How to Detect Child Abuse & Neglect

1. How to Detect Child Abuse & Neglect Lauren Bingham Lauren.Bingham@smail.astate.edu

2. Child Abuse & Neglect Phenomenon • Physical and emotional abuse of children is nothing new • It has always existed in one form or another • The seriousness of the situation has now taken effect • When one ‘isolated’ case would be examined there would be hundreds of cases found just like it

3. Abuse • Physical Abuse -The non-accidental injury of a child • Sexual Abuse -Any act of sexual nature upon or with a child • Emotional Abuse -chronic attitudes or acts which interfere with the psychological and social development of a child. It is not a one time act, but consistent and chronic behavior

4. Neglect • Physical Neglect - failure to meet the requirements basic to a child's physical development, such as supervision, housing, clothing, medical attention, nutrition, and monetary support • Emotional Neglect - failure to provide the support or affection necessary to a child's psychological and social development. This would include the failure to provide the praise, nurturing, love, and security essential to the child's development of a sound and healthy personality.

5. The Child • Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance • Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents’ attention • Has learning problems (or difficulty concentrating) that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes • Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen • Lacks adult supervision • Is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn • Comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home

6. The Parent • Shows little concern for the child • Denies the existence of—or blames the child for—the child’s problems in school or at home • Asks teachers or other caregivers to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves • Sees the child as entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome • Demands a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve • Looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of emotional needs

7. The Parent & The Child • Rarely touch or look at each other • Consider their relationship entirely negative • State that they do not like each other

8. Accident or Abuse? • Where is the injury? • Injuries are less likely to occur in protected parts of the body such as the back of the legs, buttocks, back, or face. • How many injuries does the child have? • The greater the number of injuries a child has, the greater the cause for concern. It is uncommon for a child to have multiple injuries simultaneously. It is even more unusual if the injuries are at different stages of healing. • What is the size and shape of the injury? • Accidental marks resulting from bumps or falls usually have no defined shape. However, injuries with resemblance to common shapes such as fingertips or cigarettes, should be cause for concern. • Does the description of how the injury occurred seem likely? • If the injury was an accident, there should be a reasonable explanation for how it happened. If the explanation of how the injury occurred is vague, or if the description of how the injury occurred and the appearance of injury don't seem to be related, there may be cause for concern. • Children and accidents go hand in hand. By considering these questions, you will have a better chance of correctly identifying if abuse has occurred.

9. If a Child Tells You About Abuse or Neglect: • Listen to what is being told to you. Don't "lead" or interrogate the child. Let the child share what he/she is willing to tell. • Reassure the child that he/she has done the right thing by telling you. Acknowledge the difficulty of the decision and make it clear that any abuse and neglect is not the child's fault. • Keep your own feelings under control. Be calm and non-judgmental. Don't express emotions. • Use the child's own vocabulary. • Do not promise not to tell. Tell the truth. Don't make promises you can't keep. There may be actions taken which you have no control over. • Be supportive. Provide help and guidance. Let the child know that confiding in you was the only way to possibly end the abuse. • Report the case immediately. • Contact the Extension agent and report what has occurred. Do not share information or discuss the situation or contact anyone involved

10. What is a Teacher Expected to Report? • The teacher's first concern lies in what is reportable and defining what constitutes abuse. The response, of course, is any reasonable suspicion that child abuse or neglect has occurred-but then, what constitutes "reasonable"? Since teachers form intimate bonds with children and families, their doubts are understandable. Identifying signs of child abuse can be confusing and awkward for educators and school staff. Suspicious signs of abuse generally are just that-suspicious-leaving teachers in a double bind of uncertainty. • Though state laws vary, teachers need to remember that reports of child abuse are strictly confidential to protect mandated reporters. Investigators can be jailed and fined for violating confidentiality laws. Professionals from a variety of fields are mandated to report suspected abuse. Who must report? Nurses, doctors, dentists, mental health professionals, social workers, teachers, photo lab developers, day care workers, foster parents, and law enforcement, to name a few. Some states require anyone who suspects child abuse to report.

11. What to Expect When You Report • Mandated reporters often want to know the result of an investigation. Some state and local child welfare agencies will inform mandated reporters of the outcome of a report. In most states, CPS does send a letter to mandated reporters, and may contact them. A family's right to privacy, however, supersedes mandated reporters being privy to confidential investigations-thus the reporter may not be informed of the investigation's findings and may never learn what results from his or her report. • Once a referral is assigned for investigation, CPS will interview the child in a neutral setting, such as the school. Once the child is interviewed, CPS will contact the family and others who may have additional information about the investigation. CPS is sensitive to the mandated reporter's role and connection to the child. Remember, all reports are kept confidential.

12. Resources for Teachers • From Darkness to Light -From Darkness to Light  programs raise awareness of the prevalence and consequences of child sexual abuse by educating adults about the steps they can take to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to the reality of child sexual abuse • Hope Shining -Safe Horizon (Hope Shining) is an assistance organization serving more than 350,000 people each year who have been touched by violence. Whether we are responding to child abuse, domestic violence, or other violent crimes, we provide the practical tools, emotional support, education, and advocacy to help victims and their families heal and rebuild their lives. • Prevent Child Abuse America -The mission of Prevent Child Abuse America is to "prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation's children" and includes all forms of abuse and neglect, whether physical, sexual, educational, or emotional

13. Reference Page • http://elev8.com/341715/how-to-detect-child-abuse/ • http://ohioline.osu.edu/4h-fact/0024.html • http://www.cwla.org/articles/cv0111teachers.htm • http://www.arkansas.gov/reportARchildabuse/