Family Law Commons^™

Are We Protecting The Wrong Rights?, Jennifer L. Saulino

Michigan Law Review

Elizabeth Bartholet, in her book Nobody's Children, takes a strong step toward beginning a new kind of dialogue about abused and neglected children. She positions herself as a liberal who has come to terms with the fact that traditional liberal ideals are in conflict with the needs of abused and neglected children (p. 5). In doing so, she tries to convince her readers that, regardless of ideology, we all should have a different focus in the area of child abuse and neglect law. She uses Sabrina as one of several examples of how programs for abused and neglected children that …

Florida's Foster Care System Fails Its Children, Timothy L. Arcaro

Faculty Scholarship

This article will attempt to draw attention to the pervasive problem of child sexual abuse in foster care by identifying circumstances that contribute to sexual victimization. Hopefully the discussion will illuminate the plight of child victims of sexual abuse and generate discourse on a new paradigm of protection initiatives for foster children. Part I of the article will explain child protection proceedings and how children enter the foster care system. Part II will describe common characteristics of state foster care systems. Part III will discuss traditional notions of child sexual abuse and their illusory application in the context of sexual …

Adjourning Justice: New York State's Failure To Support Assigned Counsel Violates The Rights Of Families In Child Abuse And Neglect Proceedings, Sheri Bonstelle, Christine Schessler

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Comment evaluates New York City’s framework for assigning counsel to Family Court litigants, known as the 18-B system. Recognizing the lack of government support for 18-B attorneys, the author examines existing proposals to alter the Family Court system, and suggests a plan of action for a legislative task force. The Comment outlines the evolution of the assigned counsel system in New York and the history of child welfare policy, and discusses the roles of the Family Court attorneys, judges, and the legislature in maintaining adequate representation for parents. Next, the author examines the aspects of the Family Court and …

Murder By Child Abuse—Who's Responsible After State V. Jackson? , Christine A. Martin

Seattle University Law Review

Currently, under Washington law, a passive parent is not legally responsible for the death of his or her child from abuse. State v. Jackson is a horrific illustration of the gaps in Washington's law regarding the issue of who is responsible for the death of a child by abuse. Because passive parents should be held responsible for the death of their child from abuse, and because Washington's current laws are inadequate, Washington's legislature should create a special statute that would hold both abusive and passive parents culpable for the death of a child resulting from abuse.

The Silent Victims: Children And Domestic Violence, Nancy Ver Steegh

Faculty Scholarship

Few of us would fail to intercede if we happened upon a child being physically attacked. Most of us would shield even an unknown child from witnessing a traumatic event. If we knew that a child might come to harm, such as a toddler playing in traffic, most of us would escort that child to safety. On a personal level, we are committed to the well being of our children. As a society, however, we close our ears to the cries of the children growing up in violent homes. It is now time to give them voice. New research reveals …

Choosing The Lesser Evil: Comments On Besharov's "Child Abuse Realities", Margaret F. Brinig

Journal Articles

Determining the degree of state intervention into intra-family decision making requires an unhappy choice between allowing abuse to continue or interfering with some families that would be better left alone. Mr. Besharov introduces the possible harms associated with the increased involvement of the state but fails to fully comprehend the circumstances that necessitate such involvement. Evils bracket the phenomenon discussed in Mr. Besharov's paper and this one. The difference in our approach lies in the choice we think is the lesser evil of the two, not that we think that either the harms associated with state involvement or the risk …

From Property To Personhood: What The Legal System Should Do For Children In Family Violence Cases, Leigh Goodmark

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse, And Child Welfare: The Legal System's Response, Jane C. Murphy, Margaret J. Potthast

Journal of Health Care Law and Policy

No abstract provided.

Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse And Child Welfare: The Legal System's Response, Jane C. Murphy, Margaret J. Potthast

All Faculty Scholarship

This Article begins by exploring and documenting the connections between domestic violence, substance abuse, and child abuse. Part II of the Article examines the legal system's response to child protection cases in which maternal abuse and, in some cases, substance abuse are present. This section begins by describing the shifting theories underlying child welfare in this country. It then contrasts these theories with child welfare practice by reporting the results of a study of eighty-five Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) cases in four jurisdictions in Maryland. Although the study examines a limited sample, the cases examined confirm the strong …

A Child's Right To Physical Integrity, Suellyn Scarnecchia

Articles

As we wring our hands over increasing reports of severe child abuse and how violent many of our children have become, it might be time to reassess policies that give parents and others the license to use even the most mild forms of violence against our children.

Spare The Rod, Embrace Our Humanity: Toward A New Legal Regime Prohibiting Corporal Punishment Of Children, Susan H. Bitensky

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This article proceeds from the simple premise that hitting children hurts them-even when the hitting does not rise to the level of child abuse as traditionally conceived. There is convincing evidence that corporal punishment is a hidden cruelty in child rearing that has serious adverse consequences for its victims and society at large. Yet forty-nine states permit parental corporal punishment of children and approximately half of the states permit such punishment in elementary and secondary schools The main purpose of this Article is to question the advisability of continuing the legalized status of corporal punishment of children in the United …

First, Do No Harm: The Use Of Covert Video Surveillance To Detect Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy–An Unethical Means Of "Preventing" Child Abuse,, Michael T. Flannery

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chilling Child Abuse Reporting: Rethinking The Capta Amendments, Caroline T. Trost

Vanderbilt Law Review

On a December night in 1993, Gregory Bryant-Bruce, age six months, was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center Emergency Room for treatment of severe anemia, shock, and abnormally low hematocrit.' A CT scan revealed brain hemorrhaging, and a physical examination showed retinal hemorrhages of varying ages. Retinal bleeding in a young child is almost always caused by traumatic injury, and is considered to be a classic sign of "Shaken Impact Syndrome" ("SIS"), a life-threatening and relatively common form of child abuse. Thus, on the basis of Gregory's symptoms and the in- adequacy of his parents' explanation of his injuries, Gregory's …

Self-Incrimination, Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department: In Re Gladys H.

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Are Kentucky's Children "At Risk" As A Result Of J.H. V. Commonwealth?, Duane F. Osborne

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Morally And Legally: A Parent's Duty To Prevent The Abuse Of A Child As Defined By Lane V. Commonwealth, Rachel S. Zahniser

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Family Group Conferences As A Form Of Court Approved Alternative Dispute Resolution In Child Abuse And Neglect Cases, Jolene M. Lowry

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The problems associated with long-term foster care of children have escalated over the past decade as more abused and neglected children enter the already overworked and underfunded state child protective system& The recent Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 mandates giving preference to placement within the extended family for children who cannot be returned to their parents. Compliance with this law requires substantial changes in the policies and procedures of human services agencies in most states. This Article discusses "family group conferencing,' a new model for working with families within the system. Family Group Conferencing originated in …

Speaking To Tribal Judges On The Matter Of Improving Children's Court Practice In Child Abuse And Neglect Cases In Our Country: A Proposal For A Uniform Children's Code, Julian D. Pinkham

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Since the 1970 the responsibilities of the tribal children's courts have increased dramatically. In child welfare case tribal courts no longer simply determine whether a child has been abused or neglected. They now also oversee the placement of the child in a shelter, foster care, or a permanent home, as well as determine the parent's treatment or visitation rights The complexity of the cases causes unacceptable delays in placing Indian children in need of care and hinders the placement of Indian children within the tribal community.

Judge Pinkham introduces a proposed solution to the problems of current tribal child welfare …

Developing A Child Advocacy Law Clinic: A Law School Clinical Legal Education Opportunity, Donald N. Duquette

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Clinical legal education has become an accepted and integral complement to traditional law school curricula. Professor Duquette argues that clinical education is uniquely able to integrate the teaching of practical skills and legal doctrine, elevating students' understanding of both. Duquette maintains that a child advocacy law clinic can teach a broad range of practical skill benefit the hosting law school by providing an opportunity for interdisciplinary education as well as a public relations benefit, while simultaneously serving an important need in most communities for quality representation of all parties in child abuse and neglect cases. Most importantly, participation in a …

Whitner V. State: Expanding Child Abuse And Endangerment Laws To Protect Viable Fetuses From Prenatal Substance Abuse, Stephanie Hainer Ojeda

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Parents And The State: Joining Forces To Report Incest And Support Its Victims, Lynne Olman Lourim

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

As many as 60,000 to 100,000 children each year become victims of child sexual abuse in this country, according to some estimates. These children typically suffer long-lasting effects of the abuse. This Note, in focusing on (step)father-daughter incest, looks at the predominance of males as perpetrators, daughters as victims, and mothers as non-abusers. The Note examines the dynamics within incestuous families and the characteristics common to each member in these families. It particularly considers the position of mothers in these families, who often are subservient to and financially dependent on the incest perpetrator. This Note then discusses how these mothers' …

Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy: Broadening The Scope Of Child Abuse, Michael T. Flannery

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Child Abuse: Should You Report It?, David F. Forte

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This article discusses the options under the Code of Professional Responsibility for a domestic relations attorney who acquires confidential or secret information about child abuse by a client.

County Welfare Department Liability For Handling Reports Of Child Abuse, Kim Boyer

San Diego Law Review

When a social worker receives a complaint of child abuse and determines that the situation is non-urgent, should the county welfare department be held liable for subsequent injury to the child? This Comment analyzes the four contexts in which a special relationship with a county welfare department may arise and concludes that a duty of care should not be imposed upon county welfare departments in these situations. The author concludes that if the social worker reasonably determines that the situation was non-urgent, the county welfare department should not be held liable. Alternatively, even if a duty of care is imposed, …

Child Protection Law, Suellyn Scarnecchia

Book Chapters

The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution protect a parent's custodial rights. However, such rights are not absolute and may be terminated. There is no substantive due-process right to live together as a family. Doe v Oettle, 97 Mich App 183, 293 NW2d 760 (1980). Parents are not held to ideal standards in the care of their children but to minimum statutory standards. Fritts v Krugh, 354 Mich 97, 92 NW2d 604 (1958).

The Channelling Function In Family Law, Carl E. Schneider

Articles

On an occasion such as this, we are called to step back from our daily work to seek what Justice Holmes called a "liberal view" of our subject. Today, I propose to do so by exploring a function of family law that I believe is basic, that underlies much of family law, that resonates with the deepest purposes of culture but that is rarely addressed expressly-namely, what I call the "channelling function." As I will soon explain at length, in the channelling function the law recruits, builds, shapes, sustains; and promotes social institutions. My exploration of this topic will have …

Maternal Drug Use During Pregnancy As Child Neglect Or Abuse, Ellen L. Townsend

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Recognizing Child Abuse: A Guide For The Concerned, Denise Esposito

Michigan Law Review

A Review of Recognizing Child Abuse: A Guide for the Concerned by Douglas J. Besharov

An Abused Child's Right To Life, Liberty, And Property In The Home: Constitutional Approval Of State Inaction, Michael J. Florio

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Confrontation In The Balance: The Protection Of Child Witnesses In West Virginia, Tamara J. Defazio

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.