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Protecting our children

You would think from all the coverage that the Elian Gonzales stories have been getting that we live in a society that cares about children. But anecdotal evidence and statistics show that the American public only pays lip service to its youngest members. Though our society might profess a great love for children, our actions prove nothing could be further from the truth.

There is a conception that children are valued by our society. Our media portray American children as well-scrubbed and well-adjusted, and this is true for the majority. Our politicians mention their concern for children's issues almost as often as they deny involvement in a scandal. But when it comes to actually strengthening the positions of children's rights in this country, very little is done. There is a sizable population of children in this country whose lack of financial resources and education place them in vulnerable positions. Their lives demand attention, because their misery can be prevented.

In our society, the number one enemy of children is poverty. It might be hard to believe considering how wealthy our country is, but many American children live in deprived environments. Their pain is linked to abuse, neglect, malnutrition and homelessness. Currently, according to UNICEF statistics, the number of families in extreme poverty in our country since 1975 has increased by 40 percent. It is also extremely important to note that the majority of these families are working poor, and therefore not eligible for welfare benefits.

Childhood poverty reaches into every corner and population in our society. There are suffering children on reservations and in inner cities, in rural areas and in suburbs. However, some states have higher concentrations of impoverished than others. It is not surprising to find out that statistically the south holds the title for the greatest rate of impoverished children. That region is closely followed by our own, the west. It is also important to point out that statistically, more minority children live in poverty than their white counterparts.

Poverty begets poverty. Impoverished children are more likely to wind up going to poorly-funded schools that lack the resources to lift them out of their conditions. Children raised in poverty often return to raise their own in it, because it is the only life they know.

While poverty has been linked to crime and abuse, it is also important to note how many working poor successfully raise children in these conditions. But the effect poverty has on children's lives is undeniable.

Poverty is not the only threat to our children. Even elite children are still vulnerable to abuse and degradation. Children's advocates estimate that one in four girls and one in eight boys is sexually abused by the age of eighteen. The extent of this social blight is in itself a reflection on our societies disregard for its children.

To make matters worse, children are doubly vulnerable because of their legal status in our society. Technically, children are citizens. But their rights as such are rarely protected. This is because we still hold the archaic belief that children are the property of their parents. Even though there has been legislation passed to protect children from abuse, governments have been reluctant to enforce it.

Besides their unwillingness to enforce protective legislation, governments have also grossly under-funded the agencies charged with protecting children. It is common for social workers and child advocates to lament that children's rights are under threat because of an overburdened system.

Even when children are placed in protective custody, there is no guarantee that their abuse will end. There is a national lack of qualified and caring foster parents, so at risk youth are forced into questionable homes in record numbers. It is estimated by foster children's advocates that seventy-five percent of children in the system are sexually abused in some way.

As a world leader, our country should be ashamed of the way its actions are affecting our children. But the problem is not impossible to fix. First, all America should make a pledge that none of its children should live in deprived conditons. Every child in America should be entitled to bare minimums like health care, food, shelter and a quality education. Secondly, America should make a sizable monetary commitment to its children by pumping more money into protective agencies, the foster care system, and by overhauling the educational system. Thirdly, awareness of all types of abuses should be raised, and children's legal status should be strengthened in the courts.

Even if this plan were to be enacted, it would not totally protect children from the abuse heaped on them by our society. Protecting our children will be a long process, but we must begin somewhere.