[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
RE: Child Trauma
<x-html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;
panose-1:2 1 5 3 4 0 0 2 0 3;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.MsoHeader, li.MsoHeader, div.MsoHeader
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;}
p.MsoFooter, li.MsoFooter, div.MsoFooter
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:#606420;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.UM-gegevens, li.UM-gegevens, div.UM-gegevens
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:12.0pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.UM-kenmerken, li.UM-kenmerken, div.UM-kenmerken
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:12.0pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.UM-kopjes, li.UM-kopjes, div.UM-kopjes
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:12.0pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-style:italic;}
p.UM-standaard, li.UM-standaard, div.UM-standaard
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.AfzenderICTS, li.AfzenderICTS, div.AfzenderICTS
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.StyleLinespacing15lines, li.StyleLinespacing15lines, div.StyleLinespacing15lines
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.StyleLinespacing15lines1, li.StyleLinespacing15lines1, div.StyleLinespacing15lines1
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.StyleLinespacing15lines2, li.StyleLinespacing15lines2, div.StyleLinespacing15lines2
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:150%;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.StyleLinespacing15lines3, li.StyleLinespacing15lines3, div.StyleLinespacing15lines3
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:150%;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.StyleLinespacing15lines4, li.StyleLinespacing15lines4, div.StyleLinespacing15lines4
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.StyleLinespacing15lines5, li.StyleLinespacing15lines5, div.StyleLinespacing15lines5
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:150%;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle31
{font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;
color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
@page Section1
{size:595.3pt 841.9pt;
margin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#606420" id="role_body" leftmargin=7
topmargin=7 ocsi=x>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence'>Dear Mark Chaffin,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence'>Science may not tell
us values but children’s human rights do. This is a universal process in
which, formally speaking, 193 out of 195 states participate (190 out of 192 UN
member states plus 3 other states/entities). These 193 states are parties to
the CRC (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, New York 1989). Of the two outsider
states, who both have signed but not yet ratified the CRC, namely Somalia and
the US (the US in 1995 under the Clinton administration), the latter may ratify
under the Obama administration. The US will then be recommended, as all the
other state parties are, to have a ban as a framework and legal basis for
parenting education on positive discipline for all parents. Of course, the US
will be free to demonstrate that it does not need a ban in order to achieve
universal parenting education (that is, for all parents in the US). It will,
nonetheless, remain a universal child right to be protected against any form of
violence, including in the home, through law and education, that is, through
education and empowerment of children and parents <u>and</u> a (family law) ban
on corporal punishment and humiliation. The US may be the last state to ratify
but need it also be the last one to have a ban?</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence'>A definition of
child abuse and neglect should refer both to science (facts) and child rights (values).
And thus, directly or indirectly, to the responsibilities of all stakeholders
(parents, states, institutions, professionals, bystanders, children themselves
…).</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:black'>Kind
regards,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:black'>Jan CM
Willems</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=green face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:green'>Prof Dr
Jan CM Willems</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=green face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:green'>Department
of International and European Law and Maastricht Center for Human Rights</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=green face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:green'>Maastricht
University Faculty of Law, The Netherlands</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=green face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:green'>child
Maltreatment, Early childhood and children’s Rights research program
(MERchild)</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a
href="http://www.unimaas.nl/default.asp?template=werkveld.htm&id=3557A05360I5O1B774N7&taal=nl";><font
size=1 color=green face=TheSansCorrespondence><span style='font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:green'>www.unimaas.nl/default.asp?template=werkveld.htm&id=3557A05360I5O1B774N7&taal=nl</span></font></a></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="mailto:j.willems@ir.unimaas.nl";><font size=1 color=green
face=TheSansCorrespondence><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;
color:green'>j.willems@ir.unimaas.nl</span></font></a></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=green face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:green'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=2 color=green face=TheSansCorrespondence><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:TheSansCorrespondence;color:green;
font-style:italic'>Parenting education for all parents. Always. Everywhere.</span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> bounce-3484397-6833864@list.cornell.edu
[mailto:bounce-3484397-6833864@list.cornell.edu] <b><span style='font-weight:
bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Chaffin, Mark J. (HSC)<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> woensdag 21 januari 2009
17:04<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Child Maltreatment Researchers<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> RE: Child Trauma</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>re: physical abuse and corporal
punishment and state control</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>Virtually all states limit the things
that parents can do to their children, and very few people
(except those who are accused) object to that in
principle. Regardless of how much helpful health promotion or prevention
work is done, the need will remain for a mechanism to legitimize state
interference into parenting that we view as intolerable or
outrageous. The main questions are where and how the line is drawn,
whether the line is sharp or fuzzy, and what undesirable behavior we categorize
as indicating a need for voluntary helpful guidance, and what behavior we designate
as justifying intrusive state action. Its should be no surprise
that different cultures and groups draw these lines
differently. This means that what we label as child abuse is
malleable, is as much a matter of values as facts, and is not necessarily
equivalent to what is factually determined to be harmful. </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>Obviously, we value protecting children
from harm, so these are not independent constructs. Still, there are lots
of things in this world that are harmful or traumatic to children, but we
tolerate them and don't call them child abuse or even try very hard to prevent
them. And, frankly, there are a few things we call (and should
call) clear child abuse aren't all that harmful and certainly not invariably
harmful. Because science can only tell us facts, not values, we
shouldn't be surprised that the impact of science on child abuse definitions
and social policy has its limits. People in our field often
try to push the line in a certain direction, armed with facts. We may
need to keep in mind that the facts aren't necessarily the issue, and that when
it comes to social change, political consensus may be more the issue. For
example, in the US, we might create political consensus in favor of public
health approaches to promote "positive child discipline" or maybe
even to discourage "harsh childrearing." Arguing for a ban on
all corporal punishment, on the other hand, might prompt a fairly
entertaining and dramatic cultural or political reaction. </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>Mark Chaffin</span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>
</x-html>