Concord, NC asked in Family Law for North Carolina

Q: My 14 year old grandchild is being emotionally abused by his parent. The family, Aunts and Uncles, see the abuse

There was a situation that escalated recently requiring a call to DSS for a welfare check. What are the rights of the child? The parent fabricates situations and lies to DSS making things look totally different saying it is just discipline for a teenager. Shouldn’t DSS question outside sources with concerns for the child versus the parents references? How can the child legally get free of this situation?

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Amanda Bowden Johnson
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Answered

A: Typically when a child is being abused - it is obvious. Especially to people trained to detect it. If DSS investigated and are satisfied there was no abuse, then more likely than not - there was no abuse. So likely your issue is simply some dislike of the parent and your view of the 'abuse' biased. As to how the child can be free of the situation, one way is for there to be some actual abuse and DSS will likely happily take care of business. In my experience, DSS taking kids from parents is what they live for. Another way would be for you to get some actual proof of the abuse other than your opinion. You could also consider consulting with a local family law attorney who can review your version of the events in more detail and lay out any options you may have. Best of luck.

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