STUDY: VIOLENT DEATHS OF CHILDREN

Male caregivers scrutinized in violent deaths of children

May 2, 2011


St. Paul, Minn. —
A state-mandated study into child
deaths and near-fatal injuries found men to blame two-thirds of the
time.


The Child Mortality Review Board
examined more than 200 preventable deaths of Minnesota children between
2005 and 2009.


Most of the cases chosen for review
were homicides, or near-fatal inflicted injuries of children due to
child maltreatment. But the board also reviewed accidents, such as
drownings, unexplained infant deaths, and suicides.


In many cases, infants and toddlers
were being cared for by unemployed fathers, stepfathers or boyfriends of
the mothers. As a result, the study could prompt new scrutiny of men from child protection workers.


The board examined 71 cases
involving fatal or near-fatal inflicted injuries. Three-quarters of the
deaths involved children under age four.


FEMALES ASSOCIATED WITH NEGLECT, MALES WITH ABUSE


Female caregivers were most often
the offenders in cases that involved neglect. But males were often the
offenders in abuse cases, said Erin Sullivan Sutton, assistant
commissioner for children and family services for the state Department
of Human Services.


According to the report, 51 percent
of the offenders who lived in the same household as the child were
unemployed. Often they abused alcohol or drugs.


Half the incidents involved children
under one year old. The most common cause of death was abusive head
trauma or shaken baby syndrome.


Authorities and health officials
have done a lot to educate the public about shaken baby syndrome. State
law requires new parents to watch a video about how vulnerable infant
brains are to shaking or blunt force before leaving the hospital, and
health care providers bring it up at every well-baby visit until a child
is three years old. Child care providers receive training.


But Sullivan Sutton said many
potential caregivers don't receive that kind of training, so it falls to
mothers to make sure they are leaving their children in safe hands.


"If mom knows that a caregiver or
potential care giver has a potential for violence, has hit her or hit
somebody else then she shouldn't leave the baby with that individual,"
she said. "If the person doesn't have experience caring for infants,
that's not a good situation.


The report describes adults
frustrated and angry by a child's crying, feeding, sleeping or toileting
problems.


"We see kids are crying because
they're hungry, kids are crying because they have soiled diapers and
that crying is what triggers the violence," Sullivan Sutton said.


PARENTING EDUCATION VITAL


Becky Dale, interim director of
Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota said the report it speaks to a need to
educate the whole community about what it takes to care for children.


"It's a really fast learning curve
when you become a parent," Dale said. "And one thing I noticed about the
report was there wasn't any reference to education about child
development before people become parents."


Dale suggests parenting education
could start much earlier. Junior high students could learn how to
comfort a crying baby, or about safe sleeping arrangements that won't
smother a baby.


Given how often a child is killed by
woman's boyfriend or unprepared father while the mother is at work,
there are opportunities to improve children's lives, said Marcie
Jeffrys, director of policy development for the Children's Defense Fund.


"I think we really need to look at
our child care policies if we want to address those kids who are being
left alone maybe with an adult who just isn't equipped emotionally to
take care of them," she said.


Jeffrys said cuts in child care
assistance mean fewer families have good options for safe places to
leave their children, particularly those that have low-wage jobs. She
notes that between 2003 and 2009, annual state spending for child care
assistance decreased by one-fifth, and 4,000 families are currently on
the waiting list.


Better child care could probably
help, but it likely won't eliminate the danger these children are in,
Jeffrys said.


Later this year, child protection
workers will add some new questions to their risk assessments. They'll
ask if a male is alone in caring for a child under three and if he's
employed.


After two years of gathering data,
the Department of Human Services will decide whether those factors
should be weighed in determining the risk the child is in.