S07 E09: Who America Considers a Family
5/21/20261 hr 21 min
As the media weaves a narrative about evil doctors kidnapping children: the real harms caused by the child welfare system go unnoticed. Today we look at the case for strengthening children's rights as well as the case for replacing the child welfare system altogether. Featuring: Roxanna Asgarian, Child Welfare Journalist Elizabeth Bartholet, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School Alan Dettlaff, Professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work
Read Roxanna Asgarian’s We Were Once a Family: https://www.roxannaasgarianwrites.com/ Read Alan Dettlaff’s Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System: https://www.amazon.com/Confronting-Racist-Legacy-American-Welfare/dp/0197675263 Try out Andrea’s Podcaster Coaching App: https://studio.com/apps/andrea/podcaster Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-mother-next-door-9781250284273/ View our sponsors: https://www.nobodyshouldbelieveme.com/sponsors/ Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show! Subscribe on YouTube where we have bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/@NobodyShouldBelieveMePod Follow Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreadunlop/ Buy Andrea's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Andrea-Dunlop/author/B005VFWJPI For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit: https://www.munchausensupport.com/ The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines: https://apsac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Munchausen-by-Proxy-Clinical-and-Case-Management-Guidance-.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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First 90 secondsAndrea Dunlop· Host0:02
[intro music] True Story Media. Please note that this show discusses child abuse, which may be difficult for some listeners. For resources about abusive head trauma, go to shakenbaby.org. [instrumental music] Despite the vast amounts of media attention it's received, and the successful state legislative efforts it's inspired, the problem of CAPs over-diagnosing child abuse is, as far as I can tell from my extensive research, entirely invented. Second opinion laws are put under the ever popular guise of protecting children, but it seems more likely that they will create an additional loophole for parents like most of the ones featured in these stories. IE, white families who can afford to pay for high-powered attorneys and experts who explain away abusive injuries. We really do like to dress things up this way in this country, from banning drag performances, to banning books, to prohibiting teachers from discussing the existence of gay people and racism. All things that don't actually harm children. But these things do make some adults really uncomfortable, as does the notion that the state might remove the children of a middle class white family. Child abuse pediatricians kidnapping children is a made-up problem that the media is treating like a real problem, all while ignoring the people who are actually disenfranchised by the child welfare system. Well, not everyone in the media is ignoring it.