Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Dumping Teens: Is There A Silver Lining?

A 13-year-old girl, and two boys ages 11 and 15 have been abandoned at hospitals, and a 12-year-old boy was dropped at a police station.

Their parents were not charged with child abandonment.

It's Nebraska, folks!

A clear message has bee sent to all parents dealing with snotty, sarcastic, rebellious, "impossible" teens: Go to Nebraska, drive past a hospital or police station - open the car door, and dump the kid! Then walk away scott free!

No need to spend one more red cent on psychologist, or psychiatrists or treatment centers...or even feeding the ungrateful brat! It's a great solution to put an end to child support, too!

This is of special value to those who "bought" a kid and are dissatisfied! The 11-year-old - by his adoptive mother!!!

Nebraska, the last state to enact legalized abandonment, went far further than all states allowing abandnmet of children up to 19 years of age.

Neb. State Sen. Brad Ashford says, "if the stress level gets to the point where something bad could happen, I'd rather have that child, whether it be ten years old four years old, (or even 15)... to me, the child is safe [being abandoned]."

The Silver Lining?

That it will prevent child abuse? I think not. I think - OK, I hope - that the silver lining will be that this will bring the absurdity of all such alleged "safe haven" laws to the forefront.

The media is having a field day - as well they should.

Let's face one reality: What parent of a teen has NOT felt like just dropping them off somewhere - at least for a moment? Yet what family therapist or child advcoate would encourage acting on that momentary thought without extensive work with the family to try to resolve the issues, or find a suitable, safe TEMPORARY place for either the child or the parent?

The silver lining is that this plan - taken to this ridiculous extreme points out very clearly what is wrong with all such alleged "safe haven" laws:

1. Anyone can dump a child, it might not be the parent - and certainly not BOTH. In fact, the 15-year-old boy was dropped off by his aunt!
2. It prevents any offer of help or resourc s being offered
3. It provides a permanent - irrevocable - solution to a temporary problem that one might regret the very next day!

Nebraska is allowing parents who dump teens to regain custody in court - an option of course not allowed parents who dump infants. It is not clear what the cutoff is on that Hail Mary.

Talk about a disposable culture!! Kids - they're cute and highly sought when they're little, after that - not so much! Dump and run!!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I had seen this earlier, what a bizarre thing! I can see where
> this will cause problems for social services in NE. And I don't see
> where it will prevent any abuse since most parents who abuse see it as
> "discipline" and believe it is within their rights as parents. Dumping a
> kid is a separate threat and punishment and escape for the parent or
> caretaker and has nothing to do with what is good for the kid.
>
> maryanne

AdoptAuthor said...

Right on target, MaryAnne!

And what will the state do with these "wayward" unwanted, allegedly "incorrigible" teens? Warehouse them - at taxpayers expense - until they are old enough to be dumped into the streets where they have nothing to look forward to but a life of crime, prison, prostitution drugs and prison?

What kind of society does this??

These parents (? - I us the term VERY LOOSLEY)) are being allowed to be absolved of all legal, moral and financial responsibility and simply dump it on the state! The emotional damage done to children who experience this is enormous can of o[curse only exacerbate existing problems.

What stops a non-custodial parent from dumping a kid he/she simply doesn't want to continue paying child support for? Suppose the mother is going back to court to seek help paying for college: a very common scenario. The other parents doesn't think the child should go to college (also common) - so instead of battling it out in court - with attorney fees, and risking losing and being ordered to pay: ya dump the kid!

Or...you've molested your kid and he is threatening to report it - dump him!

You want to remarry and your new love isn't fond of kiddy - dump him!!

YES...it's better than killing your kid, as some have done. But...this is NOT the solution!!

Marley Greiner said...

These kids, with the exception of the Statons, come out of violent, abusive and negligent backgrounds it appears. The paternal grandmother of the 11 year old took him out of fostercare in another state and adopted him. The aunt of the 15-year old, is his legal guardian.The kids and adults in these cases have been fucked around and fucked around by Nebraska's notoriously inept social services, and will once again be recycled.

AdoptAuthor said...

Pitiful...ad NOW...the federal government with exploit ALL foster kids once more by using them as a edge to pass adoption tax benefits and other incentives for ALL adoption!

RussiaToday Apr 29, 2010 on Russian Adoption Freeze

Russi Today: America television Interview 4/16/10 Regarding the Return of Artyem, 7, to Russia alone

RT: Russia-America TV Interview 3/10

Korean Birthmothers Protest to End Adoption

Motherhood, Adoption, Surrender, & Loss

Who Am I?

Bitter Winds

Adoption and Truth Video

Adoption Truth

Birthparents Never Forget