Identifying and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect: Module 1

1
Identifying and Reporting Child Abuse and
NeglectModule 1

• Participants Guide

2
Learning Objectives

• Explain causes and risk factors of child abuse
  and neglect.
• To identify common physical and behavioral
  indicators of child abuse and neglect.
• Identify and define terms associated with abuse
  and neglect.
• Identify effects of child abuse and neglect.

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Module 1 Introduction, p2

• It is important for you to learn about this
  subject. Child abuse and neglect occurs in all
  socio-economic families as well as in child care
  programs. It is more prevalent than you may
  think, and you may be the only person in a
  position to intervene. You have not only a moral
  obligation to intervene, but a legal obligation
  to report it.

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Activity Quiz, p2-3

• Students, answer each question based on what you
  believe to be true.

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Activity Quiz, p2

• Three children die of child abuse in the home in
  the United States each b) day.
• How many people report child abuse when faced
  with an actual situation? c)1/3
• What is the single, leading cause of death for
  children ages four and younger?
  c) Child Abuse and
  Neglect

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Activity Quiz, p3

• On an average, child abuse is reported somewhere
  in the United States every a)10 seconds.
• Strangers pose the greatest risk of sexual abuse
  to children. b)False
• Child molesters get their sexual gratification
  only from children. b)False

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Activity Quiz, p3

• The average age that child molesters first attack
  a child is when they (the attackers) are c)In
  their teens
• Which of the following actions can help stop
  child abuse and neglect?
• d)All of the above

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Activity Learning Definitions word list, p4-5

• Harm
• Child
• Neglect
• Immunity
• Child abuse
• Mandatory reporter
• Sexual contact
• Florida abuse hotline
• Inadequate supervision
• Lack of adequate shelter
• Lack of adequate nutrition

• Physical abuse
• Verbal abuse
• Institutional abuse or neglect
• Emotional neglect
• Lack of providing access to education
• Lack of dental/ medical care
• Lack of love attention
• Lack of adequate clothing/good hygiene

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Definitions, p4

• Child Any person under the age of 18 years.
• Child Abuse Any non-accidental injury, sexual
  battery, or injury to the intellectual or
  psychological capacity of a child by the parent,
  adult household member, or other person
  responsible for the childs welfare.
• Physical Abuse The mistreatment of a child by a
  person responsible for the childs welfare that
  results in injury or harm to the child.

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Definitions, p4

• Sexual contact Sexual contact or interaction
  between a child and an adult or older child.
  Includes indecent exposure, fondling, touching
  sexual organs, forcible rape sodomy,
  exploitation, and showing pornography.
• Verbal Abuse A form of emotional abuse that
  involves excessive yelling, shaming, belittling
  and/or teasing of a child.

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Definitions, p4

• Institutional Abuse or Neglect Situations of
  known or suspected child abuse or neglect which
  occurs at the institution responsible for the
  childs care.
• Neglect Failure to provide adequate food,
  clothing, shelter, health care or needed
  supervision.
• Emotional Neglect Failure to provide support,
  acceptance, attention, warmth, supervision and
  normal living experiences for a child to the
  extent that the child is impaired in ability to
  function normally in performance and behavior.

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Definitions, p4-5

• Harm Anything to a childs health or welfare
  that can occur
• Inadequate supervision When a child is left
  alone in a situation beyond their physical and
  emotional development level or when a child is
  left in the care of someone who does not provide
  adequate supervision.
• Lack of adequate shelter When the child is
  exposed to structurally unsafe housing, exposed
  wiring, inadequate or unsafe heating, or
  unsanitary housing conditions.

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Definitions, p5

• Lack of Adequate Clothing/Good Hygiene When a
  child suffers or is likely to suffer, from
  physical or emotional health conditions resulting
  from inadequate clothing, improper hygiene and
  uncleanness.
• Lack of Adequate Nutrition When the caretaker
  has regularly failed to provide or have available
  adequate food to the child, which can cause
  malnutrition over a long period of time.
• Lack of Dental/Medical Care When a medical or
  dental condition is left untreated, possible
  resulting in serious or long-term harm to the
  child.

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Definitions, p5

• Lack of Love Attention (Failure to Thrive)
  When the parents deny satisfying or fulfilling
  relationships, thus avoiding most interactions as
  a method of avoiding rejection and
  failurecausing the childs weight to fall below
  the 5th percentile for age.
• Lack of Providing Access to Education When
  education is not enforced by the parents, thereby
  contributing to the childs absence from school
  leading to the lack of education and leading to
  truancy.

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Definitions, p5

• Florida Abuse Hotline Operates 24 hours a day,
  7 days a week, toll free telephone number
  800-962-2873.
• Immunity Exemption from civil or criminal
  charges resulting from reporting in good faith.
• Mandatory Reporter any person, including, but
  not limited to(see list).

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1st Type of Child Abuse, p6

• This is an example of physical abuse.
• Examples of physical abuse
• Scalding a child with hot water
• Slapping, hitting, shaking or shoving a child
• Beating with a belt, shoe or other object
• Pulling a childs hair
• Burning a child with a lighter, matches,
  cigarettes, iron or other hot object
• Locking a child in a closet or similar type of
  restraint or imprisonment
• Painful punishments such as kneeling or standing
  for long periods of time.

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2nd Type of Child Abuse, p6

• Another type of child abuse is sexual.
• Examples of sexual child abuse
• Using a child in pornography
• Having intercourse or oral sex with a child
• Fondling a childs genitals
• Having sex in front of a child
• Having a child touch another persons genitals
• Showing x-rated material to a child

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3rd Type of Child Abuse, p7

• A third type of abuse is Emotional.
• Examples of emotional child abuse
• Conveying messages that a child is worthless,
  unwanted or unloved
• Terrorizing a child
• Witnessing domestic violence
• Demeaning, ridiculing or belittling a child
• Not allowing the child to have friends
• Not letting a child eat, drink or use the
  bathroom
• Name calling

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p7, Failure to Thrive

• Failure to thrive can be an outcome of emotional
  abuse or lack of emotional care (holding,
  hugging, rocking, singing, touching, and living)
  that occurs during infancy and early childhood.
  This can cause an infant or childs weight to
  drop to below the fifth percentile.
• Key Point there are three types of child abuse
  physical, sexual, and emotional.

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p603, Shaken Baby Syndrome

• What can shaking a baby or young child cause?
• Permanent brain damage, paralysis, blindness,
  seizures, developmental delays, broken bones,
  death. This is because infants have weak neck
  muscles, growing brains and thin skulls.

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p603, Shaken Baby Syndrome

• What can you do to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome?
• Make sure those who care for young children know
  the dangers of shaking a baby. Be careful during
  play or physical activity.

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p603, Shaken Baby Syndrome

• How can you cope with a crying baby or child?
• Take deep, slow breaths take a break ask for
  help count to 10

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p604, Child Neglect

• Examples of Neglect
• Leaving a child alone
• Leaving a child in a place that is not safe
• Lack of attention
• Not providing food, clothing or shelter for a
  child
• Not providing necessary medical attention for a
  child
• Not providing appropriate schooling
• not providing protection from hazards

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p604, Child Neglect

• Failure to provide support, acceptance,
  attention, warmth, supervision normal living
  experiences for a child is considered neglect..
  The difference between abuse and neglect is that
  if an adult intentionally withholds food, shelter
  or any other necessity as punishment, then it is
  abuse, but if things are withheld by circumstance
  or lack of awareness, care, or education, then it
  is an act of neglect. Both abuse and neglect are
  crimes and violations of childrens human rights.

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Child Neglect

• Key Point
• Failure to provide support, acceptance,
  attention, warmth, supervision and normal living
  experience for a child is considered neglect.

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Interaction with Child and Family

• What are some examples of thingsthat could help
  you recognize signs of abuse or neglect? (1-9)
• Parent blames or belittles child
• Parent talks about child as bad or evil
• Parent smells of alcohol/drugs or seems to be
  under the influence
• Parent fails to keep appointments
• Parent seems unconcerned with child

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Interaction with Child and Family

• Parent mentions financial problems
• Parent talks about divorce, death, or illness
• Parent admits to alcohol or substance abuse
• Parent talks about domestic violence or shows
  signs.

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Interaction with Child and Family

• Notes (insert at top of p608)
• Talking with parents on a regular basis keeps the
  lines of communication open and allows you to be
  aware of risk factors that families may be
  dealing with.
• Talking with families may help you be able to
  support them before abuse or neglect happens.

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Interaction with Child and Family

• Key Point
• Interaction with children and families provides
  information that may help the caregiver in
  recognizing possible cases of abuse and/or
  neglect.

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p608, Activity Applying Your
Knowledge

• Directions Read each scenario and decide if the
  situation is describing abuse or neglect.
  Underline the words or phrases in the scenario
  that might indicate a problem. Then on the lines
  below the scenario tell whether you believe this
  to be Suspected Child Abuse, Child Neglect, or
  both.

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11-12-08 Special directions

• Working with a partner, underline signs of abuse
  and list whether abuse, neglect, or both.
• Answer Scenarios 1-7, then
• STOP!
• We will check answers tomorrow!!!

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p13, Activity Applying Your
Knowledge

• Scenario 1 Suspect Abuse/Neglect
• Scenario 2 Suspect Abuse/Neglect
• Scenario 3 Suspect Abuse
• Scenario 4 Suspect Neglect
• Scenario 5 Suspect Abuse/Neglect
• Scenario 6 Suspect Neglect Lack of Medical
  Attention
• Scenario 7 Suspect Abuse/Neglect - Institutional

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p17, Child Risk Factors

• Premature birth and/or birth defects
• Chronic or serious illness
• Physical/mental/emotional disabilty
• Temperament- slow or difficult to warm up to
  others
• Aggressive behavior problems
• Attention deficit disorder
• A personal attribute/characteristic identified by
  a parent as undesirable
• Childhood trauma

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p17, Parental/Family Risk Factors
(1-9)

• Personality factors feelings of insecurity,
  lack of trust, low tolerance for frustration,
  depression or mental illness
• Childhood history of abuse
• Family structure single parent with lack of
  support
• Social isolation lack of support
• Marital problems and divorce

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p17, Parental/Family Risk Factors
(1-9 cont)

• Death and/or illness
• Age
• Abuse of alcohol or other drugs
• Lack of parenting skills or living skills
• Financial problems or unemployment

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p18, Social/Environmental Risk Factors

• Stressful life or community events (ex.
  Hurricanes)
• Low socioeconomic status poverty
• Homelessness
• Lack of access to medical care, health insurance,
  child care and social service
• Dangerous/violent neighborhood
• Community violence
• Cultural acceptance of abuse

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p18, Key Point

• There are child, family and environmental factors
  that place children at risk for abuse and/or
  neglect.

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P27, Activity Misconceptions Ratings

• 1.M-Child Molesters are dirty old men.
• 0-In a recent study of convicted child molesters,
  80 were found to have committed their first
  offense before the age of 30.
• 2.M-Children are most likely to be sexually
  assaulted by a stranger.
• D-75-95 of offenders are known by and may be
  related to the child.
• 3.M-The molester is retarded.
• A-There are no differences between the convicted
  child molesters abilities and that of most of
  the general public.

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P27, Activity Misconceptions Ratings

• 4.M-The child molester is an alcoholic or drug
  addict.
• G-Drug use is essentially nonexistent with child
  molesters except to break down the childs
  inhibitions.
• 5.M-The child molester is a sexually frustrated
  person.
• K-50 of child molesters are married. Sexuality
  is not the only issue in pedophilia
  identification, expression problems and the need
  for power and control are also issues.
• 6.M-The child molester is insane.
• I-95 are not psychotic.
• 7. M-The child molester, over time, will progress
  to increasingly violent acts.
• R-Only about 18 of child molesters show any
  increase in force used. (9 committed violent
  sexual assaults, 1 of those resulting in death.

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P27-28, Activity Misconceptions Ratings

• 8.M-Children are at greater risk of sexual
  victimization from gays (homosexuals) than from
  straight (heterosexuals) adults.
• Q-51 of men selected female children 21
  selected both sexes Females victimized 2-1 83
  of child molesters are heterosexual
• 9.M-child molesters work in groups.
• C-95 of child molesters act alone.
• 10.M-Child molesters prefer very young children.
• N-14 select children 5 years or younger 46
  select children between 6-11 age group 33
  select young adults 7 choose various ages.
• 11.M-Child molesters commit other crimes.
• F-Approximately 50 of convicted child molesters
  have no other criminal record.

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p28, Activity Misconceptions Ratings

• 12.M-Children lie or fantasize about sexual
  activities with adults.
• H-In developmental terms, young children cannot
  make up explicit sexual information they must
  be exposed to it. They speak from their own
  experiences. Sometimes a parent will try to get
  a child to report sexual abuse falsely. Primary
  indicators of such a report are the childs
  inability to describe explicitly or illustrate
  the act, or a grossly inconsistent account.

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P27-28, Activity Misconceptions Ratings

• 13.M-The sexual abuse of a child is an isolated,
  one-time incident.
• L-Child sexual abuse is usually a situation that
  develops gradually over a period of time, and the
  sexual abuse occurs repeatedly.
• 14.M-Nonviolent sexual behavior between a child
  and adult is not emotionally damaging to the
  child.
• B-Although child sexual abuse may involve subtle
  rather than extreme force, nearly all victims
  will experience confusion, shame, guilt, anger
  and lowered sense of self-esteem, though they may
  reveal no obvious outward signs.
• 15.M-Children provoke sexual abuse by their
  seductive behavior.
• P-Seductive behavior may be the result but is
  never the cause of sexual abuse. The
  responsibility lies with the adult offender.

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P27-28, Activity Misconceptions Ratings

• 16.M- If children did not want sex, they could
  say stop.
• M-Children generally do not question the behavior
  of adults. They are often coerced by bribes,
  threats and use of authority.
• 17.M- When a boy is sexually abused, the
  molesting is perpetrated by male homosexuals.
• J-Most child sexual abuse is perpetrated by men
  who are heterosexual and do not find sex with
  other men at all attractive. Many child
  molesters abuse both boys and girls.
• 18.M-Males who were sexually abused as boys all
  grow up to abuse children sexually.
• E-Only portions of abused boys go on to abuse
  children.

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p21, Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect

• The effects of child abuse and neglect can be
  serious and permanently affect childrens mental,
  physical and emotional development. Recent
  scientific studies of the brain reveal that the
  first years of a childs life are critical to
  development. A child must receive adequate
  stimulation to ensure that nerve cells in the
  brain develop fully. Negative experiences, like
  trauma or abuse, are extremely detrimental in
  early years. The effects of abuse on a child can
  begin before a mother even gives birth.

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p21, The Impact of Trauma, Abuse, Neglect

• Extreme anxiety
• Depression
• Inability to form healthy relationships
• Memory loss
• Short attention span
• Easily distracted
• Poor self-esteem
• Sleeping or eating disorders

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p22, Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect on Child,
Family, Caregiver, and Society

• Experiences throughout childhood can impair
  mental abilities that may cause a child to
  respond with aggression or violence to stressful
  or frustrating situations. The physical and
  emotional consequences of child abuse and neglect
  affect the child, family, caregiver, community
  and society.

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p22, Physical and Emotional Effects of Child
Abuse and Neglect on Children (1-5)

• Academic problems school learning problems,
  underachievement, truancy
• Behavior problems passive or withdrawn, active
  or aggressive self destructive, drug use,
  impulsivity
• Sexual problems sexually inappropriate
  behavior, promiscuity or withdrawal

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p22, Physical and Emotional Effects of Child
Abuse and Neglect on Children (1-5)

• Confusion about identity low self-esteem, poor
  self-image
• Anxiety, loss of trust, depression
• Medical/dental problems fertility problems,
  chronic pain, stress disorders

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p23, Notes

• Though difficult, it is possible to recover from
  the adverse effects of child abuse and neglect.
• Many formerly abused children find healing and
  recover to become compassionate, healthy adults
  who do not abuse others.
• Early intervention and the support of caring
  adults and programs can help ensure the best
  possible outcome.

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p23, Key Point

• The effects of child abuse and neglect can be
  serious and permanent to a childs mental,
  physical and emotional development.

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p24, Working with Abused and Neglected Children
(1-6)

• Children who have been abused may not trust other
  people.
• These children need a close one-to-one
  relationship to develop and grow normally. They
  often reject warmth, hugs and affection at first.
• They may be delayed in one or more areas of their
  development (motor, speech, and behavior).

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p24, Working with Abused and Neglected Children

• Their behavior may be at one of two extremes
  difficult to manage, destructive, and irritable,
  or unusually shy and anxious to please.
• Abuse and neglected children have very poor
  self-images.
• Parents of abused children may feel that you are
  a threat.

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p24, Notes Qualities of effective caregivers in
these situations (1-5)

• Understanding, patience and faith
• Willingness to take the risk of becoming involved
  with an abused or neglected child.
• Ability to understand and communicate with
  abusive parents who are often emotionally
  immature, have low self-esteem, and may respond
  to you with jealousy and hostility

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p24, Notes Qualities of effective caregivers in
these situations (1-5)

• A feeling of your own worth as a person and as a
  child care provider independent of the childs
  progress or the parents gratitude for your
  efforts.
• Positive parenting and teaching skills.

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p24, Key Point

• It takes understanding, patience, and skill to
  work with abused and neglected children.