Sunday, January 27, 2008

The abuse excuse: Social services or Salem witch hunts?

I had an interesting conversation over the course of lunch with two colleagues. One of them is a legal professional, the other works in behavioral sciences. They are both married and have children. As I am so accustomed to do, I intentionally steered the conversation toward my thoughts on the growing anti-male bias that we seem to be experiencing.

Surprisingly, they both jumped at the concept and had profound comments. They had insightful thoughts about how anti-male bias ultimately evolves into anti-family bias. As wives, and mothers, they both insisted that at the pinnacle of their concerns was the growing controversy over child abuse, child neglect, sexual abuse and other forms of "child maltreatment." The luncheon encouraged me to do a little research.

In recent years, we've seen a geometric increase of media attention on the abuse and neglect of children. There are now even television shows devoted to tracking potential child molesters by encouraging them to visit a house set up with hidden video cameras so that we all can watch. The entire concept makes me question what type of psychological condition one must suffer from to actually want to "watch" a child molester in the act.

Indeed, ongoing concerns of many families seem to stem from what some call "the abuse excuse," or the idea that many children find that a "convenient" way to get out of trouble is to blame Mom or Dad for neglecting or abusing them. In "Beware the Child Protectors," William Norman Gregg wrote of the devastation of child protective agencies intruding into and breaking up an increasing number of innocent American family homes.

Increased cases, increased budgets?


In conjunction with the increased media attention on child abuse and neglect, child protection agencies have begun to change the definition of what actually constitutes abuse and neglect. While there may have been a time when the definitions involved physical or emotional harm, for a parent to simply raise his or her voice at a child can now be considered harmful abuse and demand a social services investigation. Even more, there are growing numbers of parents and homes under investigation not because abuse or neglect occurred, but because a child protective agency felt that a child was "in danger of being harmed." In other words, the child protection workers thought that a crime "might be" committed.

In knowing this, we should now be skeptical when politicians and social workers tell us that cases of child abuse and neglect are on the rise. The truth is, for the very fact that the definitions have changed, we can be sure that much of the so-called increase is due to exaggerated reporting. Perhaps some might suggest that changes in the definitions of "abuse" and "neglect" were implemented for the very purpose of raising the statistics in order to ju.jpgy an increase in the budgets of social services and child protection agencies.

Burn, witch, burn

There are an estimated 3 million "reports" of child abuse per year in the United States. Although, according to Health and Human Services, Aid for Children and Families statistics, and a number of other studies, of all reported cases of child abuse nationwide, an astounding 60 percent are deemed to be unfounded. In South Carolina alone, over the past several years there have been an average of about 18,000 cases of reported child abuse per year. Of those, some 12,000 are found to be either totally false or unsubstantiated. What is even more frightening is that while child protective agencies insist that the number of reported child abuse cases are increasing, they neglect to also acknowledge that the number of those cases which are "unfounded" is also increasing.

These statistics are eerily similar to those showing that about 50% of all adult women who allege rape eventually admit that their allegations are false.

From a psychological standpoint, such unfounded allegations typically emerge out of a need for an alibi, to seek revenge, or to gain sympathy or attention.

One high-profile example would be that of the 1991 Tailhook Scandal, where a female officer in the U.S. Navy made allegations of rape and groping against a group of male officers. The female officer later recanted her story admitting that she had lied because she didn't want her fiance' to know that she had participated in a sex orgy. This single Navy episode still stands as a high profile example of rape in the military even though the original accusations were false.

Hans Sebald, professor emeritus of sociology at Arizona State University, is among a growing number of professionals who are critical of the current trend of using child abuse cases to destroy American families. In his book, "Witch-children: From the Salem Witch-hunts to Modern Courtrooms," he compares the modern family fear of social services and accompanying media hype with the fear of witchcraft in the fifteenth to early eighteenth centuries. He contends that both scenarios spawned a culture in which children become encouraged to tell stories because a group of adults expect them to. As a result, in both scenarios, a grotesquely high number of innocent people are falsely accused.

Unfortunately, just as in the case of children in the past who were burned to death as witches, the non-abused child in the modern courtroom often ends up te.jpgying to something that ultimately hurts him -- or herself.

Social workers and foster care system

We should acknowledge that a number of psychologists and doctors claim that the lack of education levels among child protective service employees attributes to a frightening number of non-abused children being unnecessarily separated from their families. In addition, I would propose that further studies are likely to reveal that an overwhelming majority of child protective service employees are single mothers. If so, this may lend strong support to those who suggest that the issue truly is rooted in anti-male and anti-family bias.

During research for his book, "Horrors of the Non-Home," Timothy W. Maier found that the number of children being placed in the foster care system has increased dramatically in recent years (recall, of course, that the increase is due partially to the change in the definition of "abuse"). Unfortunately, child protective agencies ignore the fact that children in the foster care system are "ten times more likely" to be abused than other children. And of course we must consider the obvious physical and emotional toll it takes on non-abused children who are separated from their family for months at a time. The idea that Gestapo- and Taliban-like home investigations and forced family separations involve some 12,000 innocent South Carolina families each year makes my own blood boil.

With these sorts of statistics, perhaps we should begin to question the sincerity of those who claim to be "victim's advocates.

"Keith A. Pounds is a military veteran, having served as a combat medic in the United States Navy and with the Marine Corps. He holds a bachelor's degree in human resource management and is about to complete his master's in organizational psychology.

Original Article with comments-

TheTandD.com The abuse excuse: Social services or Salem witch hunts?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It was great to read this article! There is so much horror going on under the name of "child protection". http://www.angelfire.com/film/4tyler

Anonymous said...

Please send this as an email chain letter to your friends and let people know about how some of the members of the NY Philharmonic manipulate college girls. Women should speak out and take self-defense classes to hurt these evil perverts when they try there abusive methods.



Dear Holly, (from teardrops web site)

My experience is different than yours but basically all forms of
Rapes are the same. I am a man but it did not happen to me. I have
written to a lot of organizations, but have never received a reply, including REINN. Before I married my wife and after marriage, she was a great flute player. Through what I am hearing in the news today, it brought many of these memories back. I fell at work 12' on my head and as a result the most traumatic experience in my life turned out to what some of the flute teachers of the NY Philharmonic Orchestra manipulated my wife.
They Are:

1.Before we married, the flute player, Thomas Nifenger, used
emotional/sexual abuse, fear and rape on my wife. I remember sitting
in the audience during a masterclass and suddenly, I was just
watching, the police came and escorted me out of the building. He
saw me and was looking for sexual conquest, another notch on his
belt for my wife. During private lessons, he would teach breathing
lessons and sexual touch my wife to arouse her. He made her drive 2 hours to New Jersey to his house one night. I was playing a musical show and did not know. I found out many of these events way after they happened. He arrived late and yelled at her for waiting in the car in the street. Inside, he got what he wanted. Another time, he made her drive to Hartford, CT since he was a teacher at Yale University. He was always yelling and angry with her. He used the techniques of emotional abuse, sexual abuse, fear, anger and rape for a promise with a job with the orchestra. What did I get-gonorrhea. I felt that someday I would pass him in NYC. I was taking Karate. It would be real fast. Blows to the temple, a sidekick to the abdomen, pull his head down to my knee and a hand chop to his throat and a fist to his mouth. If he lived, he would never play flute again. Then I would just walk away, Soprano style and nobody would notice since this attack would take a few seconds. My day of meeting him came but it was in my periodontist's office. I could do nothing. He did not recognize. He always told my wife that she was using him to make me jealous, a common technique using blame to abuse. He went in and came out of mental institutions his entire career. When he had sex with my wife-2x, he would get mad and make her leave the house late at night. He was evil. The last time he came out of a mental institution, on the same day, he hung himself on the shower rod. For some reason, I felt a sense of closure and in a weird way was happy. I know many girls from the 70's while I was a music student. They se a psychologist, suffer from PTSD, are depressed and afraid to tell their husbands who do not know since they have children and a marriage. But since that time, he destroyed many girl’s€ lives and made them go into denial of being raped. It is natural for women to go into this state and try to forget since some are submissive and taught this since they were young.
2. Fred Heim- During lessons he would try to undress my wife by
unbuttoning her shirt to cop a feel and get oral sex. He never
succeeded but his wife was in the house. In addition, he came over
our house and acted as a friend of mind while behind my back he was trying. My wife was in a state of fear and afraid to tell me. Well,
he was an alcoholic and drank himself to death. He was into
collecting guns and rifles and I wonder if this had an affect on
creating fear to my wife.
3. Julius Baker. He would invite my wife to NY Philharmonic
rehearsals and give her the impression of a job. Then ask my wife to
lunch and have a lesson in his Manhattan studio. In his home in
Brewster, NY, he would try in his studio the common abuse methods by impressing his students with his playing but he was not a good teacher since he did not know how to teach the methods to achieve these goals in playing. Meanwhile, while he tried, I was waiting in the car outside and his wife was in the house a real low life bas.......d. He even used the technique of intoxification with martinis with my wife. Did he add something in the drink? However, he never succeeded.
When I hit my head from the fall, these traumatic events that
happened over 20 years ago were previously forgiven and my wife
became strong towards these low life's actions. The fall brought
this all back, brand new. This time I felt it was my fault, never
noticed any signs and should have taken my wife to the hospital
immediately for DNA and STD testing. Also call the police. I was
blaming myself. What made it worst was that this bringing up the
past affected my wife again but I think it was always. She had put
this in the past and I should forget the past. Easier said than
done! This is one of the worst things that could happen to a guy's
wife. In fact, she got mad at times and blamed me for all of these
events from happening. It took over a year to make my doctors make
me believe it was not my fault since I did not make the choice and I
was not there. My family doctor put it in words that relieved the
pain and erase the past. My PTSD and head trauma certainly stirred
up many evil events.
Today there is one person left. (3 out of 4 have died). What a relief. Anger has left and I wait for God's justice. I contacted many
offices and executives of the NY Philharmonic and no one replied. I consider myself an advocate for this form of rape. Recently, the first clarinetist, Stanley Drucker, was revealed for doing these pervertactions. The Philharmonic spoke to him; imagine. He should have been taken out with handcuffs during a concert for all to see and for him; be revealed for his actions for the last 30 years.

Lou Vitti

Anonymous said...

To: cmsac Please help me create an awareness to all college girls against this deceptive evil crime. The writings below are fragmentd and include many of the org. that never responded, including the NY Philharmonic which is probably afraid their benefactors will find out and stop the checks that will stop an orchestra that already is having problems selling out on concerts.
To: magna
Jane Koresman


1/22/08 No one has acknowledged this problem which has existed since the 70’s when I attended a conservatory and heard stories from many of the girls I knew who took lessons. The orch needs a serious talk. I will not mention names but three of these evils have passed and there is one left. What comes around comes around. They all had tragic deaths, including suicide and alcoholism.


THIS IS A LETTER I SENT TO MANY COLLEGES AND THE NY PHILHARMONIC. NOT IN MY BACKYARD SEMS TO BE THEIR ATTITUTE SINCE I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM ANYONE. 12/17/07

LOU



Men Against Women Rape,especially some members of the NY Philharmonic. I have witnessed this personally and seen other girls hurt.
Lou Vitti


To:pr@nyphil.org
customerservice@nyphil.org

I,ve contacted the NY Phil, Go Ask Alice at Columbia, the NY chapter of REIIN numerous times about this subject and never receive a reply. Everyone wants to pretend it is not happening. Recently a 30 year veteran of the NY Phil was discovered and just spoken to. Imagine.

From: Thrustjazz@verizon.net

Re: Sexual assaults, rape by some musicians of the ny phil

I am very disappointed about this perverted and unacceptable conduct. Not all musicians are involved, but those involved should be polled through universities by their students and reported to the police and given any appropriate charges. The universities should investigate this inappropriate sexual assault-rape conduct, which seems to be ignored and fire these teachers. The NY Phil according to their code of behavior should also discipline them. I like to listen to musicians that are honest. Music produces honesty and integrity in a person. These musicians must be good technicians but do not play from their heart since their is no heart or feelings. They are selfish, married and look out for themselves. They obtain sex from a young girl during a private lesson through some perversion and sense of power by treating young girls as submissive. They must find it thrilling like all the criminals that are being arrested lately on the news. It is a very hot topic right now and I am happy people are beginning to realize this and women and young girls are beginning to speak out. Much later on in life these girls develop PTSD from this traumatic experience and humiliation. I can guess that many may be depressed, have a bad marriage or have committed suicide. End these assaults now. Only the ny phil has to wake up and acknowledge probably what they already know but are afraid to let it be exposed. Shame on them! This letter has been submitted as an opt ed editorial to various ny newspapers.

Part II

These assaults I am describing occurred during the seventies when I was music major. I understand that just recently, one musician was disciplined over this matter. The girls I knew were my friends and attended schools such as Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Queens College and Brooklyn College, not to mention various week long master classes where these teachers tried to convince these girls to give them a private lesson in their dorm room. Some were married and afraid to speak out because of fear of losing their husbands. Many are married now with this secret and are suffering depression, denial and PTSD. Some have seeked treatment from professional doctors.

Let’s explain the come on used by these musicians. Some retired, passed or presently working. I am glad to report there are more decent musicians than deviants.
1. Would you like to come to a rehearsal and I will introduce you to the other musicians.
2. After a while, they would say, how about after rehearsal we go for lunch.
3. Most private lessons behind locked doors occurred at the universities. Suddenly these girls were given an excuse and asked to have a lesson at their teacher’s studio.
4. At these lessons, breathing exercises were taught and these musicians would try to open the girl’s shirt, untie their bra and stick out their penis for oral sex. Sometimes they would push for intercourse right away and get angry and mad if they did not receive what they wanted. The girls I know were terrified with fear because of the anger and screaming and would give in. They told me,”Afterall, he was my teacher, he must have been right, and I may get a job if I do this.” Girls can be naturally submissive and these teachers were able to pick up on this feeling.
5. Sometimes these assaults would continue. Women sometimes consent again as a form of denial of being raped.
6. Their marriages are full of anger, usually directed at their husbands who had no idea and it was not of their doing. If so, many would have called the police and brought their wives to a hospital for DNA and STD tests
7. This problem does not only exist with musicians but with other professors of different subjects at most universities.
8. I am not imposing any threats on the ny phil and its musicians. I see the suffering these girls are going through later on in life.
9. I want to make all universities aware of this systemic problem in order that they could talk to their faculty and explain strategies and rules when dealing with female students.
10. This problem is widespread in the news each day because some women are now speaking out. Some will not because of fear of embarrassment to their husbands and the affects of PTSD.

I have written a letter to Go Ask Alice, a newsletter of Columbia University explaining this problem to make girls aware of this form of authority rape used at universities. I hope the ny phil does the same. I have mentioned no names to implicate anyone, just seek to educate students and faculty about this common problem.

Lou

What these assaults can do to young women. I understand that recently a musician from the ny phil was spoken to about his actions on this matter. Imagine, just spoken to. What a disgrace to the orchestra. This all causes for women, even later on in life:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Zoey said...

Who is this????

This is the second time someone from Staten Island googled my name then left a comment on this blog anonymously.

Louise

Anonymous said...

Dear Lou Vitti,
I'm sorry what happened to your wife. Everyone. BOYCOTT THE NY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Anonymous said...

BOYCOTT THE NY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA. I'm sorry what happened to your wife

Michelle