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- attila, on 10/12/2007, -3/+52"Helen Briggs is trying to dissolve her adoption of a troubled boy whose history she says the state failed to disclose. "You don't want to throw somebody away. But sometimes you have to," she said. (By Dayna Smith -- The Washington Post)"
That's got to be so ***** tough, and hard for a woman who has rescued children over the years from foster care. To realize in a CHILD, that they are so far gone, that you're best not dealing with them at all. Must be painful. - geronimo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+32That, and the fact that if you RTFA, he sustained brain damage earlier in life due to abuse.
- LuckyNYC, on 10/12/2007, -4/+28Wow, that must be a really hard decision to make. But, obviously she's making the correct choice.
It's sad really, that kid is going to be in and out of institutions the rest of his life most likely. - DanAtkinson, on 10/12/2007, -2/+25Completely agree. I can't believe the state didn't divulge this information. It's clear that he should always have been in protective care.
- iSkylla, on 10/12/2007, -9/+28Very very interesting article. I think that there is a serious problem with the system and this article shows it.
- Phyltre, on 10/12/2007, -3/+21I can totally sympathize. My parents adopted several of a distant relative's children after she got into the drug trade. She actually ended up getting them back after leaving prison (she wanted the money) but we spent that year trying to make them normal, non-aggressive, and friendly. It was tough, since they'd only been raised by themselves, and the toddlers had a history of being tied up in daycare closets due to biting and aggressive behavior towards others. They were already almost beyond control, even their own.
- ifire, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17As an adopted child myself this kind of story is very sad. To see a child who has been so messed up by his initial upbringing that he is unable to fit into a "normal" family situation saddens me. As much as I hate to say it, but the 'unadoption' is probably best.
- aboyd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12What makes it doubly sad is that the state forced her to abandon him. By that I mean, once he had been designated a sexual predator, she was legally obligated to get rid of her other kids if she wanted to keep him. That's an insane choice -- no matter what she decides, she MUST give up a child.
- p0und, on 10/12/2007, -17/+28i hope they saved the receipt!
- beedun, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14I feel bad for the kid... Being without parents must suck, especially at his age.
- LudicrousSpeed, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7This poor child's biological parents are worst kind of scum. Being a parent of a newborn, I fear every day that something I do may harm my son and cause reprocussions for the rest of his life. This jerks knowingly did terrible/harmful things to their son. I admire Briggs for her efforts to attempt to give this boy a better life. However, it seems that the atrocisities committed by the boys natural parents took away that chance. I truly wish that morons like his biological parents would not reproduce so as to avoid this problem all together.
- IrishLadd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Virginia needs to enact some sort of law that requires the signature of the adoptive parents on a background summary of some sort.
It's too bad for Briggs though, she loved that kid, and I can totaly sympathize. My grandparents have taken sevral of my aunts children in because she can't take responsibility for them. It's a sick messed up world out there, and I have a feeling it's only going to get worse..... - ramiro, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Why the hell is someone digging iSkylla's comment down?
Be a man and explain why, you bastard! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -15/+21Just drop him off with the Geek Squad. They will format him and install a new boy for the low low price of $250. Although you are not allowed to hold them responsible if they used pirated boy diagnostic tools.
- mrmatchgame, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6This is sad, I hope the kid gets better.
- ramiro, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Why the hell is someone digging ohgr's comment down?
Be a man and explain why, you bastard! - Chizz44, on 10/12/2007, -14/+19This is a crying shame - shame for that boy who has seen a life that no one deserves (to be only 16 and have gone through so much pain), and a shame for her, having the best intentions and then having to leave that boy behind after six years of trying. No one FTW.
- becominglumberg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5To clear things up - the state does divulge this information, and she would have been party to it during the adoption process. Chances are, his DSS worker just wanted an adoption so (s)he didn't let the parent know there was any reason to check out the psych file.
It is a shame that it has come to this, but it is probably not in the child's best interest to be in foster / adopted care as opposed to a supervised facility that is able to handle these kinds of injuries and abuses. - lebe0024, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8This is a Lose-Lose situation. Michael Scott would be so disappointed.
- ZooeyG, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7The kid is now 15 years old. Where do they send him?
Do you just put him in a juvenile detention center for 3 years?
Implant a GPS tracker chip in him - and make sure he doesn't molest anyone else? - missflibbles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5First of all, what a horrible situation to be in. From what I could gather from that rambling, piece of ***** article, the state was in the wrong and definitely should have told her the kid's background. As much as it would suck to be shuffled around in foster care, how much would it suck to think that you're finally going to get to settle down and then find out it isn't going to happen?
Secondly, that was truly an awful article. I understand that human interest pieces are pretty much an appeal to emotion, but maybe next time they can try to tell people what went on without sticking in pointless narration. I don't care if people are sleepy and wearing slippers. It's journalism, not fiction. - Bobtastic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Actually, genius, the brain stem controls the most basic functions of the body, and as such, is an area of the brain that can be a source of angeer. Certainly the brain stem has an affect on the "fight or flight" response. If he is constantly having his body tell him that he needs to respond aggresively or to run away, no wonder he does a lot of violent things.
I feel a lot more sorry for the child than I do for her. This poor kid really is in a place in which no one loves or wants him. This is so sad. - Inara, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"The boy, now nearing 16, wants Briggs to be his mother forever..."
Gah. Sounds like something out of a bad thriller.
Unfortunately, that's probably the most stable, caring environment he's ever had. Poor f'd up kid. - reeder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Smart guy, once you adopt, you stop recieving money from the state.
- concertina, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3He'll probably be institutionalized for the rest of his life. Or he should be. He's pyschotic and bipolar, and a sexual predator, and suffering from brain damage. It's the safest place for him.
- w0rd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2What we need is a win-win-win situation.
- w0rd, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Alphaone, you sir, are an idiot. Good day, and of course, *blocked*.
- Mesach, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4"WTF?
I mean. Seriously. WTF?!"
It's really too bad that most people cannot find humor in even the darkest situations. As ***** up as it is, it's still kinda funny. you must go through life with a scowl on your face, because you see all that is bad in the world and are not able to find a humorous spin on it.
Yeah, my sense of humor is ***** up, but its my sense of humor, not yours. - garyh84, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Isn't Virginia the same state that had the parents with several adopted kids who lived in cages? And then another story about how the kids had to live off other peoples trash while their parents took the govt. funding and spent it on themselves? Hm..
- leopardhunter, on 02/18/2009, -0/+1As the morality of society continues to break down, we will have more and more children of this sort who suffer horrific abuse, as this boy did apparently when he was very young, and then turn their violence and rage against everyone around them. The only humane thing is to institutionalize these pathetic, terrifying children. That, and reverse society's trend.
- becominglumberg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The system (as I am a small part of it) is actually fairly good, it is simply overworked. The DSS worker probably wanted to get the child into a family (whether or not it was a poor choice aside) and simple did not mention the psych file as a way to expedite things and raise the chance of adoption.
I blame the DSS worker for this, but would not cast her/him down too much, considering the amount of overwork the DSS is currently experiencing. With ample funding and a reasonable case load, I would expect a story like this to be a rarity. - VolatileWhimsy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Notice in the article the law is that they have to divelge that info and it was not done.. There is a reason its a law...
- VolatileWhimsy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Actually sexual predators are not able to be rehabilitated. I am sure the psychologist that termed him this thought long and hard before labeling him.. :(
- VolatileWhimsy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"The system (as I am a small part of it) is actually fairly good, it is simply overworked."
Than the system does NOT work...
If the workers do not do their job the system fails, if there are not enough workers the system fails.. The system is not working... - VolatileWhimsy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Actually he was with her only 3 years BEFORE the court date. Not 3 years before sexually abusing a child that was still in diapers and a 6 year old boy... Heaven forbid people use their brains.
And I feel the need to point out that in the freaking article it points out that the brain stem injury effects his passage of time.. READ THE ARTICLE - Sefus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1It just sux for that kid.
No one wan't him or can help him. He might not understand that but it really sux.
Hell when I was 16.... man, he's gonna miss out :( - becominglumberg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1As the adoptive parents, all they had to do is ask for it. The DSS worker should have told them of the problems, but that is another story...
- dzieger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@tzaraat
I'm not sure why your comment got dugg down. You make a good point.
Anyone who takes responsibility for damaged kids -- even kids less damaged than the one in question -- should receive some training in child pshchology. I'm not talking about college-level coursework; just some basic guidelines, and resources to call on when things get difficult.
I'm sure that Helen Briggs' intentions were good, but wow, she let a real doozy go by there.
The whole thing is just ^*^%ing sad. Even sadder, the poor kid's biological parents were probably the way _they_ were as a result of being horribly abused as kids themselves, and so on back to the dawn of man. Doesn't absolve them of responsibility, of course. But it's pretty frightening how f-ed up we are as a species. - tzaraat, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0quote: "When he told me he was hearing voices, I told him it was just his conscience talking," she said.
Holy crap. There is a huge difference between being a professional parent (as the article calls her on page 2) and being a trained caregiver for people with mental disorders. Looks like both parties didn't do some homework and/or were willfully ignorant. - mojoel, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3The video games and Marilyn Manson tunes is the real reason for the way he is.
- titlesaysitall, on 10/12/2007, -18/+11Did he come with a warranty and tech support?
- xtmno3, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2"Baby changing station, you don't like your baby? You get a whole new one here!"
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3No, I don't want him to turn out like me, I'm an evil bastard.
- kumari82, on 10/12/2007, -10/+2WTF?
I mean. Seriously. WTF?! - lcrplaya54, on 10/12/2007, -9/+0did anyone else take a quick glance and see parents in vagina?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -16/+7There's a 15% restocking fee
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