1982_12 The Daily Collegian December 1982

              =Focus-
Child
Conttnuad from page 9
Zivanich said, "We are seeing more and
more that parenting education is helping
people to be better parents."
The Fresno Welfare department start¬
ed in 1977, what Zivanich called a "mas
sive community program," where they
encouraged a working relationship with
troubled parents rather than automatic
removal and foster home placement of
the children.
"Children should be left at home,"
Zivanich said of the welfare center's new
approach. Social workers go into the par¬
ents' home, providing the same type of
service as CSUFs counseling center.
If the abusing parent does not show any
improvement, Zivanich said, they try to
find a permanent home for the child.
Known as "permanency planning," it is
intended to put the child in a secure situa¬
tion without creating excessive ambiguity
of their environment.
The foster home program often creates
a situation which sees the estranged child
bounce from home to home, never really
finding any security.
"We're trying to find a permanent
home for the child very quickly." Zivanich
said.
The impetus for "permanency plan¬
ning" came after the Adoption Assistance
and Child Welfare Act of I960 was passed
by the federal govenment.
Following its passing, California Sena¬
tor Alan Cranston said, "our efforts from
now on will be to reduce the foster care
toad by supporting program* that prom¬
ise to restore chfldren to their families,
that prevent unnecessary foster care, or
that promise the opportunity for adop-
Arthur Emlan, the director of the re¬
gional research institute for human servi¬
ces at Portland State University, said the
new law was "a fitting way to start the new
Dr. Abramson said she tries to give her
studentaa*en*e of proportion and under¬
standing about the subject so students
can have a little companion for the
abuser as well as the abused child.
"People begin to accept the fact that
child abusers are not monsters," Dr.
'People begin to
accept the fact that
child abusers are not
monsters.'
— Dr. Abramson
Along with unemployment, another
sign of the times is a greater awareness of
issues taht were once overlooked, such
as child abuse.
Promoting that awareness is Dr.
Abramson, who teaches Education 180T,
a three-unit topic class on chad abuse.
The course examines various aspects
of child abuse — physical, emotional,
sexual — effect on children, parents and
Abramson said.
Two types of child abuse were dis¬
cussed during the class session held Nov.
14; sexual abuse and corporal punish
Corporal punishment is more common¬
ly recognized as institutional €8*0011™!
which caused emotional or physical harm
to a child. For example, a child who is
spanked at school is a victim of corporal
punishment.
'1 consider it abuse," Dr. Abramson
said. "It's socially sanctioned child a
Corporal punishment has been legally
outlawed in the military, prisons and
other public institutions, Dr. Abramson
said. "But it-is still allowed in schools in
many states."
Dr. Abramson said corporal punishment
has a tendency to increase agressfve
behavior in the child who is being pun¬
ished.
^ One student repBed in disagreement.
"When 1 got my pounding I didn't want to
do it again," he said. "And it didn't cause
any aggression toward anybody."
Abramson then asked the class to
recall any instances where they were pun¬
ished by teachers or administrators.
After an impregnated silence one stu¬
dent said, "I was spanked in the fifth grade
for talking, In front of the class," she said.
"1 almost flunked the fifth grade"
Other students reflected on their past
experiences with corporal punishment,
some as extreme as a severe beating to
being humiliated in front of the class by
the teacher.
Dr. Abramson suggested that teachers
should learn constructive alternatives to
spanking or humiliation.
"Poor teachers have trouble forming
constructive methods of discipline and
may resort to corporal punishement."   -
Positive reinforcement is a good way to
modify a child's behavior, she said.
"The child must leam a new positive
behavior to replace the negative behav
ior," Dr. Abramson said.
One student believes that teachers
don't pay enough attention to students as
individuals concentrating instead on the
mechanics of education.
"The only way we're going to save edu¬
cation is if we put more emphasis on the
humanistic approach," he said.
Dr. Abramson agreed and said teach¬
ers should get to know each student as an
individual so they can "anticipate prob¬
lems before they occur."
"If you can anticipate problems, she
said, "then you eliminate most of the need
for punishment."
Sexual abuse was also discussed that
Wednesday evening.
Dr. Abramson attempted to dispel the
'We are seeing more
and more that
parenting education
is helping people to be
better parents.'
— Linda Zivanich
stereotype of most sexual abusers.
"The largest group of offenders are
teenagers to adults under 30 years of
age," she said. The smallest group is in the
50 years and above category; "contrary to
the dirty old man theory," Dr. Abramson
Obviously, sexual abuse can be a very
traumatic experience for children.
Despite the traumatization, children
most often do not tell anybody about the
act, because of fear, guilt or ignorance.
In a recent study by David Finkelhor,
an east coast researcher, a group of 800
college students in New England were
polled about their sexual experiences.
The poll revealed that most of the women
and men have never told anyone about
their encounter(s) with child sexual a-
Also according to the poll, 19 percent of
the women and 8.6 percent of the men,
experienced some type of sex abuse.
Most of the child sexual abuse cases in
America occur with someone who is very
trusted by all who know the abuser (The
majority of sex abusers are males.)
The U.S. News article reported that
"Papa" John Yoder of Concord, Calif.,
= 10 December 8,1982=
See CHILD, page 11
Child
=Focus
the recipient of laudatory award* as a fos¬
ter parent, pleaded no contest to sex
charges brought by two boys in hi* care.
John Wayne Gasey, a professional
clown, was convicted of murdering sev¬
eral boys after sexually abusing them.
Many of the boys were found buried
under his house.
The crisis intervention staff of 30 to 35
people handled 355 sexual abuse case* in
1982.
Although *he must consider many dif¬
ferent variables in each isolated case,
Zivanich said the situation must be
candled more delicately than the other
i y pes of abuse.
'There is a different degree of illegality
ri n d st ronger taboo as there is opposed to
the other types," Zivanich said.
There is no common environmental
denominator in which sexual abuse
Poor teachers have
trouble forming
constructive methods
of discipline and may
resort to corporal
punishment.'
— Dr. Abramson
>ccurs, Dr. Abramson said.
Many theories have been proposed to
.xplain sexual abuse. One of these theor-
es suggests that sexual abuse is a mani-
estation of the abuser's conflicts over
mature, adult relationships.
Sex abusers tessoften submit their vic-
tims to intercourse than to masturbation
ind fondling, Dr. Abramson said.
The trauma experienced by the abused
hild is lifelong and may devastate their
self esteem. Many prostitutes and female
pnsoners are admitted victims of child
sexual abuse, experts say.
In ;
tirjfie wl
'here divorce and single-
ren must learn early the responsibilities of
living in today's problem-filled America.
As time progresses, there is potential
for a greater awareness to prevail and
solutions to-this national epidemic to be
initiated.
Groups like Parents Anonymous, a
national self-help organization with a report¬
ed membership of about 40,000 families,
are only one piece in the solution puzzle.
According to Dr. Abramson, abused
children are the most likely candidates to
be abusing^ parents in the future, which
may be a key factor in future problem-
solving efforts by social workers and
other concerned people.
Parent* Anonymous offers the abuse parent an
to submitting their child to violence.
Parents Anonymous: the abusers' alternative
IT Retort laatMer
Many parents who abuse their children
feel alone, believing there is no one to turn
to when they finally reach for help. How¬
ever, there is help available. Parents Anon-
Parents Anonymous, an international
organization with 40,000 members, offers
that oadJy needed understanding for abu¬
sive parents and lets (Karri help each other.
keep thier iaoience in check.
Fresno's chapter of Barents Anonym¬
ous is organized by Alvina Gossman.
Gossman", an ex-child abuser, said "the
organization's main goal is to get the
parents to reach out for help before the
system has to," i.e. the social welfare
When parents are new to the group,
Alvina said, the group must first gain the
' the paren
s benefit, Gossman said
"they're not an agency that's going
cover for parent's that choose to
tinu* abuse to their child."
She said the Fresno group recentfy
turned a coupta away who refused to trust
the group. beeuase, she said, "they sow
us as part of th* system.
"They dkbVt want to help themselves.
We gave them option* but they still
The success of Parents Anonymous
depends on the willingness of each parent
to make an effort to solve their problem.
parents' tru»t and let them know "they saved." The success of Pan
aren't the heat." When a parent joins the group, he/she depends oolrewisnanae* of each parent
Parent* relate experiences and offer must make the crxnrm'ttrnent that th«y to make an effort to *©k«e their problem,
help arid; advice to each other at the will not abuse their child, Gossman *aid. "W« don't have that magical pal that
meeting*. When a parent continue* abusing their cw*t»rTat.fcdt*rne«t»igtogoei8tooort,"
Members also share phone numbers child after bona presented rfany other Cu***Wlii taki
eraWinethiem to contact each other dur- alternative*, "we don't reprimand them, !Wei»Anon|rTnoo*ma«t*«veryMon-
ing the week if a crisis should arise. we just make them aware of the core*- day raaht, Foe mfoneetafn aertaMng ta¬
il you riave at fea*r on* friend to talk queries— jafl.kie* of me child "she said., the organization, caa* 255 0305 o
to," he said, "the child's Kfe may be Although the group exist* primarily tor 229-8402.
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