A question on suicide - Writers Forum

Damian_Rucci · 04-10-2008, 05:57 PM

Ok I am writing a short story where a boy is reminded of his past when his mother had an abusive husband who abused her and the child. My question is in the early eighties if someone killed themselves, what would happen to the child? Would the child go to a foster home? Or stay with the mother's husband(not his father)? Would there be an investigation?

Jusso · 04-10-2008, 06:07 PM

If the husband was known for abuse then the child would be placed in foster care & an investigation would be started.

Sam Winchester · 04-10-2008, 06:29 PM

If there is evidence that the child had been abused, he would be put into foster care.

Sam.

Loulou · 04-11-2008, 08:14 AM

My mother attempted suicide when I was nine. She was hospitalised for a year. Because my father was abusive and they were divorced we girls were taken by a social worker to live with my Granny. My baby brother, beacuse my Granny could not cope with four, was fostered. So if there is a willing and able relative the kids would go there first. If not the kids would go into care and sadly might be split up. When my mother had reoccuring mental issues we stayed briefly in an orhanage and again were seperated from my brother, who was fostered. Hope I helped.

lilacstarflower · 04-11-2008, 08:52 AM

If it's based in the UK the NHS would provide a counsellor to give the child a talking to and never approach the subject again - that's what happened to a friend of mine before her successful attempt...

but yeah, same as above ^^^ taken into care until an investigation proved one way or another what the truth actually was

lin · 04-11-2008, 10:35 AM

Foster care would be the last choice if there were no suitable close relatives. The mother's side tends to be more heavily favored, closeness to the child is a prime consideration, blood ties usually trump legal ties. You don't mention if the husband adopted the child.

You also don't make it clear for some reason who the "somebody" who suicides is.

And note that the facts of abuse have to be brought forward. There is a good chance that it wouldn't be mentioned and the kid could end up placed in abusive hands because he didn't say anything about it. Happens all the time.

Damian_Rucci · 04-17-2008, 09:21 PM

Thank you all very, very much! Sorry I couldn't reply sooner, I actually forgot about the thread!

seigfried007 · 04-18-2008, 03:43 AM

Relatives first--often on a volunteer basis. Depends msotly on state and local officials though. I know people who were investigated for heresay and gossiping biddies (no hard evidence and lots of lies, in other words).

However, I also know a family noted for repeated incest, child rape, etc and the kids always wind up back with the abusive mom and her absolutely disgusting boyfriends. Always. Five kids with nearly that many dads. All horribly abused but the officials are too lazy to futz with the paperwork and choose to turn a blind eye. Once in a great while, they would place one of the kids with maternal relatives, but, invariably, the kid would go back to mom. Last I heard, the second-eldest girl had managed to lie her way back into mom's home and was pregnant by the boyfriend. Adn of course, the lie naturally went that her perfectly decent caretaker (if somewhat aggravated on occasion) had slapped her so the authorities placed her back with mom, whose boyfriends were known to rape all five children with her consent. (and someone in my head said, "Please shoot them before they infect us with their stupidity.")

Bottom line is that it can go either way according to storyline. You may have involved social workers, or you may not.