to assume the ostrich position when it comes to the DETAIL of child abuse news stories

[bythepowerofgreyskull]

I see the headlines. horrid
but I can't let myself know anything about the detail.. the headlines have told me what I need to know in order that I don't open links/newspaper etc.

Should I be exposing myself to the detailed horror? and if I should what would be gained by me knowing?

Message withdrawn

Christina - I know no details of the case - if I have inadvertently offended by the title I am sorry.

I just can't read stories like that, especially as my DD is 18 months old and I can't imagine anything so awful being done to her, I just sit and cry and it really does upset me.

I must admit I do find it uncessary that the blood stained clothes are all over the front pages of the papers

what is the POINT of that? Do papers think we can't imagine the damage you have to do to a small child in order to kill him? It's unnecessary imo

YABU. Those graphic images were definitely ott and had an element of being voyeuristic but however upsetting child abuse like this is it shouldn't be hidden.

The whole reason why abusive parents get away with it is because people/society turns a blind eye. Remember the little girl who starved to death by her parents? A neighbour actually saw her looking v sad out of the window and never thought to take action.

We DO need to know what happens to some kids behind closed doors- however uncomfortable that makes one feel.

Then we can try and make sure it doesn't happen again.If people are in revulsion - tough. That poor kid had to live through it and the outcry will hopefully kick start some sort of debate so we can get child protection right in this country.

This is a realy hard one because on one hand I feel the little ones deserve for people to know what they went through in their short lives, and not shut their eyes - so I try to be brave...

Then like recently, I read further, previously unpublished details about the James Bulger case which were tagged on to an online news story about the relocation of the killers on their release. I was so sickened and haunted by it, it reduced me to tears so many times over the following few days (I'm PG at the mo and seems the level of what I can stand has seriously lowered), that I wish I'd never looked.

Maybe the key is, don't look too much but donate money to charities like NSPCC as often as poss...?

you should do what is right for you.we are all different.if reading it too harrowing.avoid

YANBU

The papers only do it to sell more papers which is sickening on every level.

I think having some idea of what goes on can't be a bad thing but you have to know your limits.
many years ago I worked around child protection and frankly some of the images in my mind I dearly wish were not there, but these were real children who suffered real pain and I feel I sort of owe it to them to know iyswim

but was not ready for some of those images to come flooding back once I became a mother, it all seems so much more personal and real

to sell to people who buy presumably?if it does sell as you suggest isnt the buyer culpable too

a feeding frenzy of interest

sfx - I think it must take a special kind of person to be able to care, and yet know when to switch off. My sister is a paramedic and mother of three and I just don't know how she sees the things she does all day then go home and switches in to mum mode..

I just saw the front page whilst in Tescos, the opening couple of sentences told me I really shouldn't buy the paper in my current mood... Poor, poor little mite

I was shocked at the BBC news headlines they put on between East Enders and the next programme, where they showed the blood stained clothes of that poor liitle soul. I don't think that was necessary.

I put my fingers in my ears at toddler group today as the details were just too horrific to listen to. and

I agree with GivePeasaChance, there is really no need for the media to go into such graphic detail, IMO it's really unpleasant and am really not sure it helps anyone.
I think it would be much more worthwile to debate how this can continue to happen.
I do not think the public needs to see photos of blood stained clothing and hear gory details of the poor child's multiple injuries.

I do think the details have to come out in situations like this.
As a society we need to know what is happening to our children and take collective responsiblity and action.
For those children who are silenced we have to make the most noise.

I never watch or read this stuff. I panicked until I've managed to turn the TV off last night. It really upsets me.

Yes.. I suppose you could say it is. But given the man in question, isn't it entirely appropriate?

Sorry, my last post (above) was for a different thread

Just to go back to someone who said how important it is to show these cases after I had said it somehow 'normalises' the events. Actually, I agree and will explain why I said that.

The sensationalist coverage results in the repeated vilification in the mass media of child welfare agencies deemed culpable for the deaths of the children involved (i.e. Social Services). And for me that is dangerous - it means there are damaging distortions introduced into the child protection system, because then /now Social Services respond defensively to the media onslaught.

And just catching the news headlines - that is the case already ( they are ordering an urgent inquiry into the processes).

It seems the perpetrators are 'expected' to commit these crimes and SS are to blame for not stopping them - as someone said who works in child protection, there really is no crystal ball - and for that we all suffer with some of the ridiculous child protection laws e.g. not taking photos at child's play.

I object to the coverage for that reason - it is sensational and pins the blame on the wrong people.

I agree peas.

Although there appear to be failings in the system, no social worker has harmed a child here.

I think we have to accept that unfortunately, there are a very small minority of people in this world for whom violence is fun and even murder can seem amusing.

Those people will always be with us. But this case shocks so much because it is so very, thankfully, rare.

The people involved were the ones responsible, and if they really wanted to harm children they would have found a way of doing it eventually, regardless of ss intervention or monitoring.

I did not buy a paper and turned off the news/ talk radio when they went into details.
I heard a bit too much on way to supermarket though and with chattering happy 18mth old ds2 in the back felt very sick and shaky.
I can appreciate every case without needing full details
It's just horrific.
I know nothing about social services and while I appreciate they have a job and did not do it well/right or whatever, they did not inflict the murderous injuries.

but allegedly no sw prevented harm either.by failing to make appropriate intervention harm occurred

The parents were DELIBERATELY deceiving the SWs - chocolate over bruises etc. THEY were the deceivers.

Thankfully this is rare - I am sure SWs make many many successful interventions. In this case IMO, from the sensationalist media coverage I have seen, the deceit from the abusers was quite sophisticated.

None of us can say we would have seen through that deceit. It is still the PARENTS fault.

its the most horrific thing i have ever heard

i was sitting with a 17 m.o on my knee at work this morning and it really hit me.

its terrible for us to look at the pictures on the news etc but there must be a gran/aunt or someone who loved this little boy out there who will be haunted by this forever