University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, February 16, 1988 9 Child abuse and neglect bill designed to reduce number of false accusations Kansan staff writer By Jill Jess TOPEKA — The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony yesterday on a bill that would make it a crime to knowingly make a false report of child abuse or neglect. The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services sponsored the bill. SRS investigates all reports of child abuse and neglect Bob Barnum, SRS commissioner of youth services, said that SRS investigated about 27,000 reports of child abuse during the past fiscal year. About 9,000, or 33.3 percent, were unfounded. Barnum said that false reports were becoming more frequent and that they were taking up time of administration. "The answer to the dilemma is not to place the burden only on the investigating agency to screen bogus reports, but to place some responsibility on the reporter by making it illegal to make an intentionally false report," Barnum said. Elisa Cosgrove, vice president of Pro-VOCAL, a national organization for victims of child abuse laws, said that the bill was needed to protect those falsely accused of child abuse. "On receiving an allegation of child abuse, regardless of circumstances, there is an immediate assumption of guilt," said Cosgrove, who said she was a victim of a false report of child abuse. She said that many times people who were falsely accused of child abuse would lose their jobs because of the social stigma attached to child abuse. Barnum said that false accusations were particularly frequent in divorce cases, when couples were fighting over custody of their children. He said the SRS needed a way to discourage false reporting. But James Fetters, Smith County attorney, said that the bill would not discourage anyone who worked for the county. "Any man who is willing to go to the trouble of falsely accusing his ex-wife of committing child abuse . . is not going to be deterred by a $1,000 fine." Fetters said. Instead, it might keep people from reporting actual cases of child abuse, for fear that they might be prosecuted if the allegation turned out to be false, he said. "It's going to be a tough statute to prove. I don't think ever going to get a conviction." Fetters said. Barnum acknowledged that the bill would not solve all problems because many child abuse reports were made anonymously. Current law makes it a Class B misdemeanor for health care workers, teachers and child care workers who suspect child abuse not to report it to the court. The committee will take action on the bill next week, said State Sen. Robert Frey, R-Rublical, the deputy state attorney general. Staples away Mike Roper removes staples from a newspaper box in front of Wescoe Hall. Roper, a Lawrence High senior who works part-time for the department of facilities operations, said yesterday that staples and signs on the boxes were removed weekly. Kansas City may use students' design plan By Michael Carolan Kansan staff writer Part of a design proposal completed by KU students last semester is being considered for the development of the riverfront in Kansas City, said the president of the Riverfront Redevelopment Task Force. The task force is interested in the part of the plan called "Spirit Park." It would develop city-owned land along the Missouri River between the Broadway and Paseo bridges in Kansas City, Mo. J. Martin Orr, president of the task force, said that the city wanted to develop a plan proposed last semester by 17 University of Kansas students in a fifth-year design studio in the School of Architecture and Urban Design. Spirit Park envisions roughly 100 square miles that could be used for businesses, apartment buildings and an aquarium and horticultural center, said Glen LeRoy, professor of architecture and urban design and instructor of the studio. He said the park would also be used to play host to the Kansas City Spirit Park. Kansas City residents will vote March 8 on a capital improvements bond issue that would finance projects including the park. Orr said that if the bond issue Spirit Park design would be developed "I think the nature of the design is the direction we want to go," Orr said. "The school provided an excellent concept plan in which we can take and develop those parts that we think we can." The design was presented Feb. 3 to the Chief, Mayor Richard Berkke for other组委. "We've made a lot of people aware of the bond issue and have generated some thought about the riverfront." said Martha Cronan, Overland Park senior, who worked on the riverfront design last semester. From a studio at the University of Kansas Medical Center, the class prepared a final plan that used banks of both the Kansas and Missouri rivers. The designs include recreational, industrial, commercial, agricultural, educational, residential and public uses of the riverfront, LeRoy said. Orr said, "The students did a fantastic job at taking a look at planning efforts related to the riverfront and the rest of downtown Kansas City." LeRoy said that ten showings were scheduled for the 7-foot model of the project, drawings, and a videotape of the Feb. 3 presentation, including a visit to KU's Lawrence campus in mid-March. "An important aspect of the project was to expose students to political, social and economic factors that influence design decisions," LeRoy said. SPEAKER SALE B&W DIGITAL MONITORS The Classic B & W DIGITAL MONITOR B & W has met the challenge of digital with their exciting monitor loudspeakers. Increased sensitivity enables them to handle all the greatly increased dynamic range of compact discs, without a large amplifier. Capable of extremely high acoustical output, yet are superbly accurate at all ranges. We proudly feature B & W --used by major digital recording studios worldwide. FRESHMEN, SOPHOMORES, & COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER STUDENTS (Plus any other interested upperclassmen) The 39th Annual Principal-Counselor-Student and Community College Conference will be held on Thursday, February 18 in the Kansas Union & Adams Alumni Center Each year the Office of Admissions sponsors a conference which brings to the campus new school principals and counselors and community college personnel for a program of academic conferences. On the morning of the conference, these individuals meet with their former students who are attending the college transfer. The Office of Admissions invites interested students to take part in this event. It will be an excellent opportunity to discuss your preparation for K.U., how you will have met the requirements for your academic programs, and your concerns for the future here. Your participation also helps the Office of Admissions in relationship with your former school, while gaining valuable information about making your K.U. experience enjoyable. Students attending the morning meeting will be excused from attendance of their class between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. on the 18th. The following high schools and community colleges will be invited to participate an interest in visiting with their former students in the Kansas University and the Adams Alumni College. Room Schedule for Student Conferences 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. February 18, Kansas Union and Adams Alumni Center B-Ballroom W-Woodruff Auditorium Level 5 Level 5 COMMUNITY COLLEGES Allen County, Iola — B Barton County, Great Bend — B Butler County, El Dorado — B Coffeyville — B Colby — B Cowley County — B Dodge City — B Ft. Scott — B Garden City — B Haskell — B Highland — B andover — B Aquina, Shawnee — B Atchinson — B Atowood — W Augusta — W Baldwin — B Bishop Carroll, Wichita — Adams Alumini Center Bishop Miege, Kansas Cit Pine Room, Level 6 KANSAS HIGH SCHOOLS Bishop Ward, Kansas City Browsing Room, Level 4 Bishop Miege, Kansas City — Pine Room, Level 6 Bishop Ward, Kansas City Hutchinson — Walnut Room, Level Independence — B Johnson County — Centennial Room, Level 6 Kansas City Kansas — Gallery West, Level 4 Labette County, Parsons — B Longview, Kansas City, Mo. — B Maple Woods — B Neosho County, Chanute — B Pratt — B Seward County — B Blue Valley North Jayhawk Room Level 6 Chapparral - Bluestem — W Browsing Room, Level Blue Valley (Stanley) — Walnut Room, Level 6 Chapparral - W Burningame — Traditions Room, Level 4 Decatur Community, Oberlin — \ $Dh_3$ tton — W Dodge City — B Downs — W Effingham, Atchinson Co El Dorado — B El Saline — W Ellsworth — W Emporia — B Erie, Thayer — W Eudora — B Fairfield — W Field Kindley Memorial - Fort Scott — B Fredonia — B Garden City — B Gardner — B Goddard — B Goodland — B Great Bend — B Hays — B Heston — B Hiawatha — B Highland Park — B Hill City — W Holton — W Horton — W Hoxie — W Humboldt — W Hutchinson — watkins Room, Level 6 Immaculata — B Independence — B J.C. Harmon — B Jefferson West — B Junction City — Jayhawk Room, Level 5 Labette County — W Lansing — B Larned — B Leavenworth — Parior C, Level 5 Lincoln — W Louisburg — W Lucas-Luray — W Lyndon — W Lyon — W Manhattan — English Room, Level 6 Marion — W Maryn — BV McLouth — W Meade — W Mission Valley — W Mulvane — W Neodesha — W Nickerson — W Oakley — W Olathe South Olathe South — Alderson Auditorium, Level 4 Osage City — B Osborne — W Ottawa — B Parsons — B Perry-Lecrompton — B Phillipsburg — W Plainville — W Pleasant Ridge — B Pratt — W Rossville — W Royal Valley — W Russell — W Sacred Heart — B Salina — B Salina Central — Walkins Room, Level 6 Salina South — Walkins Room, Level 6 Seaman — Alderson Auditorium, Level 4 Shawnee Heights — Curry Room, Level 6 Shawnee Mission East — Adams Alumni Center Shawnee Mission South — Adams Alumni Center Shawnee Mission West — Adams Alumni Center — Siliver Lake — W Southeast of Saline — W Southwestern Heights — W St. Francis — W St. Mary's — W Sterling — W Summer — English Room, Level Thayer, Erie — W Tonganoxie — B Topeka High — Kansas Room, Level 6 Topeka West — Kansas Room, Level 6 Trego — W Turner — B Valley Falls — W Valley Heights — W Wabausee — W Washburn Rural — Partor A, Level 5 Washington (K.C.) — B Wellington — B Wichita East — Adams Alumni Center Wichita Heights — Adams Alumni Center Wichita North — Woodruff Adams Alumni Center Wichita Northwest — Adams Alumni Center Wichita South — Adams Alumni Center Wichita Southeast — Adams Alumni Center Wichita West — Adams Alumni Center Winfield — B Bwyandotte — B ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL Governor's Room, Level 4 MISSOURI HIGH SCHOOL Pembroke WI — R OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL Nebraska Hall, Tulsa — B This is your opportunity to give feedback and information at this station at KU. To your former high school and community college. In case you have any questions concerning the conference, please contact the Office of Admissions, 126 Strong Hall, 864-3911.