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Printed
on Friday, May 2, 2003
San Jose Mercury News
Youth
Advocates Must Speak Out Against Abuse
by
Spaky Harlan, Executive Director, Bill Wilson Center
As news stories appeared about young people with broken bones at the hands of juvenile hall counselors, Santa Clara County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado said what was on my mind: If these allegations were true, where were the community activists and youth advocates in Santa Clara County? I am afraid I am in Pleasantville, a pretend community where conflict doesn't exist and we are all nice people leading perfect lives.
As executive director of a community-based youth agency, I see my role as both an administrator and a youth advocate. Part of my job is to provide the checks and balances to our public institutions. I can agree to work with county probation department staff, but I am also here to represent my constituents: our children and their families. If someone is accused of hurting children, I am going to speak up. I want answers. Why didn't we know kids were charging this kind of abuse? Did we ever bother to take a close look?
Twenty years ago when I began my tenure as executive director of Bill Wilson Center, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the non-profit agency staff got along with the juvenile probation department personnel. I was tired of fighting the endless battles in San Francisco youth services, and it seemed like a more civil atmosphere in San Jose. I kept hearing about how our juvenile hall, social services and other youth programs were models. The cordial relationship between non-profit agencies and probation was the example given to demonstrate the model programs we had here.
But it soon seemed that working together also meant that we never challenged what these institutions were doing with the kids. Everyone just wanted to get along. Why? Is it because the institutions contract with us for services, so we feel compromised? Do we think that our juvenile hall really is a model with no problems? Or, do the kids just see us as part of the system so they are not reporting these allegations to us?
There has been no organized outcry from the community-based agencies about the charges of abuse. We have an obligation as youth advocates to speak up in defense of our youth and ask for -- no, demand -- a full investigation. Are we waiting for someone else to speak up first? Are we afraid that we might appear divisive and possibly derail juvenile justice detention reform if we challenge the probation department now? All I hear is the silence of complacency. This is Pleasantville at its finest.
Let's expose our failures. If kids are receiving broken bones at the hands of staff at our public institutions, then we have failed. If the charges are found to be true, let's admit we have a problem and fix it. If just one preventable injury occurred -- and everyone seems to agree that bones have been broken and faces bruised -- then we have a serious problem. Let's figure out how we keep that from happening again.
Conflict can be healthy. Let's raise our voices in outrage. Let's demand that we have a role in investigating the charges of abuse. Let's challenge the status quo.
As leaders of community agencies, we have a responsibility to speak out against injustice or even the appearance of injustice in public institutions. Challenging authority, even when it is a ``model juvenile hall,'' is necessary when abuse of power is charged. Remaining silent on the pleas for help by our children and their parents cannot continue. It is time to step outside of Pleasantville.