was untidy and unclean. The smell was not unpleasant, but Paula failed to comment on this mess. As the workers moved to the bathroom, it was no less than the average one. Just a bathtub, toilet, and a sink with a mirror. However, there was no first-aid kit, so it was not surprising why Jamal even did not have any personal medications for treating ADHD. The joint rooms were a bit cleaner than the kitchen, though the light was poor and no fresh air. The windows were closed by curtains, so no sunlight could get into the room. Moreover, the social services found some alcohol and cigarettes in Paula’s wardrobe, which easily confirmed her beverage theft at 21 years old. Even though the water and the electricity along with food were quite all right, the total situation of the apartment caused a lot of speculations and disgust. Untidy rooms, no sunlight, numerous beverage and cigarettes, and no in-home safety features whatsoever. Therefore, smoke detectors, first-aid kit, insurance are the top three recommendations for the Brown family. It is not acceptable to keep children in such shelter where their safety and soundness are at major risks.
According to 35-year-old Paula Brown, she grew up in a very simple family: a father was a professor at the university and a mother was a nurse at the hospice. The parents tried to impose Jamaican traditions and lifestyle, but Paula wanted to live an American life with their customs and rules, just like every normal person in the USA. She did not want to be an outsider so that she tried to fit into society, especially at high school. “Partying, ignoring parents’ orders, and hanging out with boys was all I wanted and I did,” – says Paula Brown. She corroborated that her parents had been typical ones – wishing average things for their kid, such as great academic performance, strict timetable, and scholarship at college. But Paula rarely listened to their advice. Indeed, she graduated and tried to find a job until she started working with her father, who tried to help her with the workplace after petit thefts’ story. The social workers asked Paula’s parents about their attitude to their only daughter. Notably, like any parent, they told how much they loved and cared about her, but since she accidentally got pregnant by Jamal at 27 years old, she changed to the worst. “Her motherhood was not successful with Jamal. There were times when she did not want him so that she neglected and maltreated him. We tried to help our Paula, but when we failed, we tried to take Jamal with us after being diagnosed with ADHD,” – they claimed. So, Paula’s parents literally affirmed that her parenting style and skills were horrible with Jamal, but she has been different with Shakira since she wanted this child with John Black.
Although Paula did not want the social workers to communicate with Jamal and Shakira, she
gave up in the end, after knowing that she might lose parents’ rights. According to Jamal, he has
been feeling neglected and isolated most of the time, especially after having ADHD. When he does something wrong – at school or home – Paula screams at him and beats him up. “I love my mom, but she does not care about me, as for Shakira,” – he silently showcased his bruises.
During the conversation, Jamal was seemingly impulsive or calm, unmindful or focused, which are the signs of ADHD. “I just wish my mother treated me like my sister,” – he added. Shakira was too shy and scared to tell something. Most of her words were mumbling and stuttering, but she hinted on her mother’s abusive behavior several times. Even though 6-year-old Shakira did not show any signs of physical violence, she claimed that Paula sometimes became off the handle and started drinking. Since Jamal is older, he does not like it, and often complaints; as a result, he gets bruises all over his legs and back. Thirteen items of parental behavior deemed neglectful were coded and organized into 5 subtypes of neglect: care neglect, environmental neglect, medical neglect, educational neglect, supervisory neglect (Mennen et al., 2010). As it becomes evident, Paula shows all these types, which is complete mistreatment.
Taking into account the conversation with the closest people who have been the witnesses of Paula’s irrational behavior, the signs of domestic violence are clearly apparent. Not only she neglects Jamal’s health issues, but also put a hand on him. Some bruises are old and some of them are fresh-new when the social workers interviewed the family members. Surprisingly, no criminal/police records have ever been made until Paula’s father called the hotline after her abusive attitude to 8-year-old Jamal. Sadly, the rates of domestic violence toward women and children are horribly high. Arrangements that maximized opportunities for police and social workers to share agency information appeared to offer the best option for achieving informed decisions about the appropriate level of service response to children and families experiencing domestic violence (Stanley et al., 2010). Accordingly, child protective services need to address DV to the higher authorities to define whether Paula Brown should remain her parents’ rights or not. However, if the social services help Jamal and his family to rebuild their relationship and get rid of all bad habits and situations, such gruesome steps and outcomes can be avoided. Stanley et al. (2010) also add that police and child protective services need to take all possible actions to impede DV, even if it implies the refusal of parenting.
As far as the social workers know, only Jamal Brown suffers from mental health issues, namely ADHD. The boy was diagnosed with the disorder at six years old when Paula’s parents noticed his odd behavior. Paula was also concerned about her son, and they made a lot of check-ups to get the medications. Even though they did not want to put Jamal on any medications, the doctors reassured that effective treatment would help him for 85%. Accordingly, the doctors gave a low dose of Adderall to decrease hyperactivity and improve concentration. Dr. Hallowell states (n.d.) that “the drugs actually stimulate or turn on the brain’s “brakes,” pulling everything into sharper focus. They inhibit impulsiveness.” In fact, there are numerous side effects, but Jamal experienced three of them, namely fear (an abusive mother added the scores), sleep problems, and anxiety. Doting grandparents helped Jamal cope with it with the help of social services program and a therapist. While the investigation of the Browns’ apartment, the social workers did not find either a first-aid kit or Adderall. As Paula said, “Well, it finished and I did not ask my parents to pay for these medications once again.”
Jamal’s academic performance is gradually sinking with each day. Due to ADHD symptoms, the boy lags behind in the class because of hyperactivity, mood swings, impulsivity, the lack of attention, and depression on a daily basis. He is, in fact, a smart kid, who likes English, History, and Geography, and he studies these subjects. Unlike them, other things are of his interest and so, he does not pay attention to grades in these subjects. According to Science teacher, Mrs. Ramones, Jamal’s behavior has changed a lot over the last year. “He was just fine, even if the staff knew about his ADHD, but he just instantly changed during the year, and we could not reach mother most of the time to get the explanations,” – she said. When the social workers asked the approximate timeline it ensued, it overlapped with the stop of taking medications and severe domestic violence from the abusive mother. Most likely, his symptoms have worsened and the kid has turned to a depressed and anxious individual, which harshly impact his school attendance and academic success.
The social workers interviewed three individuals to get the insight into the Browns, namely a class teacher, Mr. Rhode, a school counselor, Ms. Ivory, and a former therapist, Mr. Jones. The care protective services employee asked about their impressions about family, and the relationship between Paula and Jamal Brown, in case they were witnesses of their interaction.
Mr. Rhode: “Jamal Brown is a decent kid, who suffers from mood changes and high level of impulsivity, which sometimes cause troubles. Jamal usually attends school, but occasionally miss classes. In such situations, we try to call his mother, but she rarely picks up the phone. Moreover, she rarely attends school meetings and any arrangements aimed at solving her son’s poor academic performance. I cannot judge their family, but as far as I know Jamal, I have impressions like he needs professional help with his disorder and relationship with mother.”
Ms. Ivory: “When Jamal was introduced to me after ADHD’s diagnose, I tried to keep an eye on him. Once time a week, we had sessions to talk about his problems and find any chance to handle his hyperactivity and sadness. When I asked about his family, he felt uncomfortable and tried to avoid this question. However, several times he admitted that his relationship with mother was worse than the mother-daughter bond. Even though the teachers noticed his high deviant behavior, he still attended the sessions of counseling, affirming that he wished he had felt much better.”
Mr. Jones: “Yes, I was Jamal’s personal psychologist when he was six years old. We made great progress by taking medications and doing some arrangements to help him cope with any impulses or negative vibes. Most of the time, he came with his grandparents, which means I did not see Paula Brown as often as it was required. Jamal has been a great kid, but at seven years old, his condition worsened, and Ms. Brown refused to pay for medications and sessions. I called several times to Jamal’s grandparents, but they told one thing “Paula would not allow us to take Jamal anymore.” That was the moment when I realized something was going on. Thus, making several calls to the grandparents, they agreed to address the child protective services due to physical abuse and constant maltreatment.”
Conclusion
During the investigation, the following issues were detected: domestic violence, mental health issues, maltreatment, alcohol and tobacco use, child neglect. All these factors summarize Jamal’s life for nearly a year, which cannot be defined as normal. Kaufman & Torbey corroborate (2019) that child abuse and neglect can easily lead to different types of psychosis. Taking into account Jamal’s ADHD, he is prone to other mental health issues, which can ensue from physical abuse and maltreatment from Paula Brown. There is also strong support for the premise that patients with psychotic disorders and histories of child maltreatment have distinct clinical characteristics and unique treatment needs (Kaufman & Torbey, 2019). The child protective services need to dig deeper, taking on board Paula’s attitude to Jamal. The kid obviously suffers from mental instability and abuse/neglect only worsens the overall situation and well-being. Therefore, case planning needs to be full of the ins and outs to determine the better life for 8-year-old Jamal Brown.
References
Cohen, M. (n.d.). What’s the Right ADHD Medication for Your Child? WebMD. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/features/choosing-adhd-medication-child#1
Health And Human Services. (n.d.). Child Protection Manual. Victoria State Government. Retrieved from http://www.cpmanual.vic.gov.au/advice-and-protocols/advice/case-planning/case-planning
Kaufman, J. & Torbey, S. (2019). Child maltreatment and psychosis. Neurobiology of Disease, S0969-9961(19)30017-8. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.01.015.
Klein, B., Damiani, T. G., Koster, A., Campbell, J., & Scholz, C. (2015). Diagnosing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD) in children involved with child protection services: are current diagnostic guidelines acceptable for vulnerable populations? Child: Care, Health & Development, 41(2): 178–185. https://doi-org.libdb.smc.edu/10.1111/cch.12168
Landsman, M. J. (2015). The Changing Landscape of In-Home Child Welfare Services. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 9(5): 417–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2015.1116337
Mennen, F. E., Kim, K., Sang, J. & Trickett, P. K. (2010). Child neglect: Definition and identification of youth’s experiences in official reports of maltreatment. Child Abuse Negl., 34(9): 647–658. Doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.02.007
Moffitt, T. & Melchior, M. (2007). Why does the worldwide prevalence of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder matter? American Journal of Psychiatry, 146(6): 856–858. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.164.6.856
Stanley, N., Miller, P., Richardson-Foster, H. & Thomson, G. (2010). Children’s Experiences of Domestic Violence: Developing an Integrated Response From Police and Child Protection Services. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(12): 2372–2391. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260510383030
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