Watkins, The Mary Ellen Myth: Correcting Child Welfare History
“Little Mary Ellen” is one of the most prominent child abuse cases in United States history. This case sparked some of the first child protection policies and organizations. In the 1870s, Mary Ellen Wilson was violently beaten by her foster mother, Mary Connolly. In order to protect Mary Ellen from further abuse, their neighbor, Etta Wheeler took Ms. Connolly to court and won. As a result, the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC) was formed to protect and ensure the safety of children. In the weeks of “Little Mary Ellen” case, many news articles were written but not always honest in their reports. The purpose of this article is to accurately share
The Liars Club is a memoir of Mary Karrs life. She relates back to her childhood and speaks about the pain and suffering she endured. We are introduced to her whole family and we learn about the different aspects of each family member.
Linda Gordon's article is thoughtful, insightful and highly relevant. As governments slash poverty relief programs at all levels and as welfare-bashing reaches an all-time high, it is instructive to take a step back and look at how the current system developed.
Over the course of history there has been numerous works of literature which presented the reader with great descriptions of story characters and their overall personalities and one of the most prevalent examples of such use of character depiction is shown in the story “A New England Nun,” written by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. In this short story, Freeman is able to illustrate a woman who is struggling with the commitment of marriage after waiting fourteen years for her fiancé Joe Dagget to return from Australia while also maintaining a lifestyle that involves monotonous, domestic activities in her home. However, more importantly, Freeman is able to clearly establish the character Louisa as someone who is suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder
The 1890s-1920s is what is referred to today as the Progressive Era. This was a time in which many people rose to push their beliefs and create a better future for America. These people called themselves progressives and they would make America the place we know today. They addressed important issues such as women’s rights, working conditions, and temperance. One such reformer was a woman named Mary Harris Jones. Mary Jones, later known as Mother Jones, was one of the most successful and effective progressive reformers of all time due to her experiences, work in labor agitation, and effective speeches.
“Help, my daughter has stopped breathing!” she cried out entering the emergency room. In Sickened the autobiography written by Julie Gregory shares her abusive childhood to enlighten her readers about Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. With all the attention to protect children from abuse, how can child abuse not be recognized?
Ellen Foster lived through a disturbed childhood. Within that unique childhood, there is a few things I can relate to like the resembles of Ellen to her parents, the lack of love and affection from her parents, and a fragile and feeble mother.
The History of Mary Prince is the story of the first female British slave to escape slavery. The book is told by Mary herself, and was used to help the anti-slavery movement. This book is the main source of information on Mary’s life, but there is no way to ensure that all of it is authentic. One should be aware of who truly had the control over this book, and how it may have affected whether or not all of the stories Mary had to tell got in. Without following the standard expected of her, she may not have ever been able to share her experiences like this. Mary Prince was able to convey her story of slavery to others by following the expectations set by the Antislavery Society, such as emphasizing Christianity, only including likable character
Watkins, S.A. (1990). The Mary Ellen myth: Correcting child welfare history. Social Work, 35(6), pp. 500-503.
What would you do if you were a witness to child abuse today? Would you turn your head as if it were not your business, would you intervene immediately, or would you report the abuser to the authorities? It was approximately 1869 - 1870 when a woman named Charlotte Fiehling "cringed at the sound of the child's beating. She had heard it before, but had never laid eyes the child. The little girl was no more than five or six if she was a day, judging by her size, and her poor legs were striped with the welts of a whip, her body bruised from blows. Her hair matted and infested with vermin, no doubt, and she did not appear to have had a bath of any kind for many days, if not weeks" (qtd. In Shelman 187). This little girls name was Mary Ellen Wilson. Prior to 1874, the United States did not have any laws to protect children from abuse. Though society is still learning, we have come along way. There are still many cases of child abuse, but as a society we now have ways to intervene, and prevent this abuse and neglect. It was in 1874 when the first court case of child abuse was argued. It was the case of, Mary Ellen Wilson. Mary Ellen as a young girl was severely beaten with whips, burned with the iron, cut with scissors, not to mention the sexual, and emotional abuse. It was in 1874 that a major change in our legal system took place in society. The change was a realization to our legal system that we have to do something about children like Mary Ellen. We have learned many lessons from this alarming event. Now we have choices, now we can help, and now we have child protection services. This case has delivered us, as a society, many messages. I am going to point out two major lessons I found are crucial to how we do thi...
Highlights of Official Child Neglect and Abuse Reporting, 1986. Denver, CO.: American Humane Association. Ogintz, E. The Littlest Victim. Chicago Tribune, Thursday, October 6, 1988.
Myers, J. B. (2008). A Short History of Child Protection in America. Family Law Quarterly,
Child abuse and neglect should not be taken lightly. In the case of Aaron Fisher, the allegations were taken lightly for years by the investigators. What could’ve and in my opinion, should’ve taken no longer than a year for an arrest – took Pennsylvania State Police and DA’s office three years to get their stuff together and go against Jerry Sandusky for the crimes he committed. Several policies that were not in place could’ve protected Aaron. Those policies would include mandated reporting, board accountability and whistle-blower protection. I would recommend that this book be used for this class in the future because it is a real life example of what we learn about in class. It helps put things in perspective and aids in a deeper learning
For 30 years, advocates, program administrators, and politicians have joined to encourage even more reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. Their efforts have been successful, with about three million cases of suspected child abuse having been reported in 1993. Large numbers of endangered children still go unreported, but a serious problem had developed: Upon investigation, as many as 65 percent or the reports now being made are determined to be "unsubstantiated", raising serious civil liberties concerns and placing a huge burden on investigative staffs.
In 2013 it was estimated that for every case of child abuse reported another eight cases go unreported. Yet, state officials are still wondering if all adults should be mandated reporters of child abuse. A mandated reporter is someone who is required by law of state to report any suspected or observed cases of child abuse. Normally mandated reporters are adults who have regular contact with children; including doctors, day care providers, and educators. In america only eighteen of the fifty states require all adults to report suspicion of child abuse. Not making all adults mandated reporters will only prolong the suffering of abuse victims. All adults should be mandated reporters of child abuse to prevent the growing number of cases, to ensure child abusers are held accountable for their actions, and to decrease the amount of deaths
The late nineteenth century was a critical time in reshaping the rights of women. Commonly this era is considered to be the beginning of what is know to western feminists as “first-wave feminism.” First-wave feminism predominately fought for legal rights such as suffrage, and property rights. A major hallmark of first-wave feminism is the concept of the “New Woman.” The phrase New Woman described educated, independent, career oriented women who stood in response to the idea of the “Cult of Domesticity,” that is the idea that women are meant to be domestic and submissive (Stevens 27). Though the concept of the New Woman was empowering to many, some women did not want to give up their roles as housewives. These women felt there was a great dignity in the lifestyle of the housewife, and that raising children was not a job to scoff at. Mary Freeman's short story “The Revolt of 'Mother',” tells the story of such a domestic woman, Sarah, who has no interest in leaving her position as mother, but still wishes to have her voice heard in the private sphere of her home. Freeman's “Revolt of Mother,” illustrates an alternative means of resistance for women who rejected the oppression of patriarchy without a withdrawal from the domestic lifestyle.