the partnership to eliminate child abuse:
DESCRIPTION
The Partnership to Eliminate Child Abuse: . Dr. Sandy Herr EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT Medical Director, Kosair Children’s Hospital Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Louisville. OBJECTIVES. Review the scope of the child abuse epidemic - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
DR. SANDY HERREMERGENCY DEPARTMENT MEDICAL DIRECTOR,
KOSAIR CHILDREN’S HOSPITALASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS,
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
The Partnership to Eliminate Child Abuse:
OBJECTIVES
Review the scope of the child abuse epidemic
Discuss the utility of a collaborative approach to addressing child abuse
Describe the formation, goals, and initial efforts of the Partnership to Eliminate Child Abuse (PECA)
Explore future directions for PECA and similar efforts
“THE LEVEL OF CIVILIZATION ATTAINED BY ANY SOCIETY WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE
ATTENTION IT HAS PAID TO THE WELFARE OF ITS CHILDREN”
BILLY F. ANDREWS, MD CHILDREN’S BILL OF RIGHTS, 1968
A NATIONAL TRAGEDY
More than 1,000,000 substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect/year in the U.S.
Nearly 2000 documented deaths/year 80% < 4 years of age The leading cause of injury-related death < 1 year Rate is increasing
3.1/day in 1998, > 5/day in 2010
COSTS OF CHILD ABUSE
Each child abuse case in a living victim costs approximately $200,000
Each child abuse death costs approximately $1.3 million
Annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the U.S. estimated at $100 billion Likely an underestimate
A STATE OF EMERGENCY
Kentucky More than 84,000 reported cases each year 30-40 known child abuse deaths/year Nearly 3 deaths/100,000 children Have ranked in the top 20 in child abuse fatalities
for the past decade Ranked first in 2007
Indiana 29th worst for child abuse-related deaths 20-30 child abuse deaths/year
A CHILD’S SAFETY NET
FamilyCommunity/churchSchool/daycareHealthcareSocial workers/child welfareJudicial system
The following cases illustrate failure of one, several or all components of
this safety net.
JJ: The infant with bruising
8 month old male with recurrent bruising since 3 months of age Multiple visits to his PMD Referred to hematology for a possible bleeding
disorder Workup normal
Referred to ENT for ear bruising Diagnosed with traumatic bruising, referred back to
PMD Ultimately presents to ED with traumatic brain
injury, multiple healing fractures
DS: The boyfriend factor
1 ½ year old boy admitted for genital bruising, abdominal trauma Diagnosed with non-accidental trauma, CPS report
filed Letter from hospital child protection team stated
that child would “be re-injured or killed if returned to that environment”
Returned home after 2 months in foster care Presented to an outside ED 1 month later in full
arrest, died from traumatic abdominal and brain injuries
TT: Little boy lost
3 year old boy with a femur fracture while in mom’s care No history CPS notified, child removed Due to prior domestic violence and paternal mental
health issues, physicians and CPS recommended placement with grandparents
At hearing, judge placed child with his father 1 month later, his father shot the child and himself
to death
WHAT HAVE WE DONE ABOUT IT?
Child abuse wasn’t even clearly recognized/described in the medical literature before the 1960s
Animal protection laws pre-dated child protection
Children viewed as property rather than people even through the first half of this century
HISTORY
1870s, 8yo Mary Ellen Wilson beaten daily by her foster family Lawyers for the ASPCA presented her case Foster mom received 1 year sentence NY Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
formed1961: Dr. Kempe described the “Battered
Child Syndrome”1967: 44 states enact mandatory reporting
for physicians
HISTORY
1974: Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) passed
Now all 50 states have mandatory reporting laws for all professionals involved in the care of children Criminal and civil liability for failure to report No liability for “good faith” reporting of suspicions
Educational efforts largely focused on recognition and reporting of abuse
HISTORY
Since the 1970’s, the dangers of shaking infants have been recognized “Never shake a baby” campaigns have lead to reductions
in child abuse cases in some areas Education for new parents
Dangers of shaking a baby Tips for dealing with crying infants Viewed by far more mothers than fathers Hospital-based in most cases
HISTORY
Most pediatric centers and many communities have resources dedicated to addressing child abuse At KCH, we have had a Child Abuse Task Force since
2002, and a Pediatric Forensics Division since 2007 Law enforcement agencies specializing in child abuse
investigation School and community-based social services Interaction between hospital and community-based
resources are generally case-based and reactive
RESPONSE TO TRAGEDY: “REACTIVE”
When a death or severe case of abuse occurs Family responses complex and often conflicted
Denial Anger Grief
Community shock and anger Media attention with shocking headlines and lead
stories Within hours to days the case is forgotten by all but
those directly involved
Child abuse often linked to unrelated, live-in lovers
Severely tortured toddlers mom and her boyfriend arrested
Father tortures infant and leaves her with brain damage
Baby reportedly punched repeatedly in the stomach and face will likely die
2 charged in separate Jennings Co. child abuse cases
Child in Broomfield abuse case died of 'Oxycodone toxicity'
A NEW APPROACH IS NEEDED: “PROACTIVE”
Despite multiple efforts in all areas, abuse and abuse-related deaths have not decreased Improved detection, reporting are often too late High risk groups not identified/targeted for education Newborn education directed at new parents fails to
address unrelated caregivers Abuse and neglect have not consistently been in the
public consciousness Little collaboration/cooperation across groups
HOUSE BILL 285
KY Legislation mandating education on pediatric abusive head trauma New parents Child care providers EMTs and paramedics RNs ARNPs Law enforcement officers Foster parents Physician assistants Social workers
A NEW APPROACH
Collaboration: “the act of working together in order to achieve shared goals”
Can a collaborative effort link key players across all realms? Common goals Varied backgrounds, skill sets and resources Different levels of access to families and children at
risk
WHAT DOES COLLABORATION LOOK LIKE?
Who are the key players?How do we get the players to the
table?What are the common goals on which
to focus?How do we begin working toward
those goals?
WHAT COLLABORATION DOESN’T LOOK LIKE
CHILD ABUSE COLLABORATIVES
Successful efforts have occurred in other communities Most include healthcare providers, community
leaders, social workers Few include judicial, law enforcement, and media
representatives Most are limited to one hospital or system or a small
geographical area
THE PARTNERSHIP
“A group of people working together for a common purpose”
Key players Physician leaders, hospital and community-based
Child abuse/forensics, private practice, ED 4 Children’s Hospitals
Riley, Peyton Manning, Kosair Children’s Hospital and Kentucky Children’s Hospitals
4 Medical Schools in Kentucky and Indiana Indiana, Pikeville, Kentucky, and Louisville
THE PARTNERSHIP
Broad partners More than 200 groups, organizations, and
individuals Social workers Child advocacy Media/PR representatives Community leaders School leaders Judicial and law enforcement organizations
Legislators Judges Lawyers Business leaders
THE VISION
Prevention, detection, and treatment have all fallen short of our goal
Elimination should be the ultimate goalThe name evolved from this lofty goalVision statement: To completely eliminate
child abuse in the areas served by our partnership’s member organizations
THE APPROACH
Engage the media PSAs Op-ed columns Expert availability for interviews
Public awareness campaign Videos Website: www.pecakyin.org Education for schools, community organizations, etc.
Achieve a constant presence in the public consciousness
INITIAL EFFORTS
Family champions Families of victims sharing their stories
Op-ed columns The child abuse problem in Kentucky and Indiana Warning signs of abuse Unrelated caregivers/boyfriends Crying New parents need extra support
Expert media spokespersons identified
INITIAL EFFORTS
Public Service AnnouncementsToolkit
Allows others to borrow/use the PECA materials for their area/target audience
Tips for eliminating child abuse Videos
THE FUTURE
Educational campaigns School-based education Other high risk groups Expanded educational efforts for expecting/new
parents Expanded mandatory education for physicians, others
involved in the care of childrenMedia saturation
Keep abuse and neglect in the forefrontSocial mediaPerpetrator perspective?
CORNELL AND KARLIE
•“ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS THAT GOOD MEN DO
NOTHING”IRISH PHILOSOPHER EDMUND BURKE
SUMMARY
•The Partnership to Eliminate Child Abuse is a collaborative effort
–Linking diverse organizations and individuals across Indiana and Kentucky–Common goal of completely eliminating child abuse–Multifaceted approach using media, physician champions, families–Educational and awareness campaigns–Seeking to establish and maintain child abuse in the public consciousness