subject: Jersey Dept. of Youth and Family Services Declares Strangling "Discipline," Not Abuse [print this page] Jersey DeptJersey Dept. of Youth and Family Services Declares Strangling "Discipline," Not Abuse
The New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS)has declared in court that strangling is discipline, not abuse. A recording of the declaration is available from the court where DYFS weighed in on a case of child abuse.
A Mr. Cory Dick, at DYFS, has stated that a child who is being strangled to the point of almost passing out, having his hair pulled, and being punched--all by his father, is merely being disciplined. Mr. Dick interviewed the child in question, whose name is withheld from this article because he is a minor. In the interview, the fourteen-year-old boy said he had run from his father and hidden in the woods for fear of his life. He said he was so scared, he didn't take time to find his shoes, but ran out into the snow to get away, and remained in the cold for three hours while his father calmed down. The childadded thathis father had broken several phones to prevent him from calling 911 for help.
Despite the child's testimony, Mr. Dick determined that all of the father's actions amounted to discipline, not abuse. Mr. Dick indicated that if the father is violent, he hoped the court case would prevent any further harm to the child, though he did acknowledge that his own input into the case had swayed the judge in returning the child to the father's home.
The child's testimony about the above physical attacks has been read into the official court record in New Jersey, and is available for review. The DYFS pronouncement was also read into that same record. The DYFS findings were read by Judge Haney Mawla of the Superior Court of Hunterdon County.
In a previous case in 2004, DYFS failed to remove a child from a home after two investigations, and that child was killed by scalding water when the mother left him unattended.
Mr. Dick's supervisor, Mr. Jeff Kline, refused to be interviewed for this article. The state commissioner of New Jersey, Ms. Allison Blake, has indicated that she is investigating the matter in an email response, but has not returned any phone calls.
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