Re: "Nit-Pick about Child Abuse Training"

Cheryl Singhal remarked on the use of the term "child abuse training"
where "anti-child abuse training" is intended. She feared it was a
minor point or a nit, yet one kicking and screaming to be picked.

Cheryl, I AGREE! (Shout intended.) This particular nit has
rankled me for more than twenty years. Way back then, I was a junior
investigator assigned to attend with my female partner a local joint
task force on the growing problem of Child Abuse in northern San Diego
City. This task force was organized, IIRC, by the SD Police Department
and involved a number of law enforcement, family and social services
organizations. At one of our meetings, hosted by Sharp's Hospital, the
hospital PR folks took photos for the house newsletter.=20

I still, somewhere, have that newsletter. On the back cover,
over the photo of two dozen very serious looking professionals is a
headline "CHILD ABUSE LEADERS MEET." =20

Now, since then I have traveled and relocated a number of times,
worked at the Navy Anti-Terrorist Alert Center in Washington and
performed Counterintelligence Training for my agency. I always have the
same reaction whenever I am asked to speak about the
"Counterintelligence Threat" or the "Anti-Terrorist Threat". I usually
reply that I am working avidly against the "Anti-Intelligence Threat"
although I am often met with blank stares.

Cheryl wrote:
>A child abuse exercise is teaching how to do and and demonstrating. An
>Anti-child-abuse exercise is teaching that it is wrong and demonstrating
>how to recognize the symptoms. Yes, the intelligent child will use the
>latter info as a how-to guide, but the terminology puts the emphasis
>where it belongs: against child abuse.
>I know it's a nit, but it kicked and screamed to be picked.

Anyhow, It is not really a nit, it is a matter of precision and
communication and pertains to a topic in which precision of
communication is very important. Let us vow to use "Child Abuse
Prevention Training" or "Anti-Child Abuse Training" or some similar term
which accurately reflects out intent. Funny, but it is usually the
Scouts themselves who are the first to pick this particular nit when
ever we use the incorrect term. Hmmmn.

Yours in Scouting,

Dick Sullivan
Unit Commissioner & Dist. Membership Chairman
Chief Solano Dist./Mt. Diablo Silverado Council
(Fairfield, CA) I used to be a Bob-White!
Wood Badge NE-IV-74 Camp Freedom - Daupthe,=20
Germany June 1995

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