Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect: What Mandated Reporters in Schools Need to Know

1
Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect What
Mandated Reporters in Schools Need to Know
2
Orientation Objectives

• Participants should
• Be familiar with School policies and procedures
  for child abuse and neglect.
• Know when and how to report child abuse or
  neglect.
• Know what happens once a report is made.
• Increase awareness about your responsibility as a
  Mandated Reporter in regard to child abuse and
  neglect policies and procedures.

3
Why School Personnel?

• School employees have daily contact with
  children.
• The effects of abuse are barriers to learning.
• All school personnel are Mandated Reporters.

4
Why now?

• New revised policy and procedures
• Annual training required for all school employees
• In 2000, approximately 32.6 children per 1,000
  experienced abuse or neglect. Only half of these
  incidents were reported to CPS agencies

5
How Child Abuse and Neglect has Increased through
the Years
6
Who are Mandated Reporters?

• Any person whose work regularly brings him/her in
  contact with children and who has been
  specifically designated by the legislature.

7
How does the School District Support Mandated
Reporters?

• By ensuring that each school has a Child
  Protection Team (CPT) that provides consultation,
  training, and procedural guidance on all matters
  of child abuse and neglect.
• By maintaining a system wide Child Protection
  Team that meets monthly.

8
When do I have to Share my Concerns about a Child?

• Whenever you have
• A suspicion of abuse or neglect of a child under
  18.

9
With Whom Should I Share my Concerns?

• Any of the following members of the schools
  Child Protection Team
• Counselor
• School Nurse
• Social Worker
• Assistant Principal
• Principal

10
What Does the CPT do with the Information it
Receives?

• The Team convenes to determine if the
  presentation of facts creates a suspicion of
  child abuse or neglect. (Absolute proof is not
  needed).
• If the team determines there is a reasonable
  cause to file a report, it will be responsible
  for the actual filing with Department of Social
  Services (DSS).

11
What is the Role of DSS?

• To protect children who have been abused or
  neglected by a caretaker.
• To investigate child abuse and neglect
  allegations.
• To strengthen and support families.
• To ensure that each child has a safe, nurturing,
  and permanent home.

12
The Supreme Court has said

• Mandated Reporters are not permitted to weigh
  the credibility of witnesses, sift the evidence
  or determine whether the department would find
  reasonable cause to conclude that abuse did in
  fact occur.
• The Legislature has entrusted such judgments to
  the department (DSS).

13
Neglect is Defined as

• The failure, either deliberately or through
  negligence or inability, to take those actions
  necessary to provide a child with minimally
  adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care,
  supervision, emotional stability and growth, or
  other essential care. It is understood that such
  inability is not solely due to inadequate
  economic resources or solely due to the existence
  of a handicapping condition.

14
Emotional Abuse is Defined as

• Excessive, aggressive, or unreasonable behavior
  by an adult which places demands on a child that
  are above his/her capabilities. This may include
  verbal attacks, humiliation, degradation, chronic
  rejection of the child, close confinement of the
  child, or the permitting or abetting of
  delinquent behavior.

15
Physical Abuse is Defined as

• Infliction, by other than accidental means, of
  physical harm upon the body of a child.

16
Sexual Abuse is Defined as

• Any sexual contact between a caretaker and a
  child or the commission of a sex offense against
  a child as defined by the criminal laws the State.

17
If the Information is from an Anonymous Source,
do I still Report?

• Yes, report it, the source of the information is
  irrelevant.
• If a mandated reporter has information which
  gives him/her reasonable cause to believe that a
  child is being abused or neglected, bring it to
  the attention of the CPT who will then contact
  the Superintendent and DSS.

18
What if I dont Report Suspected Abuse?

• Mandated reporters shall be criminally punished
  by a fine of up to 1000 for failing to file
  pursuant to their duties.
• As with all other policies and procedures, staff
  is required to adhere to this policy as a
  condition of employment.

19
Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to tell the Parent/Guardian that I am
  reporting?
• No, but you will be asked by DSS if you have
  notified the parent.
• Safety first do not tell parents if they are the
  suspected perpetrators as this may put the child
  at additional risk!

20
Please Remember

• You are in a unique position to identify
  potential cases of abuse and neglect of children,
  because of your sustained contact with school-age
  children. Responsible action by employees can be
  achieved through recognition and understanding of
  potential problems, knowing and following
  established reporting procedures, and
  participating in available child abuse and
  neglect information/training programs.