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.
This is so horrible. The judicial system and all of the agencies they associate with is nothing short of mind boggling! There is zero communication within the departments… Criminal v’s family law it’s just a joke. A sick horrible joke! It’s so sad it’s heartbreaking!! Jr’s dad cancelled for the third time (he gets 1 hour court supervised visitation) after 2 cancellations they ate required to close the case… Yet it’s still open. I was told I would be notified if they continue! Freaking joke! There is zero communication between departments and they don’t care. Ohh a couple violent felonies… Not our problem… Let’s keep it going.. He is such a nice guy!
Coping ~ I have been wondering where you were. So glad he cancelled for the third time, that is GREAT news. I am hoping they will get their act together on your case. Maybe, just maybe if they don’t get around to “closing the case” right now and he has even more cancellations, the judge that ordered the visitations will get the picture.
After all, the good guys have to win once in awhile. Keep your cool in the meantime.
Glad to see you.
Hi Milo,
Thank you… Haven’t been around much. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. I’m convinced now more than ever god/ the universe whatever gives us exactly what we need. Nothing more.. Lol. Crazy couple weeks.
It is good news.. Let’s hope they close they case.
Jr. Is finally scheduled for surgery (ear tubes) next week. Poor baby has been on antiobiotics for 4-5 months. Let’s hope it works. He is such an angel..if everyone had his good disposition and love the world would be a safe and beautiful place. 🙂
Btw- he LOVES brushing his teeth.. Lol. We made a game of it.
Ohhh I guess it’s the simple things that must give us stregth.
God bless and good night.
Milo- on a sidenote- could use some advice.
This past weekend my car was destroyed… 2 broken windows, “c .nt ” painted in the side, something put into the gas tank… It cost allot of money to repair. The cops did nothing.. I know it was him. Aside from moving (which I cannot afford) what should I do?
Dear coping,
I am so glad that things are getting better in some ways, but sorry about the car—typical, and I do not doubt it is him either.
Aside from moving (which I can’t afford) what should I do?
What part of YOU HAVE TO MOVE DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND???
If you stay there your life may be in danger. This man is going to get worse not better.
A story from WWII, a Jewish man warned his neighbors about Hitler and begged them to move with him and his family out of Germany. They said “Oh, but we can’t afford to move. What would we do with the furniture?”
Well, what DID they do with the furniture when they went to the death camps? The ovens?
What CAN you afford to do? I didn’t want to leave my home either, or leave my animals behind or my furniture or my house, but I realized finally that if I didn’t leave IMMEDIATELY MY LIFE WOULD BE taken. Any man who will do this to your car will do that to your head! GET OUT WHILE THE GETTING IS POSSIBLE. Fark the furniture! Leave with the clothes on your back. The Jewish man who took his family and walked out with the clothes on their backs LIVED THROUGH WWII….THE OTHERS DIDN’T.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT? Your child’s and your lives.
Oh Wow Coping ~
I don’t know what to say. Ofcourse it was him. I would say something is going on with his missed visits and now damage to your car. Maybe they have told him that the case is being closed and he won’t be allowed to see Jr. anymore and this is either revenge or a warning. I would take it very seriously.
The cops did nothing !!!! That makes me so angry I could spit little blue beads. I would call and talk to an officer at the police station, as in assistant chief or the chief, that type of officer, someone IN CHARGE. I would voice my concerns for my safety. Didn’t you say you had an order of protection?
I’m afraid I agree with Oxy, it isn’t a matter of affording it, some things are just too serious and your safety is too important. I think others on here are much more qualified to speak on this than I am. I would check with some domestic violence centers and see what help might be available to you, financial and otherwise. Some states have programs such as address protection programs to protect women from being stalked. You might check at your state level. There might be some help.
Again, agreeing with Oxy, if he is in such a state of mind and brazen enough to do this to your car, I would put nothing past him. Your and Jrs. safety are # 1.
Please be careful and give this some serious thought. I hope others on here can help.
OMG. Thank you so much for your post. I have dealt with the same thing. This judge got angry at me when I got a protective order against my ex. She said she didn’t understand why I needed it! (I obtained it in a different court system that had a judge that was more educated on abuse).
She actually diagnosed me with passive-aggressiveness. According to my schooling as a counselor, it is unethical for anyone other than a licensed therapist to diagnose another person, and especially if they are not a client! She was way out of bounds, but apparently feels that her being a judge makes her capable of diagnosing mental disorders. (P.S. I have been in counseling with three different therapists. All 3 diagnosed me with PTSD and anxiety, but not one …and I asked… thought i had passive aggressive behavior.)
What you wrote about the protective parent and the child getting PTSD not only from their abuser but especially from the court system is true in my case. Most of my PTSD was about the courts.
And don’t get me started on that monster on TV that was beating his child. I can’t even think about it without feeling the tears coming on…..
Oh, to make that clear, it was the original judge (I believe she is a sociopath, she has the cold dead eyes and no empathy or feelings….she was too busy flirting and preening with every guy in her path, and she hated me upon sight for no damn reason), but it was the original judge that was busy diagnosing and making other errors.
Oh, and my lawyer would not even allow me to say I had PTSD in court because he said he was afraid the judge would think I was too unstable to raise my child. However, there was no problem with the anger and screaming and cussing and death threats that my ex threw at me…..
And hey, if you get anything together as far as dealing with judges making bad decisions and how to improve our current system let me know! I’m in!
In my opinion, this author has hit the nail squarely on the head, as has Hillary in outing her father, and mother. It’ll be interesting to observe the affect that HIllary’s courage and strength has in waking up our courts and in shifting our family systems.
Hi all 🙂
It’s been a while. I am still very busy with my work, which is a good thing for me and the good news is I have finally gotten my divorce! But I didn’t get my money back, which I have long given up hope on anyway.
I think some of you know that I am from Asia, thus taking a beating since I was a kid is infact quite normal to me. Even though I do not think that I was a naughty child at all, I remembered going to school with bloody cane marks all over my body. My schoolmates and teachers was concerned. Honestly, I don’t even remember what I did wrong but I was very embarrassed. My dad thinks my mum over did it. But dad is hardly around coz of business. I remembered kneeling down, and holding a pail of water above our heads too, just because we climbed some trees.
Even in school, teachers would hit our heads or smack our hands with rulers as punishment too.
Those happens before I went to high school, after that, my mum never hit me again. But I always feel abit unbalance and unloved, because my brother does not have to do house chores, and he gets everything. Things got better between my parents and me, after I was sent overseas to study and work.
Even with that kind of upbringing, I still find the video hard to watch too. I am glad my mother now spoils my two little nieces to no end. She would often told my sister off if she deem my sister too hard on my 3 yrs old niece too.
I guess I am heal now that I know what she did, was out of love. I also understand that Asian is just not good at expressing love or encouragement. I also learnt how mistreated she was by her own mother and her mother in law, and bullied by my dad’s siblings too. But I felt that I might have run to the wrong type of love, because I didn’t feel loved at home then.
I guess my mum will never understand the scars on my body disappeared when my skin healed, but the emotional scars never quite heal till now. I am a stronger person now. I wish the same for everyone of you too. Stay strong 🙂