Editor’s note: Resource Perspectives features articles written by members of Lovefraud’s Professional Resources Guide.
Rebecca Potter works as a licensed mental health counselor in West Palm Beach, Florida. She can be reached at: tlc211@gmail.com.
Judge William Adams shown beating his daughter with a belt on YouTube
By Rebecca Potter
Rebecca Potter profile in the Lovefraud Professional Resources Guide
As I saw the following video and commentary on CNN last night, I could not sleep. It appears that the sheriff in the town of Rockport, Texas has received countless calls of concern about Judge William Adams, who was shown beating his daughter with a belt on YouTube. Judge Adams is a family court judge. People were concerned about this judge being allowed to make decisions about the welfare of children. Judge Adams has three years left to make decisions about the welfare of families in Rockport, Texas.
Here’s the YouTube video: Judge William Adams beats daughter for using the Internet
Judge Adams feels that he was fairly disciplining his daughter for downloading music from the Internet. When I saw this video of his daughter, who has cerebral palsy, she was being beaten with a belt as she begged for him to stop. The daughter had set up her computer web camera as she felt the beating coming. Recent comments from the judge indicate that he sees nothing wrong with how he abused his child. News stories indicate he has left town, and officials are stating that he will not preside over cases that involve children.
Family court ignores the physical and emotion affect of abuse on children
Current research is able to document the effects of child abuse on the brain. As a professional, when I testify in court regarding the damage to children from trauma and abuse, I am not taken seriously. The judges feel that there is no physical damage, and they say permissive parenting by the protective parent is the cause of acting out behaviors of children. Meanwhile, current research shows that 60 percent of children who experience trauma and abuse will develop a substance use disorder.
Unfortunately, many of us have had to appear before judges like the Texas Judge Adams who feels justified to whip (beat and attack) his daughter with a belt, as she had been caught downloading music. These judges discount the scientific research and evidence of physical abuse causing permanent brain damage.
Hanley Center currently researching the effects of substance use and trauma on brain health
Brain scan technology is showing evidence of physical scars that occur in the brain after trauma and abuse. I attended a lecture by Dr. Barbara Krantz, Medical Director of the Hanley Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. Brain imaging is being used in her facility. It is now possible to document what drugs and/or alcohol have been consumed based on the areas of the brain that show injury in brain scans. What also was shared was the difference in the hippocampus of an abused child and the hippocampus of a child who did not suffer abuse. This is the proof of permanent physical damage to the brain of a child who has been abused. Often these children medicate the emotional pain with substance use.
Practicing Mental Health without a license
Family judges are practicing mental health without a license. This practice by family court judges is dangerous to the health of our families, our nation and our financial well-being
- Many of these judges are unaware of current research.
- Judges do not allow children to testify or be a part of the court hearings that determine their well-being
- Children and protective parents are developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Additionally, when a judge has a tendency for personal pathology, they relate to the litigant who is also shares the personal pathology traits. These disordered individuals agree in the harsh punishment, punishment that does not fit the crime. This is the philosophy of control and dominance. These judges discriminate against the protective parent because they have not processed very personal feelings, and the protective parent is unbearable to their own personal philosophy. The judges are able to make decisions that affect the mental health of a child without the ability to understand their own personal opinions and processing of their own injuries. Readers will want to read articles on www.highconflictinstitute.com to understand the ignorance of judges who are confronted with the high conflict divorce and custody cases.
I have worked in the mental health field, and have had years of training to separate my own personal views and judgments from the individuals that I treat. This discernment and ability to separate your personal opinions and judgment comes from intensive personal training, supervision and counseling. Judges are exposed to mental health issues of families and children. They have not had this training and they are unable to provide a competent decision in these cases. In my opinion, I feel that Family Court judges are being asked to practice the profession of mental health without the proper training.
Judges use of defense mechanisms to insulate themselves against protective parents
When an individual does not have the training, supervision and experience to understand their use of defense mechanisms (your own dysfunction and personal defects), the individual blames and targets the individual who reminds you of your emotional pain. The use of these defense mechanisms allows an individual to insulate themselves from the pain, guilt, and shame.
Often times, the judges are so angered by the protective parent that to further insulate the judge, the protective parent is thrown in jail, or worse, the children are taken away and given to the parent with whom the judge can relate and identify. There is further emotional and financial pain placed upon the protective parent. The protective parent and children are damaged by the trauma of the court and develop complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
In my opinion, this is use of a defense mechanisms to project blame and repress the protective parent. If the children are removed and the protective parent is placed in jail, the judges do not have to face their own dysfunction. The saying, “out of sight, out of mind” is the attitude of a dysfunctional individual who wants to keep memories, fears, guilt and shame repressed.
Behavioral Research
Typically, all behavior research has demonstrated that punishment does not achieve a reduction in undesirable behavior. Punishment will actually increase the behavior. The individual who is punished will become more rebellious, fearful and sneaky. There are some severe situations in which punishment is used to extinguish a behavior. The use of punishment must be reviewed by other professionals to determine the effectiveness of the punishment and the safety of a plan that is put in place.
Overseeing the Family Court System
The children who are exposed to court and legal trauma are developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They have been exposed to a war and punishment. The children are left in a state of hopeless despair, fear and victimhood. There is no committee of professionals who oversee the effect of the Family Court decisions on families and children.
I honor the courage and strength of the judge’s daughter for exposing his abuse to the nation. I feel inspired by this brave young girl’s courage and write about this very controversial topic to inspire our nation to band together to write letters and support each other as we attempt to change this ignorant archaic system used in our courts.
One person will not be able to change this system. It is time to band together and develop a plan to insist that the judges no longer have the only authority to make decisions for families. We must also insist that psychologists who depend on the court for fees are not allowed to diagnose a traumatized parent as a personality disordered parent. It takes a trauma specialist to diagnose this disorder and protective parents are often diagnosed with personality disorders. This has become a major epidemic in the American judicial system, an epidemic that has serious legal, health and financial consequences to our nation. We need to demand committees of independent professionals be involved in Family Court decisions.
Sky- It’s interesting you point out the glass half empty. Mine does that with a lot of things, yet when the need arises, he tries to twist it around and nothing is ever good enough for ME instead. Supposedly I want these things or he will even ask if that’s good enough for me.
One of our discussions was that nothing is EVER good enough for him. He is never satisfied with anything. He wants something, finds the best he can afford (with whomever’s money covers it) Talks it up as the most wonderful thing to be found for about the first 3 months of ownership. Then he wants something different- usually with a bigger price tag. Price matters, not quality.
When I threw this at him, he claimed he didn’t know what I meant. I listed off the numerous examples… He asked again, because he didn’t care and wasn’t listening the first time around. The third time he asked I told him “Go to your room and figure it out!”
I also asked him when my name would hit the list? He wanted to know what he could possibly trade me in for??? Um, someone with a bigger bank account? One of the things on the list- I have never been around these before and don’t really know much about them other than what they are called. Somehow I am the one that wants that item, because it’s all about me…
Did someone forget to tell me about this? Was there a memo? Because I missed it if there was.
Stargazer,
I think you are absolutely correct. The body stores the memories, and they need to be energetically released.
The video brought up memories of my childhood with the abuse my mother regularly inflicted upon me. On CNN this morning the newscaster said, before showing the video “this is difficult to watch”. Afterwords, I thought, really? Hard to watch? What happened on that video happened every day in my house. It was normal for me. I realized that the newscasters actually meant it, and people on this site mean it. My childhood experience has permanently distorted my perception of “normal”.
The newscaster said the daughter posted the video “in hopes of reconciling” with her father. How would this help them “reconcile”? My N mother won’t speak to me any more because I did something KIND. If I posted a VIDEO of her hitting me, I can’t even begin to imagine the wrath she would unleash on me. Is the daughter getting even?
This hits so close to home, I can’t see anything clearly.
Athena
Athena,
I know what you mean. watching it has really triggered me and I can’t stop wanting, I mean REALLY wanting, to kick him in the balls.
Too many of us have experience very similar childhood abuse. The urge for revenge against your parents is tempered by the fact that they are your parents, but I fear that someone is going to really hurt that mofo and the daughter will end up feeling guilty for it.
Athena
I’m thinking the daughter thought if dad saw how bad his behavior was that he’d have remorse and treat her more appropriately.
An abused person WANTS the parent/spouse to care. They don’t want an estranged relationship, they just want the abuse to stop and the abuser to stop thinking it’s OKAY b/c it’s NOT.
Sadly, she’s only beginning to find out what his character is b/c he ain’t changing a thing. Instead he’s trashing her in order to avoid being held accountable for HIS choices. We are SO able to predict his future behavior.
I will follow this case because I’m really curious how society and the law respond to this kind of abuse. I think it’s doubly traumatic for the child when the crime is ignored by those who know about it. I hope she gets some validation from society/the legal system that what happened to her was wrong and will require some sort of therapy to recover from. I think posting it was a cry for help. I hope someone helps her.
Skylar, yes, it was definitely a trigger. I’m like, really? People think this is bad?
Katydid, wow, you make such a pointed POINT. Why is it that we can see clearly when we back up but not when we are close? You said “the abused person wants the parent/spouse to care”. You’re so right. I am 8 weeks NC, I’m very depressed, I’m sleeping all the time, I have no energy at all, and just before I read your post I was thinking, I wonder if I should drop off a present for my SPATH at Christmas so he knows I still care. WTF???? Then I read your post. He doesn’t care. What was I thinking?
Stargazer, I agree, it will be interesting to see the reaction to this. I’ll be watching it all unfold.
Athena
I read today that there will be no federal charges against this judge because no federal laws were broken.
Sounds like it’s time to make a few.
There was a TV ad on a few minutes ago about for Braxton Family Values. One woman threatened to beat somebody. That was the titillating promotion. Apparently, the producers don’t see it as illegal, dehumanizing, or even hurtful.
I cringe every time I hear these holier-than-thous justify using physical abuse, often in the name of God.
As for me, I can still see my S mother sneering in my face when she hit me (and she typically used a large wooden brush or paddle) saying that it hurt her more than it hurt me.
She finally stopped when one day, when I was starting to pass her in height meaning I was finally becoming bigger than she was, I hauled back and hit her once as hard as I could.
She was shocked. You could see on her face it was taking time for her to absorb and process what happened.
She never hit me again. I was totally sickened that I hit my mother and to this day, the thought remains revolting and nauseating. But I did what I did because I felt it was the only way that she would get the message that hitting hurts and I wanted it to stop.
I apologize for not reading all posts but when I saw this about a Judge I had to respond. We recently were in court and the Judge in our case concerning custody of two sexually abused Granddaughters dismissed the counselor they have been seeing.
Basically this Judge looks at the room and says, I have no intention of reading these affidavits. I do not know what is happening in this case and I do not want to take time to find out.
He listened to DSS who told our attorney she was going to discredit our counselor and that was done.
After that the counselor the girls have been seeing for their sexual abuse trauma for over a year is gone.
The girls are 5 and 4. It is ludicrous that a person can make this decision without knowing the facts, without caring and without doing any investigation. This Judge should be removed.
The Guardian in the case said he had never seen a hearing such as this.
Praying for good things as always. God is in control. The evil will be brought to light. It is as if it has permeated the courtroom and it is going to take a while to filter it out.
Thank you for letting me vent.
Grandma
GIS I had the exact same experience, she did stop hitting and stopped hitting my sisters which was good, but she did not stop trying to exert control in many other ways. When she gave me the cold shoulder and the silent treatment for months over my failure to adopt her religious views I left home. She never managed to learn that others have rights and it was her loss.