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Abuse, Neglect Not Uncommon In CityBy Bill AdamsIt may be the longest, most continuous war in human history. It is always a battle of unequal forces. Saddest of all, both sides always lose.The war on children is fought with the weapons of neglect, physical abuse, and emotional pressure. That’s the arsenal of adults. The victims are almost always without any weapons, except running away, confiding in authorities or simple endurance. The youngest have no defense at all.Maltreatment of children occurs in homes and families of all income and educational levels, but most often it is found in low-income, low education families, with alcoholism and divorce frequent contributing factors.In Lea County, there are currently 60 children classified as neglected or abused to some degree, 80 per cent of them in Hobbs. According to Ora Qatato, case supervisor of the child welfare division of the New Mexico Social Services Agency, 20 children are in foster homes as a result of court action, two more in foster homes with consent of natural parents, and four living with relatives other than natural parents.Another 38 children still reside with their families, but under the supervision of one of the agency’s five caseworkers.Mrs. Qatato says that cases of severe physical abuse are rare, but that there are a lot of neglect and borderline neglect” situations.Police Lt. Tony Aguilar agrees. “We investigate a possible case of abuse or neglect at least once every two weeks,” he says, “but so far this year we've dealt with afc jut four serious cases and ten of less severity.”The Hobbs police officer has been involved in most of the actual child abuse cases in the city during the last decade. His memories are not pleasant.The real thing has to be seen to be believed. Some years ago a report came in of a baby crying outside a house in early December. When we arrived,we found the child trying to reach a screen door to get inside. In the living room, a two-year old girl was dying of malnutrition and abuse. She had belt-buckle imprints on her stomach, scalp wounds, black eyes and a protruding collarbone.“Three other kids were sleeping, the father was drunk in a bedroom, and the mother was out drinking somewhere,” Lt. Aguilar recalled. “The baby was sent to the hospital, finally recovered, and was placed in a foster home ... but it was a close call. She was in such good shape by the time the court case came up that she was almost sent back to the family ... until we showed the judge the photos taken at the time we found her.”Lt. Aguilar and Mrs. Qatato agree that many of the neglect cases stem from there being too little money and too many people in a family, and other cases from ignorance about where to get help, be it medical, financial or emotional.A common situation in abuse and neglect cases features a mother, remarried or living with a boyfriend, a drinking problem for one or both, money worries, and the fear on the part of the mother that she’ll lose her man if she complains about his treatment of the kids or refuses to go out with him and leave the children alone.“We’ve found kids left alone at home with no food for days at a time, and children left in cold automobiles parked outside of bars for hours,” says Lt. Aguilar.*‘in some cases, the mother is under such great personal pressure that the kids just have to come second while her own needs are filled; she doesn’t actually dislike her children, she loves them, but she can’t handle her responsibilities with patience and self-discipline.“Some cases feature so much stupidity and unnecessary misery they make you weep,” he adds. “Often, babies who wet or mess themselves are left in their own defecation for weeks. One mother loved her child, but could not make him stop wetting the bed, so instead of changing him, she sat him on the stove to dry.”Another common form of mistreatment is what is done to keep infants from crying excessively. Most of the time, the frustrated adult beats the baby with a hairbrush or shakes it violently, “giving it something to really cry about.”Lt. Aguilar, who grew up in a family withdrinking and poverty problems, and periods of neglect and abuse” says that people with good homes and adequate resources often take them for granted; they don’t realize how wonderful a family really is.“When neglecting parents, however, see that their kids can be taken away from them, that the authorities do have power to intervene, they often begin for the first time to realize the value of their children,” he adds.One of the problems faced by the police and social service agencies is the reluctance of neighbors, friends or family members to report suspected cases of abuse or neglect.Gil Bryan, public defender, points out that the New Mexico Children’s Code allows law officers to immediately remove children from abusive situations. “If you see a bad situation, the best thing to do is call the police,” he suggests. “If it is not an immediate crisis, you can report it to social service agency caseworkers for investigation.”Both Mrs. Qatato and Lt. Aguilar remind the public that they can report their suspicions without revealing their identities or getting themselves involved legally.Mrs. Qatato says her social service agency is often confused with the welfare department, but that it is a separate state agency, sharing space in the welfare office at 404 West Taylor, but serving all children, not just welfare clients.“We try to preserve and improve the natural family in most cases,” notes Mrs. Qatato, but we do place children in foster homplt; whpn that is clearlv the best alternative.“People do not realize the help which is available,at little or no cost,” the case supervisor continues. “We can help a family obtain food or clothing,provide family planning or counseling services, and even assist in adoption procedures. However, people do have to request help from us, except in child protection cases, where we have the authority to intervene.”A great need in Hobbs is for foster parents willing to take in teenagers, according to Mrs. Qatato. “Right now there is absolutely no one in Hobbs willing to be foster parent to a neglected or abused teenager. We let our foster parents decide which age groups they can relate to, and no one wants the over14 kids.”Foster homes are licensed by the state in regard to their physical facilities, and the foster parents are approved after interview and investigation by thesocial services agency. Parents are reimbursed $65 per month for children under 14, and $70 per month for those over 14.“In abuse and neglect cases, our caseworkers deal with the child, the foster parents, and the natural family on a regular basis to try and arrange an eventual return for the child. We never place a child in a foster home with the idea that he or she will be there until they grow up,’’ she adds.To volunteer as a foster parent, report suspected abuse or neglect, or ask for personal assistance with child-related problems, county residents can contactMrs. Qatato at 393-2159.What happens to kids who can’t go back home for the night and have no other place to stay? “I take some of them home, as do other officers,” says Lt. Aguilar. It’s either that or the jail, since we don’t have a receiving home or detention facility for juveniles.“It’s a traqedy that some parents beat their kids instead of communicating with them. Many kids go through great sacrifice and turmoil, yet don’t give up on the family. They deserve respect.”About the future? The lieutenant says quietly it’s hard to say, but I don’t think it is getting any better. I hope people call the police if they suspect trouble. They might save a child’s life.”%w.
Newspaper Details
Hobbs Flare
Hobbs, New Mexico, US
Thu, Dec 12, 1974
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael W.
HI, USA 11 Jan 2020
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