is locking a 4 year old and a 2 year old in their rooms child abuse?

Question

my dad and them have two lil sisters locked in their room for no reason and the cops here wont do anything i mean they have been turned in for abusing those girls 4 times already and they wont do a **** an thing to them about it what can u do about it

Answer 1

Yes, If Child Services got wind this was taking place, be very sure they would be knocking on your doors. Use time out. locking a child in a room does a lot of emotional damage.
~T~

Answer 2

Locking and leaving them there? Yes. Shutting the door and holding it closed to make them stay in there for a time-out? No. However, a 2-year-old probably doesn't need to be put into their room for a time-out.

Response to your update: I would go immediately to social services and let the know. Social Services is required, by law, to investigate ANY report of child abuse or neglect. At least they are here in Canada. In this case I'm not sure if it'll work though. If nothing has been done before when the parents have been reported, I highly doubt anything will happen now. However, there may be another side to this that you are not seeing. Do you know for 100% sure that they are locked in there for no reason? Speak with Social Services. They may be able to help.

Answer 3

I'd probably say it's more along the lines of child neglect! That's really not healthy for them to grow up like that, they're going to be scared of their own parents and constantly making an attemp to runaway or escape. By locking them in their rooms what does that prove? That you have more authority? If you want to discipline them, than try something else, like simply closing the door or putting them in a corner. (never hit) What if they have to use the restroom and you can't hear them trying to open the door- they pee on the floor and get into trouble for that!? What if your home was being robbed from their room-they wouldn't be able to come to you for help!? What if your home was on fire-they'd be trapped!?What if they were choking or fell and injured themselves and couldn't scream or were unconscious-they could possibly be really hurt?! It's just not healthy and not right-if somebody were to find out and call the child protection, they could take your children away! Would you want that? No, so don't take that risk. If your unsure of how to be a good parent, try looking on the Internet or getting parenting books or magazines!

Answer 4

It's child endangerment actually, because you put the children in danger. If anything happened to the kids when in the locked room the parent would be held responsible.

a 2 and 4 year old will not sit quietly in a locked room especially if they are put there for punishment. Anything could happen.

Answer 5

I would say yes to a point. I personally wouldnt lock them in their rooms or even close the door. I would put the oldest in time out for a few minutes because i would think a 4 year old can understand when she/he been naughty but a 2 year old doesnt know, and is still learning. you need to have more patience with your kids.

Answer 6

I believe that talking with kids would be a better way to handle things than shutting them away from their parents. They need to feel loved, even when they do wrong things. They are just learning how to behave and what is right and wrong, and negative/scary experiences are not going to do anything positive in that process. I believe it's not right to lock children in their rooms like that, but I don't know if it is considered as child abuse. Certainly it's only using power in a wrong way.

Answer 7

I remember my grandmother doing this to me when I went
to visit when I was about 6 because she wanted a sleep in
until 10am so my sister and I were not allowed out of our
rooms until this time and I felt abused then and lost respect
for my grandmother.

With my own children I would send them to their rooms with a book for time out for
5 - 10 minutes only when they were this age but would never shut the door and they generally knew to stay there as if they came out I was terse with them and they understood.

Mother of 3 kids now (15.14.12)

I think the secret to motherhood is for mums to have some
free time on a weekly basis if they can get it as you need it
to restore your sanity as it is a busy time.

Answer 8

For how long are you doing this? I think your best course of action would to be with in the viewing area. Locking them inside a room where you can't see what they are doing is not good and could be considered child abuse if one or both were to get hurt.

Answer 9

If you are really worried call social services and they will investigate, unfortunately its a really hard situation. If the girls are clothed, fed and so on they can't do a lot unless there is obvious signs of abuse.

Answer 10

If the children are being disciplined for their behaviour and are only locked in their rooms for a short time, then no. However if the children are forced to remain there for a long time for no reason, I would consider that abuse.