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WORKING TOGETHER TO STOP
CHILD ABUSE
Smoke Signals February 19S9
I viz
Riley Porter
HONORING OUR WARRIORS:
RILEY PORTER
The Warrior wc wish to honor this month is Riley
Sherman Porter, a long time resident of the Grand
Ronde area.
During World War II, Riley served in active duty status
with the U.S. Navy. Stationed on a mine sweeper, Riley
recalls being the first ship to sweep the "dy Gi4f ' ; -Jyt'
Tl fflri,nff;ff1ftJjKirafinn
"We would sweep the bay and then stand as a gun
battery. 'We lost two sweepers and were under constant
strafing attacks by the Japanese," Espritos Santos was
the designated recreation site for the Army and Navy,
Riley recalls that the recreation consisted of packing a
gun to shoot at the snipers while you were supposed to
beresting.
After World War II Riley spent 1947-1950 in the Coast
Guard. His basic duties were as an instructor. Upon
finishing his duty in the Coast Guard, he went on reserve
status only to be reactivated in 1951 for Naval duty off
the shores of Korea. Riley served on the USS Rendova,
a carrier escort ship. During this time he participated in
over 60 rescue missions. "If a plane went down we had
to find it."
Riley achieved the rank of Engineman First Class. After
the Korean conflict Riley served as a reserve, again ,
instructing other naval personnel in shipboard wiring
and maintenance. Making a total of 13 years of service
to his country.
Among the many citations given to the Warrior for his
service were: Philippine Presidential unit liberation
citation with two battle stars and Asiatic-Pacific cam
paign Medal with two battle stars. '; ,. ' '
Today you can find Riley Porter doing active service for
the Tribe. He is a member of the Hunting-Fishing
Gathering committee and Health committee. He also,
devotes much of his time in working and counseling in
the field of alcohol and drug abuse.
Many warriors have served our country during times of
war and times of peace. Each one fulfilling an impor '
tant role in keeping this country safe. It is up to us to
continue honoring each one for their contributions.
Hardly a day goes by that the media does not report
some case of child abuse. In 1986 there were over 2
million children in the U.S. who were reported physi
cally injured, neglected, or sexually or emotionally
abused by their parents or guardians. Over 1300 of
these children died as a result of the abuse. .
Over $2 billion was spent responding after bodies had
been beaten, personalities crushed, families shattered.
The best studies suggest this approach is successful in
preventing future abuse less than half the time. Even as
families are in treatment, recurrence of serious abuse
and neglect occurs over 30 of the time.
"If child abuse and neglect was a contagious disease,
Oregon would be under quarantine." Since 1971
children have been identified as victims of child maltreatment.-
And it is likely that three times that number
remain unidentified without protection.
We now know that the physical and sexual abuse of
children exists in every community. We are beginning to
realize that it exists in places we'd never suspect.
Behind closed doors, children may be abused in families
where secrecy is top priority. Jobs may be at stake;
social prestige may be involved. Private shame must not
become public knowledge. By combining the powerful
believe that any child with whom the official comes in
contact in any official capacity has suffered abuse, or
that any person with whom the official comes in contact
in any official capacity has abused a child shall report or
cause a report to be made..." Those public or private
officials include:
Physician, including any intern or resident
Dentist
School employee
Licensed practical nurse or registered nurse
Employee of the Department of Human Resources,
county health department, community mental health
program, a county juvenile department, or a licensed
child-caring agency.
Peace officer
Psychologist
Clergyman
Social Worker
Optometrist
Chiropractor
Certified provider of day care, foster care, or an
employee thereof
Attorney
Naturopathic physician
Any tribal member concerned that a child they know
may be being abused, can report it to the Social Services
elements ofe commut we are seeking jp jncrasDepartment at 879-5253jA,ny reports or referral are
kpublrc'-awarenessHnorder to establish-constructive
solutions to an immense problem.
According to Oregon Revised Statute 418.750, "Any
public or private official having reasonable cause to
kept confidential. Let's work together to stop child
abuse in any form within our community. We don't
want our children to become one of these statistics.
Mary Ring,
Social Services Director
SELF-ESTEEM BUILDING SKILLS
It may seem strange that self-esteem is directly related
to alcohol and other drug use, but studies show that
people with drinking and drug problems usually have
low self-esteem. A child who feels positive about
himself or herself is more likely to have the self-respect
to say "NO" to alcohol and other drugs. ,
Just as there are five listening skills that can help a
parent become a better listener, there are five "esteem
building skills" that parents can practice to increase a
child's self-esteem.
ESTEEM-BUILDING SKILL 1: Give lots of praise, for
effort as well as accomplishment.
Look for achievement, even in small tasks, and praise
your child often. Also let your child know that trying
hard is even more important than winning.
ESTEEM-BUILDING SKILL 2: Help your child set
realistic goals. ,, ; ,
If the child, or the parent, expects too much, the result
ing failure can be a crushing blow. Your child may not
know that his or her personal best can make you just as
proud as a blue ribbon.
. . . i.j. :.
ESTEEM-BUILDING SKILL 3: When correcting,
criticize the action, not the child.
Helpful example: "Climbing that fence was dangerous.
You could have been hurt, so don't do it again."
Hurtful Example: "You shouldn't have climbed that
fence. Don't you have any sense?"
ESTEEM-BUILDING SKILL 4: Give your child real
responsibility.
Children who have regular duties around the house
learn to see themselves as a valuable part of a team, and
completing their duties installs a sense of accomplish
ment. ESTEEM-BUILDING SKILL 5: Show your children
you love them.
Hugs, kisses, and saying, "I love you" help your child
feel good about himself or herself. Children are never
too old to be told that they are loved and highly valued.
And contrary to popular belief, single-parent families
can give children the same basis for self-esteem as two
parent families, as long as the parent-child relationship
is strong and loving. Some studies have shown that
children of divorced parents are no more likely than
others to use alcohol or other drugs.
Repectfuly Submitted,
Maragret Provost
;V,,.V,.Y, 7