“Denise Wright will have to spend at least 80 years of her life sentence behind bars before she is eligible for parole for nearly starving to death her 12-year-old daughter in 2007,” stated the Honolulu Advertiser on October 19th, 2010. [1] This was an extreme story of child abuse in Hawaii that shocked many. Child abuse is generally categorized in four groups: physical harm, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. According to Childhelp, a national organization for the prevention and treatment of child abuse, child abuse is defined as “of any act of commission or omission that endangers or impairs a child's physical or emotional health and development.”[3] Abuse should be dealt through punishment by law enforcement.
Rehabilitation is one solution to setting a criminal back on the right track. Childhelp’s statistics show that “children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.”[7] With these rates, there needs to be a stable solution to address this. Studies have shown that rehabilitation had a lasting effect on law offenders because it gave them a second chance to adapt to society by gaining academic or trade skills. However, this method only works if the person is willing to go through the designated steps.
Child abuse is a community problem. Law enforcement gives attention to cases making sure that proper punishments go to the law offender. About 30% of abused or neglected children will continue this cycle of harm to their children. [7] In working in treatment of a case of child abuse, the offender must have consequences to assure they are no longer a threat to the community or themselves. These consequences may also work in way that deter, to create a fear in the criminal, as well as the general public, motivating them not to repeat the offense. Reported cases of child abuse go to law enforcement officials because it is illegal to abuse any child- as stated in Chapter 350.[4]
In addition to this, punishment is the main goal of the United States criminal justice system when dealing with offenders. Within the Family Courts of Hawaii State Judiciary System, cases for abuse and neglect of children, as well as termination of parental rights. The state judiciary system considers these as important issues that need to be resolved quickly and fairly. [5] The Classical School of Criminology claims that, “the principal means of controlling behavior is fear, particularly fear of pain or punishment. In this way the will could be directed to make correct choices.” [6] In short, this shows how the physiology of punishment from the government has more chance of correcting criminals, as opposed to rehabilitation because of the aspect of self-determination within.
Overall, punishment is a more effective than counseling in terms of creating and sustaining a safer community. The story of Denise Wright’s harshly neglected daughter was resolved by punishment to Denise Wright. Even though the punishment from the government addressed the criminal’s part, the 12 year old girl -now 16- has recovered physically, but is only capable of third grade level comprehension.[2] Punishment is what parents use to discipline their children. It’s what the government uses to discipline adult citizens. Both work well, if done to the right extent with the correct intentions.
Bibliography
[1]"Trial Begins For Parents Accused Of Starving Daughter - Honolulu News Story - KITV Honolulu." Honolulu News-KITV Honolulu's Channel 4. Web. Nov. 2010.
[2]"Mother given 80-year Prison Term for Starving Daughter." Hawaii News- Honolulu Star-Advertiser - Hawaii Newspaper. Web. Nov. 2010.
[3]"About Child Abuse | Childhelp." Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse | Childhelp. Web. Nov. 2010.
[4]"Haw. Rev. Stat. 350-1 : Hawaii Statutes - Section 350-1: Definitions." US and State Codes. Web. Nov. 2010.
[5]"Family Courts." Hawaii State Judiciary. Hawaii.gov. Web. Nov. 2010.
[6]"Classical." Classical. Criminological Theory, 22 Nov. 2005. Web. Nov. 2010.
[7]"National Child Abuse Statistics | Childhelp." Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse | Childhelp. Web. Nov. 2010.
