The Issue of Child Abuse in Families

A popular controversial issue today is whether children who are at risk for abuse remain with their families or not. Many people feel differently about this issue. Some people feel that it would be best for the children to remain with their intact families. There are others that feel that it is not in the best interest of the kids to stay in an environment that might cause them harm. When it comes to this issue I have mixed feelings.

In regarding this topic I feel in some situations it would be best for the kids if they were taken out of their homes. For instance, if they have parents that are using drugs who refuse to seek any type of help, its in the children best interest if they are taken out of that environment. To let kids stay in such a place where more harm might come upo9n them would be a crime. As Mary-Lou Weisman states safety is the key issue. I think shes absolutely correct, one should always put their children safety above all other things. Children should also be taken out of homes where they are getting abuse. If they remain in homes where they are consistently being abuse or witness someone getting abuse, they might later in life become abusers themselves. In those situations I feel staying in such families may endanger the children both physically and mentally. Mentally the child self-esteem might lower and once that happens the child schoolwork and other activities he or she take part in can suffer. Physically the child might get scares.

On the other hand, I think children should remain with their families if the family agrees to seek some sort of help. I feel no one else can replace your intact family. Most of the time when children are removing from their families they are place in foster care. I dont think placing the kids in foster care is a better solution. First of all, foster care is a strange environment in which the kids would have to adapt to. Secondly, sometimes when the kids cannot adapt they are move from place to another, which I feel is not very to good for them. Going from one place to another, the child might feel, as they dont have a place that they belong. Finally, I feel there is no substitute for a parent and child relationship. Sometimes the bonds one share with their parents no one is able to replace them. I agree with Lisa Kolb when she says family preservation programs are better than taking the kids out of the home. As she showed with her client Kim, sometimes its difficult to stay committed to the program but when you think what you will be losing you try your best to stay committed. Also, if it werent with the help of the family preservation program Kim would have been lost her child.

Lisa Kolb states family preservation services are designed to protect children who are at immediate risk of out-of-home placement, by providing immediate, comprehensive, 24-hour in home services to these children and their families. Mary-Lou Weisman however, feels that family preservation services are not always the best solutions for the kids. As one can see I feel both these authors are correct depending on the situations. However, one thing I know for sure is that every child deserves to have love and happiness.