10-Year-Old Arrested In Child Abuse Case

[MarinaVanessa]

I don't know if anyone else has heard about this but this was news to me. I just heard about this this morning. Wow, I remember babysitting at 10 years old (my infant sister of 6mo included) but I was responsible and had already taken CPR, babysitting courses etc. I remember being held accountable for my actions, respect for myself, others and things etc. that my parents taught me but nowadays kids aren't taught "life's lessons" and are just left to do whatever they want and "get their way". I don't know any 10 year old nowadays that I could trust to watch my dog, much less my child.

What do you all think? I'm a little concerned that the 10 year old was arrested (but probably won't be tried as an adult because of the age) and am wondering if anything will be done to the parent(s) of the child that was hurt. From the article I get the idea that things were being done to the child over weeks and I'm wondering how a parent wouldn't notice a change in character & physical markings/bruising on their child??:confused:. I don't know what to think.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/24168126/detail.html

What are people thinking nowadays??? And yesterday I read an article about a home daycare center that was shut down because the house where the daycare kids were being watched was also being used as an illegal dog fighting training center and ring! The husband of the household was arrested (along with a couple of other men) for the dog fighting and all that the wife got (who was running the daycare) was get shut down. The kids played near the area where the dogs were being kept!!! As a parent don't you think that you'd notice these things and think something was wrong with this and say something!!!

[safechner]

Oh my goodness! A 10 year old child shouldn't babysitter to a 23 month old child. What are they thinking? I think a 23 month old child's parents should arrested for allowing her to watch their child because she is not mature enough. I can't image like that.


Otherwise, I have a 7 year old dcg likes to spank her 17 month old sister because she thinks she is her job to take care of her sister. I am not allowed her to do that in my house. I have spoken to her mother about it but it seems there is nothing she can do about it like she is afraid of her. I am not sure why.

[jen]

I don't let my 10 year old son babysit his 7 year old sister!

In another thread there was some discussion about children and violence. It does appear to me that kids are more violent now than when we were kids and more importantly, the behavior is more accepted that it once was.

Very sad...all the way around.

[jen]

I did just realize that our community ed babysitting course is designed for children 10 and up...

[Lilbutterflie]

There are very few states that have laws governing when it's ok to leave a child home alone... there are only recommendations. Most states recommend children under 12 should not be left home alone. But it's only a recommendation. Crazy, right??? I don't believe the 10 yr old should've been arrested. We don't know enough facts about the story yet, but it sounds like he parents of the 10 yr old & the parents of the toddler should be behind bars for child endangerment.

[MarinaVanessa]

I did just realize that our community ed babysitting course is designed for children 10 and up...

Really? Still? I remember when I was 10 (17 years ago) the limit was 10 also but I didn't realize that it still was. I guess a 10 year old COULD possibly be responsible but I don't know of any. I guess I'm wired a little different because my mom allowed me to watch my sister when I was 10 and she was a newborn but I had my daughter at 23 (my sister was 14) and I NEVER let my mom or my sister watch her until she was about a year old. This time (I'm expecting a boy in Nov) they're both giving me a hard time because they say I was "stingy" with her and want to be able to watch my son and have him spend the night at their house (Thursdays nights are grandma sleepover nights with my daughter) when he's an infant .

I still have a hard time letting go and that's my mom and my sister and they are BOTH GREAT with kids . My sister is 18 and is my assistant here at DC and I'm still having issues with it but probably because he'll be a teeny infant and the whole reason why I started daycare was to be close to the kids.

I just don't know what to think. I guess some people just really don't mind leaving their kids with other people. I mean leaving your child with a trained proffesional adult that you don't know (a new daycare provider) is different than leaving your child with another child.

[jen]

: I mean leaving your child with a trained proffesional adult that you don't know (a new daycare provider) is different than leaving your child with another child.

For me this is key...a 10 year old is a child herself! So not capable of dealing with an emergency!!!

[Janet]

Omg!

That article is the stuff that nightmares are made of! I can't imagine even considering having a 10 year old child babysit for any child of any age! I have to ask it...what the heck were the parents of the toddler thinking? A 10 year old is a child herself!!!

[MarinaVanessa]

That article is the stuff that nightmares are made of! I can't imagine even considering having a 10 year old child babysit for any child of any age! I have to ask it...what the heck were the parents of the toddler thinking? A 10 year old is a child herself!!!

And I think this is what I really have a hard time understanding. I don't remember ever being overwhelmed as a 10 year old watching after an infant but then again our family dynamic was different. As a kid I had the sense of responsibility to help the family and had tons of chores that are more a "mother's" role (washing, ironing, dishes, cleaning, gardening etc.) which was started at a very young age ... but I have a hard time thinking that a "normal" 10 year old would have the skills, patience and mentality to care for another child.

When I "babysat" other peoples kids it was never longer than a couple of hours and I either watched them in my house (when my parent's were home) or in their homes (when they were close enough to walk to) and I could always call my parents if I needed something. Even now when I think about it and talk about it to my mom we talk about how strange it was that to her it was normal for me to watch my sister and how that was how she was raised also but that she wouldn't think of doing that today (her & my dad are originally from mexico).

[MommyMuffin]

My heart hurts. I have tears in my eyes. I try to ignore these stories because in my head I cannot rationalize it. I cannot accept that it really happens. I dont understand how people can hurt children. A ten year old is probably not a suitable babysitter but a ten year old should know when they are hurting someone and that it is not acceptable. Man, this really makes me sad for both parties. I can't help but cry.

[booroo]

Well Im going to be the odd person out here and say this: if a 10 year old is not responsible enough to babsit then we as parents are not raising our children to the level that we were. I babysat at 10 for others in there home, both of these children were under the age of 2, Im still in the business today.
My own 13 year old has been babsitting since he was 10.... I can trust my son to watch my younge children as well as other children, and hes good at. His summer job is watching my 2 year old this summer while I run my day camp, they bike ride, go to the pool, go to the library for story hour, and hang out.

Why is it that children now a days cant do the things we did? There is not reason for it; other than we are not raising with same responsiblities. And just so ya know, these kinds of things happened when we were younge too, it was just keep quite because a minor was the suspect.
My mom has been in law enforcement for 40 years, so I grew up seeing things and hearing things others would never expsose there children too. But I saw it and heard it, and it did happen.

This 10 year old has a mental problem of some sort, because the 10 year olds that I know today, WOULD never do that.... Some of them even babsit; GASP!!!

[MN Mom]

This is aweful!

However, my 11 year old daughter has been babysitting since she was 10. I trust her COMPLETELY. She is responsible, and has been helping me with her siblings since she was 4. She helped me change diapers, give baths, feed, etc.

She is now the sitter for her younger sisters and brother when I have to run to the store (2 hours max). She has my cell phone number, and grandma lives less than a mile down the road. She also has ground rules for sitting: No TV, No phone, No internet. Her attention MUST be focused 100% of the time on her sisters and brother. Period. If I find she's not able to handle this, no more getting to babysit.

We have never had issues that would make her untrustworthy.

However,

It depends on the child, and how they were raised. My opinion is, at the age of 10 a child should be responsible enough to know how to care for younger siblings. They should know ALL emergency contacts, what constitutes an emergency, and they should know their limits of when it's become too much to handle.

[QualiTcare]

Well Im going to be the odd person out here and say this: if a 10 year old is not responsible enough to babsit then we as parents are not raising our children to the level that we were. I babysat at 10 for others in there home, both of these children were under the age of 2, Im still in the business today.
My own 13 year old has been babsitting since he was 10.... I can trust my son to watch my younge children as well as other children, and hes good at. His summer job is watching my 2 year old this summer while I run my day camp, they bike ride, go to the pool, go to the library for story hour, and hang out.

Why is it that children now a days cant do the things we did? There is not reason for it; other than we are not raising with same responsiblities. And just so ya know, these kinds of things happened when we were younge too, it was just keep quite because a minor was the suspect.
My mom has been in law enforcement for 40 years, so I grew up seeing things and hearing things others would never expsose there children too. But I saw it and heard it, and it did happen.

This 10 year old has a mental problem of some sort, because the 10 year olds that I know today, WOULD never do that.... Some of them even babsit; GASP!!!

i agree that things like this did happen in the "good old days" just as much as it happens now. the only difference is that when something bad happened, EVERYONE didn't hear about it. there weren't a million news stations broadcasting around the clock. there wasn't the internet. there were no iphones. people didn't know within seconds that a child was missing in new york when they lived in los angeles.

there were just as many sexual abusers living beside of people - it's just that nobody knew it and they couldn't do a google search for sex offenders within a few feet of their homes. people won't let their kids go outside to play if there's a sex offender within a mile. people used to let their kids STAY outside and had no idea if there was an offender nearby or not.

the only way "times are changing" is we're getting information faster and from farther away every day. same crap going on though, just a different decade.

[professionalmom]

This breaks my heart for many reasons. First, I have serious issues with the whole "the 10-year-old babysitter confessed to hurting the toddler". Really? Can you give a few more details? Like, were the parents present during questioning? A lawyer? What did the 10-year-old "confess" to? Be very suspicious of this story. Do not just assume that the 10-year-old did this. It could have been anyone else who has had an opportunity to be alone with the little one. Often, when children are "questioned" by police, the parents are not present. And neither are any attorneys. Children will often confess to anything because they are scared and just want to talk to their parents and they feel trapped until they "confess".

I'm not saying that it's not possible, just to be cautious and do not believe EVERYTHING you read or hear.

[booroo]

i agree that things like this did happen in the "good old days" just as much as it happens now. the only difference is that when something bad happened, EVERYONE didn't hear about it. there weren't a million news stations broadcasting around the clock. there wasn't the internet. there were no iphones. people didn't know within seconds that a child was missing in new york when they lived in los angeles.

there were just as many sexual abusers living beside of people - it's just that nobody knew it and they couldn't do a google search for sex offenders within a few feet of their homes. people won't let their kids go outside to play if there's a sex offender within a mile. people used to let their kids STAY outside and had no idea if there was an offender nearby or not.

the only way "times are changing" is we're getting information faster and fr
om farther away every day. same crap going on though, just a different decade.

this is true right!!! I was outside from sun up to sun down... I lived at the pool in the summer.... Climbed trees and played.... I let my kids do the same....