(C) Tennessee Lookout This story was originally published by Tennessee Lookout and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . New laws puts responsibility on Tennessee kids for stopping their own abuse • Tennessee Lookout [1] ['Nina Gurak', 'Carol Westlake', 'Sam Stockard', 'Ren Brabenec', 'More From Author', 'July', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline'] Date: 2024-07-02 I’m sitting in a virtual room with a few attorneys discussing how we can support young people’s access to health care without running afoul of the new law criminalizing adults supporting minors who access abortion,when someone says, “Well, the law doesn’t prevent kids from educating their peers on abortion. Why don’t we just train them?” I’m struck by this comment. Not because young people aren’t capable of supporting their peers; but because they shouldn’t have to do this. They shouldn’t have to bear the burden of counseling their peers or risk putting trusted adults in the crosshairs of an overzealous district attorney or a million dollar lawsuit. This law is just one example of a series of laws passed this year purporting to “protect children and punish those who hurt them”. Another is one that allows for the death penalty for child rape, and another, lifetime monitoring for those convicted of continuous sexual abuse. These laws saddle Tennessee youth with a crushing burden: seek the support they need to make the violence stop by risking a death sentence or a life of penal supervision for a family member or friend; or continue to suffer in silence. These laws give another tool to people who harm children to intimidate youth from seeking help, holding over the child’s head the possibility that they will be responsible for the death sentence of a family member if the child seeks the support they need. New laws do nothing to help prevent child abuse and instead, require kids — some of whom have been victimized — to potentially be responsible for a death sentence levied to a family member. Furthermore, these laws also do nothing to prevent child sexual abuse. Even the sponsors of the legislation admit that they mostly serve as a punishment for harm that has already been committed, and are shown to not be an effective deterrent. Instead, they perpetuate decades of failed policies that refuse to address the root causes of abuse: both structural and interpersonal. Similarly, this year, the legislature passed laws that increase penalties for parents whose children are in the presence of registered sex offenders or who “fail” to protect them from potentially dangerous situations, even if no harm occurred. While numerous studies show that violence and harm occurs in all communities, punitive laws disproportionately target Black and brown, working class, and disabled communities, who are already overpoliced and over-surveilled. These laws further harm already disadvantaged communities with no actual benefit to child wellbeing. After decades of failed criminalization and punishment measures, we have little to show for child wellbeing. The 2023 State of the Child Study reports: Within the last year, 53 percent of high school girls and 30 percent of high school boys felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks, representing a 63 percent increase since 2011. One in four high school students reported that within the last 12 months they had done something to purposely hurt themselves. Among high school girls: One in eight Shelby County students and one in nine Metro Nashville students reported they had been physically forced to have sexual intercourse. Prevention efforts are most effective when we empower young people to know their bodies and seek out support from a trusted adult. While prevention and treatment work has continued, there are major hurdles to success. Child sexual abuse prevention curriculum cannot be effective when Tennessee bans discussions on all gateway sexual activity and makes it even more difficult for children to get support. Mental health treatment can’t be effective when Tennessee has a shortage of providers, fails to expand Medicaid, and continues to make it harder for working class families to access public assistance. Young people are often told in prevention programs to speak with a “trusted adult” about distressing experiences in their lives. Now, children face devastating obstacles in confiding in these adults: putting the trusted adult in a legally precarious situation; believing they are sentencing the people who harmed them to death or lifetime monitoring; and struggling to access needed healthcare without support. It all begs the question: if not Tennessee youth, who are these laws truly protecting? It’s time Tennessee let kids be kids. The state must honor the autonomy of young people, support their decision-making, and ensure they have what they need to grow, thrive, and learn without fear of violence or punishment for themselves or their loved ones. Healthy and Free Tennessee is here fighting for this future where young folks, families, parents, and loved ones all have the support they need to live healthy and free lives. Even though the legislature may not be ready to ensure the health and welfare of Tennessee’s youth and families, we’re still here, continuing to fight for reproductive justice for all. [END] --- [1] Url: https://tennesseelookout.com/2024/07/02/new-laws-puts-responsibility-on-tennessee-kids-for-stopping-stopping-their-own-abuse/ Published and (C) by Tennessee Lookout Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/tennesseelookout/