Tag Archives: physical abuse

General Safety Issues

TEN TIPS FOR PARENTS OF KIDS WHO ARE BEING BULLIED (GUEST POST)

1 Comment
 This article is being shared by www.aupaircare.net, sent to us by Sophie Leake.  We have talked about bullying before; it is such an important issue that any help for parents should be passed on.  When you child hurts, you hurt!  Pay attention to this serious concern for the health and welfare of your child.  There’s no place in the world for bullying. pb
 
 
 

There are few things as heartbreaking and infuriating as learning that your child is the victim of bullying. As attention towards this very real problem allows more parents to understand that the way some children are treated is more serious than a simple case of “kids being kids,” efforts to crack down on schoolyard harassment are increased. If your child is among the millions that are physically or emotionally tormented by a bullying peer, these 10 tips can help you navigate this delicate situation.

  1. Recognize the Signs – Kids are often reluctant to approach an adult or to report bullying behavior because of a sense of shame or embarrassment. It’s important to keep your eyes open for any signs of bullying so that you’re able to recognize them and begin to help your child solve the problem.
  2. Be Available – While pushing or pressuring your child to open up about any trouble he’s having at school is likely to make him even more reluctant to talk, it’s imperative that your child know you’re there and available to listen to him whenever he does need to talk to you. When he’s not being pressed to talk about being bullied, he may be more willing to open up.
  3. Ask Questions – Make sure that you take the time to learn what sort of abuse your child is suffering from, why it’s happening and what you can do to support him through it.
  4. Discourage Retaliation – It’s imperative that you not only abstain from encouraging your child to retaliate against bullying peers, but also that you take an obvious stand against it. Retaliation will only cause your child to land himself in trouble, and can often backfire in terrible ways.
  5. Save Harassing Communications – Make sure that any emails, private messages on social networking sites, texts or voice messages that contain harassing statements, threats or other proof of bullying are saved for reporting purposes.
  6. Speak With School Administrators – In persistent cases of bullying, the best course of action is to calmly approach school administrators to discuss the matter. Though it can be understandably difficult for you to keep your emotions under wraps during these conversations, it’s important to remember that you’re more likely to get the results you’re looking for if you maintain your composure and remain calm.
  7. Teach Him How to Block and Report Cyberbullies –Social networking sites, email providers and other Internet-based communication portals almost always have “Block and Report” options, which can help to prevent some harassing messages from reaching a bullied kid. Make sure that your child knows how to block social networking profiles, email addresses and phone numbers from contacting him.
  8. Get Him Involved in an Activity or Hobby – Helping your child find a hobby that he’s interested in and getting him involved in activities outside of school can not only help to distract him from the taunts of his classmates, but also can boost his confidence when he discovers that he’s skilled in a particular area.
  9. Nurture His Self-Esteem – Your child’s self-esteem takes a battering when he’s taunted by bullies, making it imperative that you do everything you can to help him rebuild it. Make an effort to let him know that he’s an important, treasured part of the family, and that he’s loved very much and cannot be replaced.
  10. Consider Counseling – In particularly severe or long-term cases of bullying, your child may require the services of a counselor to work out his feelings and begin to recover. Remember that years of being bullied are the equivalent of being abused for that period of time, and may require some assistance for your child to overcome.

To put bullying into perspective, imagine that the children committing these acts against their peers were adults. Physically harming someone or intimidating them in order to take their money is robbery and assault. Slander, libel, harassment, assault and even sexual assault are all crimes that adults are charged with, but are often considered little more than a childhood rite of passage when they’re committed by other kids. Bullying is no laughing matter, though, and should never be taken lightly.

General Safety Issues

DETECTING NURSING HOME ABUSE (Guest Post)

1 Comment

Written by Carlos Santiago. 

The decision to place an elderly relative in a nursing home can be a difficult one for many families to make. In many cases, elderly individuals may be resistant to this type of change in their lives, preferring to stay in their own homes and care for themselves. However, at some point, this type of change may be necessary. In most cases, the relatives of the person entering a nursing home can feel secure in the care that their loved one will receive. Unfortunately, some nursing homes fail to provide adequate care and supervision, employing staff or implementing practices that expose residents to the potential for abuse. 

Sadly, nursing home abuse is a serious problem in the United States. As many as 1 in 3 nursing homes have at some point been cited for abuse or neglect of residents, and these numbers likely understate the actual incidence of this type of reprehensible behavior. While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts inspections of most nursing home facilities, the frequency of these inspections is not enough to catch all forms of abuse. Therefore, it is critical that those with a loved one in a nursing home facility be able to recognize the signs of nursing home abuse on their own. 

Common Signs of Nursing Home Abuse 

Nursing home abuse can occur in a variety of different ways, and therefore, the warning signs of nursing home abuse can vary significantly. The following are some of the most common forms of abuse and signs that abuse may be occurring: 

Ÿ         Physical Abuse – nursing home residents may be subjected to physical abuse from staff or other residents. Some signs that may indicate that a nursing home resident has been the victim of physical abuse may include unusual or unexplained cuts and bruises, broken bones, and emotional withdrawal.

Ÿ         Neglect – nursing home residents may also suffer as a result of neglect on the part of nursing home staff or management. Some of the most common signs of neglect include sudden weight loss, lack of personal hygiene, bedsores, lack of necessary medical care, and the development of infections.

Ÿ         Verbal abuse – while it may not pose the same obvious health and safety risks as other forms of abuse, verbal abuse of nursing home residents can still have a powerful effect on an elderly individual’s life. Some signs that may indicate that verbal abuse may be occurring include listlessness, emotional withdrawal, unexplained weight loss, and refusal to follow medical regiments.

Ÿ         Financial abuse – because of the vulnerable position nursing home residents are in, some nursing home staff members may take advantage of residents by stealing from them or otherwise abusing their finances. Some signs of financial abuse include sudden or unusual financial transactions, disappearance of personal items, and emotional withdrawal. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a National Nursing Home Survey to help individuals looking to place a relative in a nursing home find the best possible place for their loved one. However, nothing can be done to guarantee that nursing home abuse will not occur. If a nursing home resident you know has been the victim of abuse

“Carlos is an avid legal blogger who has written on a variety of legal topics. He contributes to http://www.endertonlaw.com/ regularly.”

Thanks, Carlos,  for giving us the signs to watch for if your parent, relative, or friend lives in a nursing home. There are many homes who offer loving care, but it is important for family members to monitor their care.  Visit at different times of the day -don’t drop by at the same time of day each visit.  Look out for those who have no family to do so.  They are often the ones who are picked on, and must be protected. pb