I need help!!!

[MissBrattified]

n_david, I don't care about the legality of it. The ethical thing to do is to report it. You don't call the parents and potentially return the child to a more hostile environment than before.

Further, if a child is lying, reporting it teaches the best lesson. Then they can't confide lies without authorities--and the accused--knowing about it and having a chance to investigate and defend themselves.

[n david]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

n_david,

If you are on staff at any church, school, or any other place where you are ever charged with the care of minor children, you should know better than this. If a minor confides that they have been abused physically or sexually, it must be reported immediately. You don't investigate it yourself first to see if its true; you report it and let authorities sort it out.

In the case I mentioned earlier, the staff members went to jail, in part, BECAUSE they were looking into the matter themselves. Bad decision.

You are correct with the bold part above. Now tell me, is JD any of what you listed?
I never said investigate it yourself. And if you read my previous post you'd see I did state who fell under mandatory reporting.

Read the law. Some states, but not all, require mandatory reporting.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by n david

You are correct with the bold part above. Now tell me, is JD any of what you listed?
I never said investigate it yourself. And if you read my previous post you'd see I did state who fell under mandatory reporting.

Read the law. Some states, but not all, require mandatory reporting.

If a child from a neighboring house came to me and confided abuse, I would pick up the phone and call the police--whether the law requires it or not. I have been up close and personal with too many abusive situations to not do that. You always err on the side of protecting the victim.

[n david]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Let me explain to you why this is a bad idea and why the proper action is ALWAYS to let authorities sort it out:

My husband and his siblings were raised in an extremely abusive home. My husband worked up the nerve one time to run away and tell some family friends what was going on. They immediately picked up the phone and called his father and he had to go right back home--to an even angrier parent.

The right thing to do is call the authorities. Even if people are inconvenienced, and even if it turns out to be untrue. Period.

IF they had called the cops, my husband and his siblings would have been placed in foster care while it was sorted. That would have been a better situation for them, no doubt about it, and there would have been an official complaint made.

I stand by what I said. This is an online forum. You don't just go reporting stuff as the truth when you have no idea if it is or not.

And maybe foster care would've been better in your husband's case...but it's not always so.

[n david]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

If a child from a neighboring house came to me and confided abuse, I would pick up the phone and call the police--whether the law requires it or not. I have been up close and personal with too many abusive situations to not do that. You always err on the side of protecting the victim.

"If a child from a neighboring house...." what about someone you don't know telling you something online? You going to report it? Didn't read of you doing anything about Jacob. He even offered to tell anyone who PM'd him.

Why didn't you report his story?

[A239]

Originally Posted by Sasha

David, I can agree with you in part, but look at the other side. A teen reaches out to someone he believes he can trust and expects what? Not to be believed?

I realize this is the inernet, but this kid, as brilliant as he seems, is young and naive. He may have not told the complete truth, but I don't believe he made the entire thing up.

Thank you for acknowledging my intelligence ;P

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by n david

I stand by what I said. This is an online forum. You don't just go reporting stuff as the truth when you have no idea if it is or not.

And maybe foster care would've been better in your husband's case...but it's not always so.

I realize it's a mediocre option, with its own share of bad situations, but it's better than being physically, sexually and emotionally abused even if it's only a bed, meals and a roof over your head.

How would you ever know if something is really true or not without talking to the alleged perpetrator or personally seeing physical evidence? Local authorities and agencies need to handle that, because they have the means and resources and they can also do their best to protect the child from further abuse while they investigate.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by n david

"If a child from a neighboring house...." what about someone you don't know telling you something online? You going to report it? Didn't read of you doing anything about Jacob. He even offered to tell anyone who PM'd him.

Why didn't you report his story?

Because he didn't tell me his story. He told JD. Or did you think that JD reported it based on the posts on this thread?

[n david]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Because he didn't tell me his story. He told JD. Or did you think that JD reported it based on the posts on this thread?

Are you reading my posts fully? I wrote, and his very first post says, that he would tell details to whomever PM'd him. Question is, why didn't YOU PM him for more details and report it?

He offered in his first post. The only one who took his offer was JD.

Why not you?

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by n david

Are you reading my posts fully? I wrote, and his very first post says, that he would tell details to whomever PM'd him. Question is, why didn't YOU PM him for more details and report it?

He offered in his first post. The only one who took his offer was JD.

Why not you?

I didn't realize he was referring to abuse. There are lots of reasons a teenager can be unhappy at home which don't involve any abuse on the part of the parents/caretakers.

Are you going to attack my character now, too? First you attack JD for doing what he felt was right and ethical and calling him creepy and "stalkerish" and now you're going to get on my back for not doing what JD did? What is your problem? If you don't want to report things that teenagers tell you, and you want to risk them being abused further because you don't want to make the adults mad, that is your choice. Be my guest and if you ever get into trouble for it, or WORSE, if a child/teenager is ever harmed because you failed to act, you'll learn the lesson better than someone telling you to handle it differently.