How much time do you think a parent should get by standing by and doing nothing about child abuse?

Question

I think they should get life for abusing/enabling abuse. What do you think?

If one parent knew that the other parent was being mean, verbal abusing, having control over everything in the child's life (Do not know about hitting though with who i am talking about),
What do you think should happen to them?

The child i am referring too died in a car crash monday the 15th.

To becca: I did not know nothing of this until it was too late. They live in a different state then i do. We didn't see one another that much. Had i known i would have done something about it.

Answer 1

Not having lived in an abusive situation, I can't speak to this personally. However, I know a situation close to me where a boy was being abused by a step-father. Physical as well as mental abuse was suspected. There were several suspicious incidents and the child social services had the situation in investigation. It took an outsider to eye witness something before the step-father was charged, tried, and sent to jail. He was a smooth talker and had a reasonable explanation for everything plus he had mom and the boy so scared they wouldn't initially say anything. The boy's mother did not take part in the abuse, but was aware of what was happening. She did what she could to protect the boy, but the man was a controller and abused her, too. Unless you have been in an abusive relationship, you have no idea how a person like that knows how to belittle and break you until you have no confidence in yourself and no trust in anyone. For this little boy, he was put in foster care and his mother is going through counseling and classes. She was traumatized and feels guilty enough. Going to jail for this mom would serve no good purpose for her or her son. It is easy to say you would never tolerate such abuse to you or your children, but many abusers are so subtle that they catch their victims unaware until it is nearly impossible for them to see any way out. Before any justice is served on an observing parent, it is important to find out all the facts and details. Unfortunately, even though he was the only abuser, he was sentenced to only 1 year in jail followed by 5 years of probabtion when he can not have contact with the boy.

Answer 2

One is guilty of Child Abuse and the the other is guilty of Childhood Endangerment. No jury is going to find another more "innocent criminal" guilty of anything close to "direct abuse". The prosecuting attorney is not going to go that route because he knows that it is so very, very difficult to prove. For instance, the one held for neglect is going to say that "he/she was not even aware". The next question may ask for a "judgement call"; thus, for that reason, only; it will be thrown out.

Answer 3

if a court proves the abuse to be real then the sentance should be the same for both..but then again that would leave a child with no parent..and if you also know about this abuse and are not reporting it..i think you should also have your share in the puniishment

Answer 4

same punishment as the abuser

Answer 5

Anyone who knew of it is responsible.

Answer 6

whatever they did to the kid should be done onto them