Conference quark::human_relations-v1

    I am not sure but I believe that Social services is obligated to
    tell her who "turned her in".  One of my sisters is, well, lets
    say not anyone I'd associate with if she wasn't my sister, and even
    then I try to avoid her.  At one point, my other sisters and I decided
    to turn her in and didn't because we had to give our names and were
    told that she'd have to be told who it was that made the call. 
    We just didn't want to start a family "war".  Also, they told us
    we'd have to file in person.  This is in Mass.  I'd never heard of
    them "moving in".
    

	I don't know what DSS handles, but if your reporting
	a welfare fraud, you do not have to give your name.
	
	/Robin
    

    In Mass a report of suspected child abuse can be made anonymously.
    
    Bonnie

    Here in colorado we have a program known as crime stoppers.
    It is run by the police department you call in and report drug dealers,
    theives,ect instead of giving your name your assigned a code number.
    There are often rewards given depending of what crime you reported
    the code numbers that recieve rewards are then broadcast at the
    end of the evening news cast on local stations.
    The program has been VERY successful and many drug busts have been
    held from citizen reports alone. BTW- I'm sure they investigate
    before busting down doors but one(crime stopper) bust last week
    alone netted 30 bales of grass and several kilos of crack.
    
    Question: How many people out there have neighbors that have an
    almost constant flow of visitors that only stay 10-15 minutes?
    Chances are they are dealing drugs. I had one such on my street
    and indeed drugs were being sold and has since been shutdown.
    
    That child deserves to grow up free from the bad influence of drugs
    and the reporting party shouldent wimp out and not report even if
    their name is required.
    
    
    WARNING!!! VERY STRONG OPINION FOLLOWS FORM FEED
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
  Dont flame me if you dont like what you read ahead.  
 YOU have been warned!   
    
    
    
    
    
 
    
       
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Now you ask, what if the legal system springs this person and they
    come back and try to get me? I say get a gun, learn to use it and
    if they do come back make it the biggest error of their life.
    I wouldent hesitate in the least to consider anyone coming back
    at me(for turning them in) as threatening my life and would deal
    with them with deadly force should they try to harm me or my family.
    I prefer to look at this as flushing another turd down the toilet
    bowl of life and no more. I'm not talking about senseless killing
    or taking the law into my own hands but I will defend the my right
    to live with deadly force if I have to.
    
    Dealers have no pity on young children and we as adults should have
    no pity on them.
    
    -j  
    
     
    
    

    
    Re: .4    Bravo!!!
    
    
    A while ago I had the opportunity to deal directly with DSS in
    Worcester. I wont go into great detail but while working as a police
    officer I had the occasion to respond to a domestic disturbance.
    While handling this call I spotted clear cases of child abuse. Now
    having two little ones of my own I was appalled at the scene. After
    returning to the station I immediately called the 800 hotline to
    Worcester Dss and descibed the incident. The woman on the other
    end told me to fill out the required child abuse form,(I cant remember
    the form number off hand but can get copies) and she said shed send
    out a team. 2 hours later the team(man and woman) arrived at the
    station and I handed them the report. They went to the house and
    told the occucpants their to let them enter to check the child.
    Of course there was a argument but freindly persuasion helped from
    myself opened the door. To make a long story short they removed
    the child on the spot. The child was given proper treatment and
    placed in a fine home. A follow up report was given to me by DSS
    to show what had been done. A fine job in my book.
    
    Also if child abuse is suspected contact your local police department.
    If child abuse is reported they have the right to enter the home
    and visually check the child and either do as above or remove the
    child themselves if they feel the situation is life threatening.
    
    I hope this has been informative. Ill be glad to answer any questions.
    
    Ev.

    re: .0
    
 Many states have "protective" cover for persons  reporting child/negelct
    abuse.
    
    However, one thing people need to realize, and realize quick is
    that "taking a child" away from its mother is not necessarrily the
    best solution.
    
    When a   child  is removed from its natural home, it is sometimes
    placed in a "foster" home; and some of the foster homes are WORSE
    than the environment the child was removed from !!
    
   The "optimal" solution would be to "teach" the mother how to be more
    socially aceptable,and reduce (eliminate ?) her dependence on drugs.
    
    I realize the note is about "child abuse reporting", but I couldn't
    pass up knowledge from friends, and friends of my children who do
    have "first hand knowledge and experience" with foster homes.
    
    Bob
    
    
    
   

        RE 486.4
        
        There's only one thing wrong with your warning that a strong
        opinion followed the form feed--you didn't put in a form feed.
        There were a bunch of blank lines, but no form feed. A form feed
        is a specific character which is handled in specific ways by
        Notes and other software. It is created by pressing CTRL/L or
        CTRL/V followed by CTRL/L depending upon the editor you are
        using. It is generally imaged as a little "FF" character or as
        something like "<FF>".
        
        JimB.

Ummm...

Something which may be very important, is that in some states, (MA, NY I
believe), if you suspect child abuse, and do NOT report it,and the case is
substantiated to be child abuse, you are guilty of being an accomplice, and can
be arrested, tried, and sentenced as such.  I am not sure how this is carried
out, but it is something to consider.

Jim.

In Colorado, the DSS is required to investigate any and all reportings of any 
type of abuse or suspected abuse.  That means that if you spank your child in 
front of anyone, you are subject to investigation.  Also, an investigation may 
be made if someone calls DSS and says they think you might be abusing your 
child, even if you've no serious evidence.

    re: .8 and mandatory reporting
    
    As far as I understand the laws in several of the states (including
    Mass.), there are certain classes of people who are "mandated
    reporters."  That is, they are required by law to report any and
    all cases of actual or suspected child abuse;  otherwise they are
    subject to criminal penalties.  These categories include people
    such as teachers, physicians, social workers, etc.  A "plain
    old neighbor" who suspects child abuse and does not report it
    is not committing a crime, although there may indeed be an
    ethical/moral error...