When Stepfamilies don't mix

I haven't written much lately but I was watching Primetime tonight and was outraged by their story on Stepfamilies. It was shocking to find out that within the next few years that there will be more stepfamilies then the traditional first marriage family. However what was more shocking was the segment on the Nelson family where the segments shown on how the parents Joe and Lynn targeted the daughter Kyle who came from Joe's first marriage. Kyle is a teenager who had depression bouts and ADD. She lives in a home environment where she is belittled and terrorized by her parents on a regular basis. On one occasion shown in the segment Joe (father) jumped on top of Kyle and slapped her many times. I was shocked that there was no mention of Child Protective Services called on the Nelson family by the producers of the segment. I was so upset that I wrote this letter to Primetime.

All of the people involved in this program dealing with the Nelson family should
be ashamed of yourselves. It is abhorrent that when the abuse surfaced the story
should have stopped there. But instead of doing the right thing you allowed the
girl Kyle to be subjected to further verbal and physical abuse. The abuse does
not end at her, your own footage shows that the other children in the Nelson
household are clearly affected by the verbal abuse, the children covering their
ears and saying prayers is telling.

From the shaping of the story there seemedto be NO consequence for the parents in the Nelson family to the physical abuse and verbal abuse that they inflicted on Kyle and the other children. Child protective service should have been called the moment you observed abuse.

The message that I get from watching your program is that it is OKAY to physically
and verbally abuse your children, BECAUSE there appeared to be no consequence.

I hope that the people involved in the production of the Nelson family segment,
are found guilty of child neglect and endangerment because they failed to their
human duty to report the abuse of the children in that family.

Anyway from reading the message boards for Primetime I believe the Nelsons address is this Joe and Lynn Nelson 1166 Fletcher Farm Road Bloomingdale, NY 12913
I hope that CPS is called upon that family and that the remaining children in that family will be given a better environment to live while the "parents" get the help that they desperately need.

And I hope the Primetime segment producers gets charged and found with child endangerment.