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Denmark mix ill and criminal youth

8/5/2012

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It is with great concern that we have learned that Denmark has started to mix
minors who commit crimes with minor who just happen to suffer from mental
illnesses.

In the case of Amalia Pape an odd and dangerous pattern can be seen. The now
16 year old girl was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. Normally ODD is not a
recognized illness. Most professionals deem this particular diagnose as a kind
of mess meant to put a name on normal teenage behavior.

The girl was living at a group home placed there with the approval by her
family when she was 12 years old. For no particular reason the authorities
suddenly send her home and claimed she was cured. However at it turned out, she
was not. Her family asked for help and the only option the authorities had was
not her old group home but instead a department of "Grenen", which is a maximum
security youth facility in Jutland.

Here the girl would live much like the other youth placed at the facility for
a number of reasons like armed robbery or street gang participation. It doesn't
sound like the right option for treatment of her illness.

But this was the only option the authorities could offer and when her family
denied participating in her placement, the authorities took her by force.

So Amalia Pape is now living in a criminal environment. Her contact with her
family is restricted very much like she was imprisoned. It is a sad turn-out for
a girl and a family reaching out for help. It is an embarrassment for
Denmark.

Source:
16-årig med psykiatrisk lidelse tvangsfjernet og indsat blandt kriminelle (About the case in Danish language from a local newspaper)
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Article from Denmark confirms international trend

3/26/2011

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A study by the John Hopkins University children in foster care risk being subjected to sexual abuse in a much higher degree than children, who live with their family.

This study was confirmed by a survey conducted in conjunction with a Baltimore lawsuit. Trudy Festinger, head of the Department of Research at the New York University School of Social Work confirmed the negative trend.
But also in Denmark headlines speak of this risk. Still Denmark continues to place more children in foster care than other Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden.

Some professionals tried to defend the higher level of children in foster care by claiming that the level of supervision of the foster parents and group homes are far better than in any other country in the world. However this has not stopped scandals like the Mern foster care scandal from appearing.

The only solution to keep the children safe is to improve the preventive work in the families. In Denmark where social workers basically built their careers on getting cases where they can help their colleges who supervise placements to foster parents or group homes, shifting focus to preventive work in the families properly will demand a new generation of social workers as the culture inside the department of social services will be subjected to a 100 percent conversion in order to achieve such a new strategy.

Sources:
Sexual Abuse: An Epidemic in Foster Care Settings? (HG Legal directory, by Orlow, Orlow % Orlow)
A Critical Look At The Foster Care System: How Widespread a Problem? (Lifting the Veil, by Rick Thomas)
Mern Foster Care Scandal (Fornits Wiki Database)
Børn krænker hinanden sexuelt (Nordjyske Tidende, by Kirstine Christensen, article in Danish language)

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