This was sent to me on one of my Yahoo Groups:

"an interesting topic came up on my ghost club
list. What do you think of children on ghost
hunts? I told them about my friend who lost
custody of her children during a custody battle
because of her ghost hunting.

Jamie"


What is your ideas on it?

Well, without knowing all the details to the Hunt mentioned in your original post it's tough to voice an educated opinion on that particular situation.

Was it a serious Hunt or just a lark similar to something you'd see at a kids Halloween party?

Just as a general priciple (IMHO) children do not belong on Ghost Hunts.....

Whether a skeptic or believer I'm sure we can all agree that being on a serious Hunt can be extemely stressful to say the least. To subject that sort of pressure on a child is wrong.

As a case in point I would refer anybody to the "Possession Case" thread started by Mr. Matt Ferrell located elsewhere on this site........I'm sure most of you have read it....

Jeez, can you imagine a child (or children) present during that ordeal?

[ April 23, 2004, 07:47 PM: Message edited by: gene ]

Just this morning, I had to explain to my niece that the picture of Linda Blair from the Exorcist that she dug up & sent to me from a "joke" site was all makeup & special effects...Linda is really a happy, normal adult now who looks regular.
I don't know the details & I'm definetly not saying whether or not her children should have been taken away, but as an adult I have a healthy imagination...Kids sometimes have a bit of trouble with the spooky stuff, & can get carried away...I have to agree with Gene on this one.

I don't think that they should go on hunts. But I believe there is a difference between going to a haunted location and a ghost hunt. Many places that are open to the public are haunted. I don't feel that taking your kids to a haunted museum during regular business is bad. But if it was an investigation, at night, closed to the paranormal team only, then no kids shouldn't be there. I think they could scare far more easily and get in the way of the investigation.

As far as bing used in a custody battle, I'm sure the circumstances may have had something to do with it. Either the judge didn't feel that the moms judgement was good taking a child into a situation like that. Or the judge could be a cynic and based it on that. Also there could have been other judgement factors that the judge looked at and the ghost hunting event was just one of other factors that he/she looked at.

As adults we sometimes get into situations that can be unnerving (even terrifying) through our choices or the circumstances we place ourselves in. As Gene mentioned, how much worse would that possession case have been if there were children along?! How would you feel if you had subjected them to something like this? You have no way of knowing the emotional/mental effect it might have.

As you can never predict what is going to happen on a hunt or investigation, I think it would be much wiser not to have children there. In my mind, the risk of something happening is always present ~ that alone should make you think twice about taking kids along.

Just my 2 cents.

HB

I have to agree with what everyone else has said. I definitely don't think that an actual ghost hunt is a place for children. Although I think that taking a child to a "Haunted" location or on a ghost walk, something of that nature, is fine.

Using the possession case as an example: Children are much more open to these things naturally. If a person just being tired can leave themselves open enough to have an experience like the woman in that case...can you imagine what might happen to a child who is completely open?

I have to agree with Hallow too....I'm not saying that I think that woman should have lost custody of her children because of ghost hunting...but I do think that it is a hard concept for people who don't believe to understand. So I can see it definitely not working in her favor.

Although, I was wondering, did this woman take her children with her to ghost hunt? Or was it just the fact that she goes on them herself that hurt her in court?

I absolutely agree with what everyone else has said. Children are very "open", and there is always a possibility of encountering something they are not equipped to handle.
My nephew has had an aversion to cemetaries for several years (he's almost six). While putting flowers on family graves, he became VERY upset a few years ago, pointing and talking to a "little boy" the rest of us couldn't see. Sure enough, there was a child buried in the direction he indicated and he was not old enough to read the tombstone. On other occasions, just driving by cemetaries, he has claimed to see people the rest of us could not. If something like visiting a family cemetary during daylight hours could upset a child, imagine the trauma one might go through while on an actual ghost hunt. Just not a smart thing to do.
Trin, the same question went through my mind. If the woman in the case was responsible and just had an interest in ghost hunting herself, she did get a raw deal. However, if she was bringing the kiddies along and putting their emotional and personal safety into jeopardy, I don't blame the judge.

I asked the person but he never responed back about your question
"I was wondering, did this woman take her children with her to ghost hunt? Or was it just the fact that she goes on them herself that hurt her in court?"