I’ve written about a study that found that poor
mothers often avoid revealing their problems or accepting much-needed help
because those asking about the problems and offering the help are mandated
reporters — they are required by law to report any suspicion of child abuse or
neglect.
In that study, one mother from
Rhode Island reads aloud from a questionnaire she receives every two months
from her child’s school. She is asked to respond to a series of statements,
such as: “I feel little interest or pleasure in doing things.” “I feel too
stressed to enjoy my child.” “I get more frustrated than I want with my child’s
behavior.”
“It’s like a trap,” the mother
said. “If you say yeah, I get more frustrated with my child’s behavior, that
means you’re gonna hit ‘em or something, they probably think …”
That trap may soon be sprung on
millions of poor families in California.
