Grand Publishing Copyright 2011
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Foreword
Since 1986 when Death From Child Abuse...and no one heard was first published, the national tragedy of child abuse and neglect has grown despite increased public awareness and the passing of federal and state child abuse prevention legislation. In 2009, 1,770 children died in the U.S. as a result of abuse or neglect an increase of 55% over 1998. As this book demonstrates, non-fatal abuse and neglect can also extract a tragic toll for generations to come.
Much has improved since the murder of five-year-old Ursula Sunshine Assaid. Awareness is up. Social services, judges, teachers and law enforcement are better prepared to recognize abuse and are motivated to act; and yet the grim statistics say its not enough. To eliminate this scourge, we must go to the source. We must reach the abusers and the victims.the potential abusers and the potential victims. We must show them another way before it is too late and more lives are damaged or lost.
Part One of Death From Child Abuseand no one heard tells the poignant story of how society failed one little girl. Teachers and neighbors were blind to her private hell or chose to look the other way. Nobody took the simple steps that would have prevented her excruciating death. This story incites a passion for justice in the readers heart.
But the book doesnt stop there. Part Two provides guidance and practical information. The energized reader becomes a soldier in the fight to protect the helpless and dependent. This is a must-read for adolescents, students, parents, grandparents, teachers, law enforcement and all others who would protect the innocent and foster a more healthy society.
- Mary Ann Cooper and Jonathan Micocci
Table of Contents
PART ONE - Ursula Sunshine: A Childs Story
Chapter 1
Six Days of Torture...........................................................2
Monday.............................................................................2
Tuesday..........................................................................12
Wednesday.....................................................................22
Thursday.........................................................................28
Friday..............................................................................37
Saturday..........................................................................42
Chapter 2
A Childs Death................................................................51
Saturday Night................................................................51
Sunday............................................................................55
Chapter 3
Fugitives on the Run.......................................................60
Chapter 4
The Betrayal...................................................................67
Chapter 5
Profile of a Child Abuser.................................................75
Donald McDougall..........................................................76
Susan Assaid..................................................................79
The Sentencing...............................................................82
Someone Heard..............................................................83
The Circle of Violence Epilogue.....................................84
PART TWO - You Can Help Stop Child Abuse
Child Abuse and Neglect................................................88
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect..............................93
Leaving Your Child Home Alone.....................................97
Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect..........................101
How the Child Welfare System Works..........................106
Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect......116
Child Maltreatment 2006: Summary of Key Findings.....125
Toll-Free Crisis Hotline Numbers..................................128
