Amending Child Abuse

Child Abuse is snaking its way through households in the United States. Joshua Deshaney is a victim of this type of abuse. Four-year-old from Neenah, Wisconsin, Joshua lived with his father who abused him to a point of no returnF

Similar cases erupt every day in places where you wouldn’t expect. According to the New York Post, a Brooklyn man was sentenced to 25 years to life for beating and killing his 16-month-old daughter. That’s when the government should step in, when children get mentally and physically scarred for life. Joshua was hospitalized when he was taken away from his father and later diagnosed with mental disabilities and and paralysis. The government can’t let parents do this to the children that is under their protection.

The mother of Joshua sued social services for putting Joshua back in the hands of his father and lost because the federal government did not have any law saying they needed to protect Joshua but that it is a family matter. The federal government should adopt laws from states such as Massachusetts to protect the endangerment of children under the age of 18.  In Massachusetts “A person who wantonly or recklessly engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk of sexual abuse or serious bodily injury to a child under 18 years old,” says statelaws.findlaws.com

The U.S. Supreme court tends to not favor the children or students of the United States. According to the New York Times the constitution does not protect children under the age of 18 against parents,staff, or teachers. Most court cases that get presented to the U.S. Supreme Court that involve child abuse get deferred to the state and local government so they can intervene in family affairs.

When the mother of Deshaney tried suing social services for the incrimination of her ex husband the court made it a point that the Constitution does not protect children from their parents. But that’s the federal government. All states states assume responsibility through child protective laws. Instead of deferring Supreme Court cases to a lower level the federal government should make laws to protect the children of the country. States are protecting the children of the future why can’t the government make and amendment doing the same?

Sources:

“Child Abuse.” New York Post, New York Post, nypost.com/tag/child-abuse/.

“10 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know.” The New York Times, The New York

Times,

archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20

080915monday.html.

“Massachusetts Child Abuse Laws.” Findlaw,

statelaws.findlaw.com/massachusetts-law/massachusetts-child-abuse-laws.ht

ml.