Shofar Coalition in the Media
Child Abuse and Neglect Policy
Approved by Baltimore Jewish Council Board of Directors
November 13, 2008
The Baltimore Jewish Council recognizes that child abuse and neglect exists not only in society-at-large, but in the Jewish community as well. Silence on this issue is intolerable.
We believe that the protection of our children must be one of our community's highest priorities. We strongly believe that prevention, early identification and treatment are extremely important and should be the focus of our efforts on this topic. We encourage the judicial and legislative systems, government and social services agencies at all levels of government, as well as educational institutions and synagogues to continue to develop programs to prevent abuse, identify victims and support children and adolescents with regard to this issue.
Abusers thrive in an environment where discussion of this topic is silenced and reporting and punishment are discouraged. That must not be allowed to happen. We must develop the righteous indignation to fully protect our children by sending a clear message that those who molest or abuse children will be reported to the authorities, arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
When abuse and neglect affect children who are unable to protect or remove themselves from harm, the need for immediate intervention outweighs concerns about community and family preservation. Child abuse reporting laws have proven, since their widespread adoption in the 1980's and 1990's, to be of tremendous value in protecting children from harm. Maryland's reporting laws should be both strengthened and more clearly defined, and penalties should be enacted for professionals who fail to report as required. As we have stated previously, in the Baltimore Jewish Council's Domestic Violence Policy first approved in 1994, we support legislation that would limit the current broad exemption on reporting child abuse -- sexual or otherwise -- by members of the clergy, except in the narrowest circumstances when religious law requires confidentiality during penitential spiritual counseling. For those who commit sexual crimes against children, or protect those who do, there must be no sanctuary.
As a community, we must provide the support necessary for those families which are torn apart by abuse, rather than shun and castigate those who report. Because of the shame and fear experienced by children and adolescence that have been traumatized, prompt disclosure must be the responsibility of the adult not the children. The cycle of witness intimidation of those who report abuse must end now and our community must cooperate with legal authorities when they become involved. We encourage our own Jewish institutions to support the families and children who have been abused and to stand up against abuse and those who discourage reporting. We must raise the community's awareness level by asking our Jewish leaders to write and speak out against abuse and neglect in a forthright and unequivocal manner.
We must teach our parents and educators how to speak to their children about personal privacy, how to listen and provide support when allegation arises and how to recognize the common behavioral signs and symptoms of abuse in children and adolescents even when verbal disclosure has not been made. This can easily be done in a modest, confidential and appropriate manner for all within our Jewish community.
This issue is everyone's issue: the family, the school, the community at large and the Jewish community. Abusers are far more likely to be family members or neighbors, rather than educators or clergy. This is not to say that schools, synagogues, camps, and youth serving organizations should not address this matter; rather to note that simply dealing with it in the limited scope of school will not eradicate the scourge of abuse.
We believe that policies which provide and support funding for early identification, prevention and treatment are the best utilization of resources to address this issue.
There is no more sacred obligation than protecting the children entrusted to our care.