Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Impact of Being a Victim


Tanicia Ann Goodwin was arrested this week in Salem, Ma.  She had slashed her two young children’s throats with a knife, doused the children in light fluid, and set the home on fire.  Salem firefighters responded to the apartment fire and found Tanicia’s eight year old son Jamal Goodwin lying the on the couch with his throat slashed from one end to the other.  The boy was having tough time breathing and his trachea was exposed.  Firefighters asked him if his mother had done this to him and he responded that she had. Goodwin has also slashed her 3 year old daughter Erica Goodwin’s neck.  Both children were transported to hospitals, treated for their injuries and are expected to survive.

            Upon inspection of the home the firefighters had noticed that the mother had taken great care to make sure that the children succumbed to their injuries and did not survive.  She had actually duct taped the sprinkler systems, removed the fire alarms and removed the door knob the apartment to prevent escape or rescue.  The mother involved in the incident confessed to police and is being charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and arson in connection with the incident, which is still under investigation.

            The victims in this case will face a long road to recovery.  Not only do they have to face the recovery from the physical wounds that their mother has inflicted upon them but they will have to recover from the emotional ones as well.  Dealing with the loss of their mother is also going to plague them.  They may have emotional scars that will take years to recover from.  They may be re-victimized by the process of having to testify against their mother.  The one person who was supposed to protect them from harm essentially has caused this tragic event and they have no one to turn to who can protect them in the parental role.  They may exhibit fear and anxiety during the up-coming criminal proceedings by having to testify and re-live the events of that night and see their mothers face as they testify against her.  The psychological distress they may endure may be exacerbated by not having reliable family/friend support to help throughout the recovery process.  These children will need to have the best support system around to help them get through this trauma.  There was no mention of other family members in the area or even a father in the picture so they may end up being wards of the state.  This is a very sad case because it will most certainly be hard to grow up in an environment without your parents.  The children may end up being separated.   They no longer have a place where they feel comfortable and safe and may retreat within themselves to try and cope.  There is hope that they will get the right support system and be able to recover from this tragic event so that the trauma does not plague them for a lifetime. 

Provost, T (2012) Mom held for Slashing Kid’s Throats/Arson Lynn Daily Item


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