Part of the I CARE Foundation's mission is to conduct research in the area of IPCA, publish our findings, and use our findings to help guide new public policy that will benefit at-risk children and their families.
But what is it that we are really fighting against?
There are multiple facets to this answer, but all surround around the intent to prevent high-caliber child abuse, and this includes fighting against child-murder (filicide), and tragically, suicide my adults who were previously child-victims of IPCA.
It is important not to forget that children who are victims of IPCA are in fact crime victims - and crime victims of kidnapping. The reality that they are victimized by a parent expotentially magnifies the trauma and abuse, as demonstrated by Dr. Nancy Faulkner's highly distributed report stating that parental child abduction is child abuse. Dr. Amy Baker, who is one of the world's leading experts on parental alienation, not only reiterates the abuse of alienation and its widespread tenticles during international parental child abduction in her brilliant publication 'Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome', but further states that alienation and abduction cause for a child to lose their identity and in doing so, lose themselves, thus developing alarming long-term side affects of IPCA trauma.
Filicide has been an alarming issue that has recently become brought to society's attention due in great part to the work of Dr. Phillip Resnick, director of forensic psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University, who is one of the world's leading experts on filicide. However, up until now, there have been no published reports on IPCA and suicide though an assortment of surveyed therapist who specialize in IPCA have expressed alarm over the existence of adult suicides by IPCA child-victims.
Now, IPCA is not a new phenomena; however, it is one that over the past 20 years has grown dramatically and has by the very nature of the number of abductions here in the United States, in Canada, and worldwide become a frightening epidemic that is undeniably destroying many lives.
The I CARE Foundation's efforts as an organization dedicated to conducting research and studies in the area of IPCA is critical to society today particularly since there has been limited new studies conducted despite the reality that it is expected that as many as 100,000 to 125,000 American and as many as 20,000 Canadian children will be victims of IPCA.
Sadly, we are deeply concerned about IPCA and filicide - when a parent murders their child. Previous studies conducted, including those conducted by the RCMP have demonstrated that the instability of a parental child abductor is severe, and that children of abduction have been murdered by their parent because of the irrational and dangerous thinking connected to abduction that "If I can't have my child, then nobody will."
How widespread is filicide? Several hundred children each year will be murdered by their parents each year in America, and proportionately, the number of Canadian children victims are on par with the population ratio of American to Canada.
After much discussion with leading therapist who specialize in IPCA, filicide, suicide, and family crisis issues, and having these mental health specialist express great, universal concern with respect to IPCA and suicide, the I CARE Foundation will be overseeing a new study that focuses on post-child abduction and suicide from targeted children.
Of great concern is the fact that many reported psychological conditions that exist with individuals who have committed suicide have been reported to exist with individuals who have been previously abducted or abusively alienated by a parent.
The I CARE Foundation will be providing updates on this issue: however, one thing is certain, and that is that there appears to be a clear correlation between suicide and IPCA.
Lastly, if you are a parent considering abduction, please do not. The effects on your child are long-lasting and severe.
Regards,
Peter Thomas Senese
Founding Director
The I CARE Foundation
For more information on international parental child abduction, please visit: www.chasingthecyclone.com
