Culpability and legal advice for homeschoolers & abuse allegations

[hasikelee]

Hello,
Today I received an email sent to over 400 families in a Catholic homeschool organization. This email included some pretty basic and good guidelines for what to do when social services is unjustly pursuing an anonymous tip or abusing the system of power.

But on the next page of the email, it includes many tips that appear to be unsound legal advive, besides being possibly morally wrong.

For example, the email advises homeschoolers to never report abuse or “struggles” to DFS or the police, citing Corinthians 6: 1-6. The email advises homeschoolers to go directly to the family and try to solve the issues if abuse is suspected or apparent.

It also advises that if a younger child talks about abuse, this is most likely a lie due to children frequently lying.

There is a lot more and it is very wordy. Printed it is 5 pages long.

Now I am wondering, what is my obligation here? I feel that not only is God’s teaching being misused for some agenda here, this advise is very unsound and anyone who naively follows it could be in big trouble. It also is a huge platform for perpetrating and continuing abuse.

I have been homeschooled through highschool graduation and am very well aware of the discrimination and horrors in the realm of social services vs. homeschoolers, but this document is wrong in every aspect. I don’t want to have anything to do with these people, but I feel that now that I have read it, I have an obligation to refute it or to say something.

Help!

 

[gardenswithkids]

Hello,
Today I received an email sent to over 400 families in a Catholic homeschool organization. This email included some pretty basic and good guidelines for what to do when social services is unjustly pursuing an anonymous tip or abusing the system of power.

But on the next page of the email, it includes many tips that appear to be unsound legal advive, besides being possibly morally wrong.

For example, the email advises homeschoolers to never report abuse or “struggles” to DFS or the police, citing Corinthians 6: 1-6. The email advises homeschoolers to go directly to the family and try to solve the issues if abuse is suspected or apparent.

It also advises that if a younger child talks about abuse, this is most likely a lie due to children frequently lying.

There is a lot more and it is very wordy. Printed it is 5 pages long.

Now I am wondering, what is my obligation here? I feel that not only is God’s teaching being misused for some agenda here, this advise is very unsound and anyone who naively follows it could be in big trouble. It also is a huge platform for perpetrating and continuing abuse.

I have been homeschooled through highschool graduation and am very well aware of the discrimination and horrors in the realm of social services vs. homeschoolers, but this document is wrong in every aspect. I don’t want to have anything to do with these people, but I feel that now that I have read it, I have an obligation to refute it or to say something.

Help!

Maybe try refuting the controversial points with the source and copy those who recieved the e mail. You might even contact HSLDA (Homeschool legal defense association) for how to refute it better and what to say. HSLDA defend homeschooling and are vocal against social workers who deny parent’s their constitutional rights, but they don’t defend child abuse.

 

[sing]

Your post terrifies, but does not suprise me.Most of the homeschoolers I’ve known were over-defensive about whether or not there could be negative aspects of homeschooling. I’m not sure how exactly to refute it, since I don’t have the email, but I would write up something that refutes it(including some facts about how abuse becomes so much worse if no one believes the child) and send it out to everyone who received the original email. Homeschooled children are at a greater risk for abuse than average, because the child can be without anywhere to turn when they are having problems(as well as potentially being around abusers more often).

 

[otjm]

It is not overly difficult, in any group that is not in the center of the mainstream, to find someone who is at the fringe (or has fallen off the fringe).

The person or persons who mailed this are at the fringe; they may be hanging on to a thread.

They are exhibiting some interesting attitudes towards legal authority, and in particular in the area of child abuse.

There is an old phrase, “Where there is smoke, there is fire”, and it is absolutely amazing how often it is proved all too true.

I would hazard a guess that they, or someone close to them, had a tangle with Children’s Services Division or whatever the equivalent is in their state.

Just because someone in CSD makes a charge against a parent of abuse is no guarantee that they are right and the parent(s) is/are wrong. On the other hand, most caseworkers have more than enough cases in their caseload that they have neither the time nor the interest in persuing someone who has done no wrong.

The comments about not turning information into a state caseworker immediately raises a hugh red flag; trying to cloak it in some quote from the Bible is just a red herring.

And the quote about young children lying about abuse is so typical of the intra-family dynamics of child abuse, particularly of sexual abuse, that it is scary. Young children don’t lie about something that psychologically and emotionally sick; they are simply too young to come up with that type of information on their own. Either they, or someone they are in contact with (another child, that is) is odds-on being abused.

The great majority of abuse is handed out by the father; all too often the mother does nothing to stop the abuse, and the child has nowhere to turn for safety. That is not the sum total of famiily abuse picture, but is definitely the leading source.

I in no way mean to implicate home schoolers as abusers. However, it would not surprise me in the least to find a family in which abuse is occuring turn to homeschooling as a means of removing the child from others who may become aware of the abuse, or be in a position of trust with the child such that the abuse might be revealed to them.

you would be smart to distance yourself from this group/individual. Don’t try to get into a dispute with them; you aren’t going to make any ground. Just move on.

 

[hasikelee]

Maybe try refuting the controversial points with the source and copy those who recieved the e mail. You might even contact HSLDA (Homeschool legal defense association) for how to refute it better and what to say. HSLDA defend homeschooling and are vocal against social workers who deny parent’s their constitutional rights, but they don’t defend child abuse.

This was my first thought. My impression of HSLDA is that of a very sound and strong organization.

I am still hesitant to do anything. I am only an “older” member of the group. It was my homeschool group when I was younger. I know many of the families, but have not attended activities or been a part of their life. I am just on the organization’s email list.

Furthermore, I am not a homeschooling mother and I have no authority, KWIM?

 

[hasikelee]

What particularly bothers me in this case is that this homeschooling group began with a small group of friends, a main “family” if you will. They all got together and received permission from a parish priest to hold classes, choir, drama and other meetings in the parish gym.

This organization calls itself Catholic and aggressively advertises as a big, reliable, traditional Catholic organization. But they last year refused to put themselves under the authority of the archdiocese and remain unapproved by the Church.

Although by knowing the main group of people I am fairly sure there is no maliciousness, just midguided pride/convictions, I feel sure that their structure is unsafe and unCatholic. They have grown tremendously from a small, intimate group to what resembles a very large school with families from several states.

Anyways, I know the homeschooling community has lots of good people out there and I think when the families and communities are healthy that children are WAAAY safer than in a public school setting, but this particular group is quickly becoming worse and worse.

 

[gardenswithkids]

This was my first thought. My impression of HSLDA is that of a very sound and strong organization.

I am still hesitant to do anything. I am only an “older” member of the group. It was my homeschool group when I was younger. I know many of the families, but have not attended activities or been a part of their life. I am just on the organization’s email list.

Furthermore, I am not a homeschooling mother and I have no authority, KWIM?

I see your hesitation if you’re no longer part of the group, but they did send you the e mail.
Are you in touch with anyone who still participates in this group? If anyone else read all five pages, you probably aren’t the only person who thinks it odd.

I don’t know anything about this group or it’s members, but in my opinion homeschoolers in general seem to be rather independent people. Group e mails can easily be sent to many people on a group list from just about anyone. (This e-mail even sounds like rumours anti-homeschoolers might want spread.) Even if the email did originate from the group leadership, the e mail may not have been scrutinized before being sent, especially as it was very long and started with reasonable suggestions. Homeschooling group volunteer organizers have children of their own to teach, and may not have read it all.

If you aren’t comfortable responding to everyone about the e mail, talk to someone in the group that you are comfortable with. Avoid corresponding by e-mail until you know what exactly you want to write, as it might be forwarded. I think someone should address this in some way. I don’t want the homeschooling movement and homeschooled children hurt by those who tell others to ignore signs of child abuse. While there may be disagreement on how to accomplish this, we share a moral obligation to protect children from abuse.

 

[IsMiseSteise]

It is not overly difficult, in any group that is not in the center of the mainstream, to find someone who is at the fringe (or has fallen off the fringe).

The person or persons who mailed this are at the fringe; they may be hanging on to a thread.

They are exhibiting some interesting attitudes towards legal authority, and in particular in the area of child abuse.

There is an old phrase, “Where there is smoke, there is fire”, and it is absolutely amazing how often it is proved all too true.

I would hazard a guess that they, or someone close to them, had a tangle with Children’s Services Division or whatever the equivalent is in their state.

Just because someone in CSD makes a charge against a parent of abuse is no guarantee that they are right and the parent(s) is/are wrong. On the other hand, most caseworkers have more than enough cases in their caseload that they have neither the time nor the interest in persuing someone who has done no wrong.

The comments about not turning information into a state caseworker immediately raises a hugh red flag; trying to cloak it in some quote from the Bible is just a red herring.

And the quote about young children lying about abuse is so typical of the intra-family dynamics of child abuse, particularly of sexual abuse, that it is scary. Young children don’t lie about something that psychologically and emotionally sick; they are simply too young to come up with that type of information on their own. Either they, or someone they are in contact with (another child, that is) is odds-on being abused.

The great majority of abuse is handed out by the father; all too often the mother does nothing to stop the abuse, and the child has nowhere to turn for safety. That is not the sum total of famiily abuse picture, but is definitely the leading source.

I in no way mean to implicate home schoolers as abusers. However, it would not surprise me in the least to find a family in which abuse is occuring turn to homeschooling as a means of removing the child from others who may become aware of the abuse, or be in a position of trust with the child such that the abuse might be revealed to them.

you would be smart to distance yourself from this group/individual. Don’t try to get into a dispute with them; you aren’t going to make any ground. Just move on.

I will just say that I completely agree with this entire post! And, for the record, I’m currently researching homeschooling options for my children due to the problems they’re having at school.

I’m all for education however a parent sees fit, but that email is downright SCARY!

My prayers are with you.

 

[Vanessa]

…For example, the email advises homeschoolers to never report abuse or “struggles” to DFS or the police, citing Corinthians 6: 1-6. The email advises homeschoolers to go directly to the family and try to solve the issues if abuse is suspected or apparent.

It also advises that if a younger child talks about abuse, this is most likely a lie due to children frequently lying.

There is a lot more and it is very wordy. Printed it is 5 pages long. …

I would like to read the whole message before I judge this group or their advice. Not that I don’t value your opinion or how you interpreted it, but I don’t think anyone should be judging something based on a paraphrase of two sentences out of 5 pages.

I don’t belong to this group, or know anything about them, but I am aware of many horror stories about children being strip searched and taken away from their families simply because of an accusation. It’s a very, very serious step to report someone for child abuse. A child has a 50% chance of being sexually abused in a foster home (by the other foster children). So you better be sure that’s a better place for them.

I suspect that this group has encountered a busybody/crackpot who caused untold harm to a family, and perhaps they’re overreacting. I don’t really know. Perhaps they really do have an abuser somewhere in the leadership position. But I doubt that.

I suggest you talk to someone and find out what was meant, explain how you understood it, so they can write the information to be more clear and helpful. That’s what a responsible adult does.

 

[hasikelee]

I would like to read the whole message before I judge this group or their advice. Not that I don’t value your opinion or how you interpreted it, but I don’t think anyone should be judging something based on a paraphrase of two sentences out of 5 pages.

Oh, your points find only agreement with me.

It has always seemed to me that the family protection branch and social services has been able to avoid the checks and balances that protect Americans. The horror stories are hard to miss. I am active in lobbying for homeschool rights and have found HSLDA to usually be a precise legal resource when dealing with those bent on harming families.

I have seen and heard my share of what happens when people are accused wrongly. One such example was an exgirlfriend sending in tips about neglect and abuse completely unsubstantiated because she located the man and discovered he had married and started a family.

When someone suspects potential neglect or abuse, it is a time for a lot of carefuly documentation, praying for guidance and specific but confidential steps to address the situation. Simply calling in anonymous tips anytime you disagree with another parent, or hear something suspicious, is going to be harmful.

Nevertheless, following the advice in this email could potentially not only protect abusers, but also bring about a very negative stereotype for homeschoolers, one that we have been fighting against already. Namely, that our independent status shelters abusers and allows children to be hurt.

I do admit that I jotted down only a couple sentences in my first post and I am sorry for not providing more information. Here is a copy/paste portion from the email:

“A. As Christians, we need to keep our struggles out of the civil arena and within the church as scripture directs us to do in 1 Corinthians 6: 1-6. Calling DFS or the police department with your concerns means that you are using the world’s solution and not God’s by going to civic authorities instead of using the plan that the Lord set up for us to confront other Christians.”

“2. If you have gone to the family and are still concerned, go to that family’s pastor and address your concerns to him. In most situations, family problems can be handled within the body of the church.”

“3. If a child, especially a younger child, relays information he or she heard from another child about a family issue, please check with the family in question first. Children frequently embellish stories because they are children and have active imaginations. (Adults embellish stories, too, so just imagine what a child can do.).”

“4. Remember, calling DFS on another homeschooler reflects negatively on homeschooling and may come back to bite the person making the call.”

 

[dwc]

I agree, this email contains huge red flags. I prosecuted child abuse cases for 12 years, up until last year. I’m extremely familiar with the system and the weaknesses of the DFS; in fact, much of my time was spent fighting with them, checking up on them or completing their haphazard investigations.

The checks and balances on DFS are the prosecutor’s office, the parents’ court appointed attorneys, and the judge, who ultimately makes all decisions about placement and custody. The fact is that although children can be removed from their home by DFS it can only be for a few days before there is a court hearing and DFS must justify its actions. Even a few days is horrible of course, but the reality is far different from the implications of this group that kids are just whisked away forever, with no oversight, etc.

Horror stories about strip searching seem like just that – horror stories. In 12 years, I never heard anything remotely like that.

There is no rational basis for the statement that when a young child reports abuse they are lying. The fact is, very few young children are actually lying; however, the abusers say the children are lying about 99.9% of the time (and often confess later).

The advice to not report it but just “go to the family” or the pastor is just plain stupid. That would accomplish nothing, other than tipping off the abuser that someone has noticed or the child has told, thus putting the child at greater risk. Most people and pastors don’t have the qualifications to assess the risk to the child and don’t have access to the information necessary to make an informed assessment – medical records, search of the home, collection of evidence, interviews with the child and witnesses, etc.

This doesn’t sound like real legal advice, more a plea to circle the wagon, band together as homeschoolers and protect ourselves, even if some children are actually at risk:

Remember, calling DFS on another homeschooler reflects negatively* on homeschooling *

IMO, anyone who would put the reputation of a form of education or a lifestyle over the safety and well being of children needs to seriously re-examine their priorities. Kids are beaten, raped and abused in all types of families – poor, wealthy, religious, non-religious, and yes, even is some homeschooling families. No group is exempt.

*A child has a 50% chance of being sexually abused in a foster home (by the other foster children). *

*What is the source for this statistic? I’ve never heard it before and I’ve prosecuted hundreds of child sexual abuse cases. Some of those were foster kid on foster kid, but a very small percent. As far as infliction of sexual abuse, the relationship of abuser to child victim is: by far most likely, mom’s boyfriend; next, stepdad; then male relative (uncle, grandfather, cousin, etc); then babysitter or other caretaker; then a mishmash of neighbors, friends, other kids, and so on. *

 

[tismyself]

“4. Remember, calling DFS on another homeschooler reflects negatively on homeschooling and may come back to bite the person making the call.”

This sounds like a thinly veiled threat to me.
The first comment about keeping matters within the church family versus ‘the world’ solution, that sounds remotely Old Order AnaBaptist-- when I was a child my neighbors were Old Order Dunkard Brethern.

 

[otjm]

There is no rational basis for the statement that when a young child reports abuse they are lying. The fact is, very few young children are actually lying; however, the abusers say the children are lying about 99.9% of the time (and often confess later).

The advice to not report it but just “go to the family” or the pastor is just plain stupid. That would accomplish nothing, other than tipping off the abuser that someone has noticed or the child has told, thus putting the child at greater risk. Most people and pastors don’t have the qualifications to assess the risk to the child and don’t have access to the information necessary to make an informed assessment – medical records, search of the home, collection of evidence, interviews with the child and witnesses, etc.

I did 12 years opposite the DA and agree with your assessments.

To anyone who wants to evaluate the sugestions by the homeschooling group: you need to understand the psychological dynamics within the family. Altogether too often the male in the household - boyfriend, stepdad, dad, uncle, older brother - is the abuser and almost like clockwork, we find the mother failing to intervene. From the cases I handled and what I have read, there often appears to be spousal (or the equivalent thereof) abuse in tandem with the child abuse, and the abuse to either the adult or the child can be physical, emotional, or sexual or a combination thereof. The child is at the mercy of the abuser and further at the mercy of the other non-abusing (parent).

I represented the mother in a termination of parental rights case; the girl was 14 and the father was in prison for the abuse.

The mother took the stand at her own insistence and proceeded to spew out a string about how there had never been any abuse at all; at at the end of it without even batting an eye or taking a breath, turned to her daughter and called her a whore. In one rambling bit of testimony the mother denied there was any abuse and called her daughter a whore for being sexually provocative to the husband/father and having instigated the sexual acts which she denied taking place.

Were this the only case, I could shrug it off as an anomally. It is not. Telling anyone to take it in the family is so far beyond the pale of any common sense that, to me, it borders on criminal negligence. It gives the parent who can’t deal with the dynamics further justification to keep secret the abuse. The priest is going to help her? If the issue is outside the confessional, he is required by law to report it. You think maybe the mother hasn’t figured that part out? And no priest I know of is going to try and solve this issue in the confessional as it simply cannot be done.

I have heard the stories, and know enough about how the system works to know that what has been broadcast as truth has little relationship to what actually happened.

 

[Black_Jaque]

Sounds like a lot of supposed “facts” posted but no sources to back them up.

The fact is, very few young children are actually lying; however, the abusers say the children are lying about 99.9% of the time (and often confess later).

Source?

It doesn’t seem that far-fetched that simply going by what a child tells you, you could be lead to mistakenly believe that child abuse is occurring. Whether the child is lying, embellishing, or simply choose words poorly.

Also, sometimes Social Services has a rather loose definition of what abuse is. Parents have been charged for spanking.

As for the advice given in the email. I don’t know. It’s not exactly a HUGE red flag to me. But I don’t necessarily agree with it entirely. I do agree that among Christians, it is best to approach them directly, then the pastor, THEN the authorities. Depending on the situation. If Ma was chasing her child around the house with a butcher knife, that might be a good time to skip the middle-man and call the authorities immediately.

But if a kid has a bruise on his face and says his Dad did it, I’d probably do some more investigation before reporting it.

The great majority of abuse is handed out by the father; all too often the mother does nothing to stop the abuse, and the child has nowhere to turn for safety.

Again this is a statement posed as a “fact” but no supporting documentation. I have heard just the opposite. That child abuse is the only violent crime that women commit as frequently as men. I’ve also read that fathers are less likely to be abusers, rather it is step-fathers and boyfriends that are way more likely to abuse.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Sounds like a lot of supposed “facts” posted but no sources to back them up.

Source?

I don’t have stats but I serve on the child protection team in my county and parents will deny abuse even in the face of evidence. They may reluctantly admit to the action but not that it is abuse.

It doesn’t seem that far-fetched that simply going by what a child tells you, you could be lead to mistakenly believe that child abuse is occurring. Whether the child is lying, embellishing, or simply choose words poorly.

Also, sometimes Social Services has a rather loose definition of what abuse is. Parents have been charged for spanking.

In the state I live in they are spelled out clearly; all mandated reporters are given resources and training on what is reportable or not. I’m not at work right now but simple spanking is not considered abuse. Using a brush or wooden spoon will get you unwanted attention though.

Again, I can only talk about what happens in my county but the reports are carefully reviewed by a child protection worker and/or the team. A lot of things are not investigated because they are not considered reportable by the state definitions of child abuse.

Also, there are different levels of response, one is more voluntary (on the part of the parent/family) to take advantage of resources offered by social services but sometimes the type or severity or multiple reports of abuse required more serious intervention where a family must comply or they risk losing custody.

But the social workers and law enforcement who investigate do so carefully. They aren’t trying to split up families or take children away from parents but first offer options for support to take a load off (when appropriate: housecleaning services, respite care, parenting classes and financial assistance.)

As for the advice given in the email. I don’t know. It’s not exactly a HUGE red flag to me. But I don’t necessarily agree with it entirely. I do agree that among Christians, it is best to approach them directly, then the pastor, THEN the authorities. Depending on the situation. If Ma was chasing her child around the house with a butcher knife, that might be a good time to skip the middle-man and call the authorities immediately.

But if a kid has a bruise on his face and says his Dad did it, I’d probably do some more investigation before reporting it.

Again, I can’t speak for other jurisdictions but investigating is best left to the pros. Unless one knows what one is doing this can tip off the abuser or make it worse for an innocent parent. It kids are interviewed incorrrectly it could result in incorrect information.

Again this is a statement posed as a “fact” but no supporting documentation. I have heard just the opposite. That child abuse is the only violent crime that women commit as frequently as men. I’ve also read that fathers are less likely to be abusers, rather it is step-fathers and boyfriends that are way more likely to abuse.

The above is my experience in a county with an excellent child protection team. YMMV

 

[Bruised_Reed]

(…)

And the quote about young children lying about abuse is so typical of the intra-family dynamics of child abuse, particularly of sexual abuse, that it is scary. Young children don’t lie about something that psychologically and emotionally sick; they are simply too young to come up with that type of information on their own. Either they, or someone they are in contact with (another child, that is) is odds-on being abused.

(…)

I in no way mean to implicate home schoolers as abusers. However, it would not surprise me in the least to find a family in which abuse is occuring turn to homeschooling as a means of removing the child from others who may become aware of the abuse, or be in a position of trust with the child such that the abuse might be revealed to them.

(…)

Public school is a safety net of sorts for kids. A chold comes in contact with all kinds of adults who care. Once school lets out CPS see reports drop. Sometimes there is literally no one looking out for the kids. It’s heartbreaking what these kids go through.

And I strongly agree with the quote in bold.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

To the OP:

My concern being a proponant of homeschooling is that the author(s) are acting like there is something to hide. If there isn’t any abuse known of, the policy in place could provide a place for abusers to hide.

I do understand that homeschooling families are held under greater scrutiny because people often don’t like the kinds of families the typically homeschool (Chrisitans). I guess I consider how the Bishops have handled allegations of abuse in the past, trying to handle them internally without reporting to civil authorities and how that approach failed. I guess I would be more encouraged by a homeschooling association that had a policy of being mandated reporters. It almost seems to me that technically they are, as teachers (I’m not a mandated reporter just when I’m on the job) and could be charged with a misdemeanor for not reporting.

 

[dwc]

Quote:
The fact is, very few young children are actually lying; however, the abusers say the children are lying about 99.9% of the time (and often confess later).
Source?

Over 12 years’ experience of prosecuting hundreds of child abuse cases. Your experience is …?

Really. Don’t let your prejudices in favor of homeschooling blind you to the fact that abuse happens in all types of families, and homeschooling families are not exempt. It’s telling that every single poster in this thread who actually has experience in this area – prosecutor, parent’s attorney and child protection investigator – all agree. In case you don’t realize, we all have different roles and often oppose each others’ positions in court.

As far as being charged with spanking – uh, in my county only when that “spanking” resulted in significant bruising. Many of the parents I prosecuted claimed they’d only spanked their child. Oh really? Then explain the 15 belt loop shaped hematomas covering the child’s back, shoulders, buttocks and the back of his thighs. See, abusive parents oftentimes have a loose definition of spanking, too. And when you read news reports about these cases keep in mind that in child protection cases the DFS, judge, police and prosecutor are all bound by confidentiality,while the parent is not. The parents can and do go tell reporters any story they want. The rest of us can’t set the record straight.

I have heard just the opposite. That child abuse is the only violent crime that women commit as frequently as men.

Source?

 

[Black_Jaque]

As far as being charged with spanking – uh, in my county only when that “spanking” resulted in significant bruising. Many of the parents I prosecuted claimed they’d only spanked their child. Oh really? Then explain the 15 belt loop shaped hematomas covering the child’s back, shoulders, buttocks and the back of his thighs. See, abusive parents oftentimes have a loose definition of spanking, too. And when you read news reports about these cases keep in mind that in child protection cases the DFS, judge, police and prosecutor are all bound by confidentiality,while the parent is not. The parents can and do go tell reporters any story they want. The rest of us can’t set the record straight.

OK. You cite an actual example of abuse. But what about those that were not prosecuted? What kind of unnecessary grief does an “investigation” cause? What about a good parent who does spank their child, and gets reported by an overzealous onlooker?

 

[dwc]

But what about those that were not prosecuted? What kind of unnecessary grief does an “investigation” cause? What about a good parent who does spank their child, and gets reported by an overzealous onlooker?

Many cases are unfounded – meaning that after investigation it is determined they don’t meet the criteria for abuse or neglect. The depth of the investigation depends on the situation. An allegation that on one isolated occasion someone spanked a child without leaving injuries or using an object capable of causing internal injuries would not even be accepted by the hotline in my state and so no investigation would ensue. The hotline rejects many, many calls.

They rejected my report that a woman I had prosecuted who had killed her three year old nephew got out of prison and had custody of another small child. They rejected reports from police of very young children living in crack houses surrounded by dealers, drugs and guns. They rejected the report of an undercover police officer that he went to a house to make a buy and mom went upstairs for 15 minutes to package the stuff and left him alone with a 15 month old, thinking he was a depraved junkie. They repeatedly rejected reports from a public school nurse about an 8 year old diabetic who was constantly in crisis because mom would never give her insulin or monitor her diet-- this child only got her insulin when she was at school and summer break was coming and the nurse was afraid she’d go into a coma.

Honestly, my experience wasn’t that DFS investigated bogus cases to harrass people. My experience was they were so overwhelmed with serious cases that they turned a blind eye to serious risks to children.

In general, the depth of the investigation depends upon the seriousness of the allegation. If a child shows up to the hospital with unexplained trauma – pretty intense investigation. Sex abuse allegations? Pretty thorough investigation – especially when a very young child is describing explicit sexual acts. They either were abused or exposed to sexual activity through pornography or people having sex in front of them.