EDUCATORS & CHILD ABUSE: LET’S GET REAL Cyndi Watson Tuffree Middle School Placentia Yorba Linda USD (714) 996-1881 x7606 cwatson@pylusd.k12.ca.us I teach 7th grade health, Physical Education, and Peer Assistant leadership. I have been teaching for 28 years now in Orange Co. and live in Monrovia. This is a great conference for me

How much do you know about child abuse and reporting child abuse? When I went to a child abuse workshop in Orange county, I had to take a brief test of my knowledge about c.a. So, I thought, why not have you take it also. Don’t worry, no grading, as a matter of fact the answers will be circled.

Did you know that the Child Abuse Law is based on the Animal Protection Law?

The first child was removed from his home in 1865 based on the Animal Protection Law. Child Abuse Laws did not exist until the 20th Century

Under the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, a mandated reporter is required to report suspected abuse to: His or her employer or supervisor Local child protective authorities The child’s parents The California Department of Justice 

“Negligent failure of a person having the care or custody of a child to protect the child from severe malnutrition or failure to thrive” is a definition of: General neglect Unintentional neglect Aggravated neglect Severe neglect 

A person who knowingly develops, duplicated, prints, or exchanges a photograph of a child engaged in a sex act is guilty of: Sexual assault Statutory rape Lewd acts upon a child Sexual exploitation 

After observing suspected child abuse or neglect, a mandated reporter must call a child protective agency: Within 36 hours Within 24 hours Immediately or as soon as possible The law doesn’t specify when the mandated reporter must report 

Suspected cases of severe emotional abuse that constitutes willful cruelty or unjustifiable punishment of a child must be reported.  True False

A person who fails to make a required report may be punished by up to six months in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine.  True False

Which of the following does not describe a typical location of an injury resulting from abuse? Injuries to several different parts of the body Injuries to the back surface of a child’s body from neck to knees Injuries to the shins, elbows, knees, or forehead Injuries to the face 

Socio-economic status, religion, education, and ethnic background are good indicators of whether a parent might commit child abuse. True False 

An extremely filthy home should put you on the alert for signs of child abuse.  True False

You can often tell by the type and location of a child’s injury whether it was caused by an accident or by physical abuse. True False 

In a case of emotional abuse, cumulative documentation over time may be necessary before a child protective agency can intervene.  True False

A child that recants a disclosure of abuse was probably never abused. True False 

A written report must be filed on: Your employer’s letterhead A Department of Justice form A Department of Child Welfare form Any type of paper 

Which of the following is not a circumstance where the identity of a mandated reporter may be disclosed? To the child’s parent or guardian Between child protective agencies To the district attorney in a criminal prosecution By court order 

Law enforcement agencies and child protective agencies are required to cross-report reports of abuse: Within 48 hours Within 36 hours Within 24 hours Immediately, or as soon as possible 

After investigating a report of child abuse, the investigating agency provides feedback about the result of the investigation, and any action the agency is taking, to: The child’s parent or guardian The employer of the mandated reporter The mandated reporter All of the above 

A mandated reporter should report child abuse only if they have investigated the abuse fully and have absolute proof that it occurred. True False  Love this reporter!!

To guarantee confidentiality, mandated reporters are not required to give their names when reporting suspected abuse.  True False

Violating the confidentiality of the contents of a report is punishable by up to 6 months in county jail, or by a fine of $500, or both. True False 

At the same time a child welfare department forwards a report to the CACI, it also must notify, in writing, the known or suspected abuser that he or she has been reported to the CACI.  True False

STATISTICS

National Statistics                                                                            903,000 cases were reported in 2001

California Statistics 243,312 cases were reported in 2000

2001 US Abuse Statistics 59.2% - Neglect 18.6% - Physical abuse 9.6% - Sexual abuse 6.8% - Emotional abuse 5.8% - Other

More than 2.67 million reports of possible maltreatment involving 3 million children were made to child protective service agencies in calendar year 2001

Gender Statistics Girls – 51% Boys – 49%

Ethnicity Statistics Anglo – 52% African American - 25% Hispanic – 14.5% American Indian/Alaska Natives – 2.0% Asian/Pacific – 1.3%

Other Statistics 50% of child abuse cases are age 7 or younger 25% of child abuse cases are younger than 4 years old Every day 3 children are murdered by a parent or caretaker

Child Abuse is reported on average every 10 seconds

Nine in 10 Americans polled regard child abuse as a serious problem, yet only 1 in 3 reported abuse when confronted with an actual situation

Who are the Abusers? In the US, 80% - 90% of the abusers are family members or close friends of the family

TEACHING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILD ABOUT ABUSE Now, why teach the middle school child about abuse, well it’s in our books and we are told too, but shouldn’t we be teaching it out of advocacy for the child. How can we teach the adolescent about it without alarming them or opening a can of worms?

Teaching the Middle School Child about Abuse Definition Reasons Signs & Symptoms Ways to Prevent How to get Help Statistics 7 Basic Rights Websites Pamphlet What I do, I start with a open conversation about the fact that we need to teach this and that if anyone is bothered by it, let me know. I try to make it fun, interesting and non-threatening.What is up here, is basically what I cover. I have included some basic information on the following slides as to what I tell the kids.

CHILD ABUSE PAMPHLET

Child Abuse Pamphlet

IDENTIFYING ABUSED CHILDREN

Look into the Future Through the Eyes of a Child

Identifying Abused Children

The actual incidents of abuse and neglect are estimated to be 3 times greater than the number reported to authorities.

Reasons Why Kids Don’t Tell They are afraid they’ll be taken away They feel responsible They fear disbelief from adults They are taught not to tattle

Reasons Why Kids Don’t Tell They are taught to be respectful of adults They resist talking about “nasty” things They are unaware it is wrong They believe threats from the offender

POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF CHILD ABUSE

Potential Effects of Child Abuse Effects in the Classroom Short-term Effects Long-term Effects Generational Effects

Reporting Requirements Who is responsible to report? What are the immediate reporting requirements? Anonymity and disclosure

Reporting Requirements Who do you notify? Reporting versus “investigating” Confidentiality

As child advocates, it is our responsibility not only to teach, but to protect the children

Each incident of child abuse is a tragedy Each incident of child abuse is a tragedy. No civilized society can overlook the maltreatment of children without losing some of its soul. As an educator, you are in a unique position to assist abused children.