is this child abuse?

[almost divorced]

What is the name of your state?Pa.

I am going through a divorce. My future ex- wife is in the marital house with the kids. Over the summer, my ex- wife had my 10 year old son, on several occasions, cut the lawn with my 16 horse power tractor and push lawn mower. I repeatedly told her that having a 10 year old use that kind of equipment was very dangerous and that I didn't want him to do that. My son eventually burned his arm very badly on the exhaust pipe of one on the machines. He was in tremendous pain and has a brown scar about 1 and 1/2 inches on his fore arm. She also leaves him in the care of her 2 younger ( in their 30's) brothers at times. When my 2 boys ( 10 and 6 yrs old), stay with their Uncles, they do things that children of their age should not be doing. The 10 year old drives a car both on and off the public street. One or both of them shoot B.B. guns.
My future ex- wife has been planning our divorce for many years. She has read several books on how to " win" your divorce. She followed what the books told her to do and as a result, I have very limited, temporary custody. My boys and I are very close and I have very little input into their lives for the time being. She seems to care nothing about using my boys to hurt me. There is very little that I can do right now but I hate to see my boys drifting down a bad path.
My questions are: Can or should I report these things to Social Services? Is this considered child abuse and/or endangerment of a child? Do you think that Social Services will be able to do anything?

Thank you for your time

 

[Shay-Pari'e]

What is the name of your state?Pa.

I am going through a divorce. My future ex- wife is in the marital house with the kids. Over the summer, my ex- wife had my 10 year old son, on several occasions, cut the lawn with my 16 horse power tractor and push lawn mower. I repeatedly told her that having a 10 year old use that kind of equipment was very dangerous and that I didn't want him to do that. My son eventually burned his arm very badly on the exhaust pipe of one on the machines. He was in tremendous pain and has a brown scar about 1 and 1/2 inches on his fore arm. She also leaves him in the care of her 2 younger ( in their 30's) brothers at times. When my 2 boys ( 10 and 6 yrs old), stay with their Uncles, they do things that children of their age should not be doing. The 10 year old drives a car both on and off the public street. One or both of them shoot B.B. guns. My future ex- wife has been planning our divorce for many years. She has read several books on how to " win" your divorce. She followed what the books told her to do and as a result, I have very limited, temporary custody. My boys and I are very close and I have very little input into their lives for the time being. She seems to care nothing about using my boys to hurt me. There is very little that I can do right now but I hate to see my boys drifting down a bad path.
My questions are: Can or should I report these things to Social Services? Is this considered child abuse and/or endangerment of a child? Do you think that Social Services will be able to do anything?

Thank you for your time

I take it you have been to court then. If you can prove the bolded section of my response, then you may have a case for custody.

 

[demartian]

Depends

What is the name of your state?Pa.

I am going through a divorce. My future ex- wife is in the marital house with the kids. Over the summer, my ex- wife had my 10 year old son, on several occasions, cut the lawn with my 16 horse power tractor and push lawn mower. I repeatedly told her that having a 10 year old use that kind of equipment was very dangerous and that I didn't want him to do that. My son eventually burned his arm very badly on the exhaust pipe of one on the machines. He was in tremendous pain and has a brown scar about 1 and 1/2 inches on his fore arm. She also leaves him in the care of her 2 younger ( in their 30's) brothers at times. When my 2 boys ( 10 and 6 yrs old), stay with their Uncles, they do things that children of their age should not be doing. The 10 year old drives a car both on and off the public street. One or both of them shoot B.B. guns.
My future ex- wife has been planning our divorce for many years. She has read several books on how to " win" your divorce. She followed what the books told her to do and as a result, I have very limited, temporary custody. My boys and I are very close and I have very little input into their lives for the time being. She seems to care nothing about using my boys to hurt me. There is very little that I can do right now but I hate to see my boys drifting down a bad path.
My questions are: Can or should I report these things to Social Services? Is this considered child abuse and/or endangerment of a child? Do you think that Social Services will be able to do anything?

Thank you for your time

There are quite a few 8 and 9 year old on my block that mow the lawn with all sorts of equipment, it really depends upon the child and how responsible they are to handle that job. As for BB guns, the Cub Scouts teaches children as young as 6 to shoot them correctly and monitored by an adult, so that may not be seen as an issue either.

The 10 year old driving the car would be a problem since it would be illegal for anyone without a permit to drive. I would also check into the situation of how the child burned himself as it could prove that he was not ready to use that equipment.