Child Abuse

1
Child Abuse

• Clara Cáceres Contreras
• School Health
• Safe and Drug-Free Schools Communities
• Region One Education Service Center
• 956-984-6125
• clara.contreras_at_escontt.org

2
Role of the School

• 38.004. CHILD ABUSE REPORTING AND PROGRAMS.
  (a) The agency shall develop a policy governing
  the child abuse reports required by Chapter 261,
  Family Code, of school districts and their
  employees. The policy must provide for
  cooperation with law enforcement child abuse
  investigations without the consent of the child's
  parents if necessary, including investigations by
  the Department of Protective and Regulatory
  Services. Each school district shall adopt the
  policy. (b) Each school district shall provide
  child abuse antivictimization programs in
  elementary and secondary schools.Added by Acts
  1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, 1, eff. May 30, 1995.
  

3
Statistics

• Over 3 million incidents of child abuse will be
  reported this year
• Up to 5,000 children will be killed this year
  because of abuse
• 50 of all children being abused are school age
• The other 50 of abused children are pre-school
  children
• Every 10 seconds, a child will be abused in the
  US
• A child is sexually abused in some manner every 2
  minutes in the US

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What is Child Abuse?

• Isolated incident and/or pattern by which the
  child is harmed
• Emotionally/psychologically
• Physically
• Sexually
• Can be displayed by threats of violence,
  intimidation, or physical contact

5
What is Neglect?

• Failure to provide for a childs basic needs
• Safety
• Food/water
• Adequate shelter
• Medical attention
• Etc.

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Responsibility to Report

• Childs physical/mental health/welfare has been
  or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect
• Must report the case immediately to a law
  enforcement agency or CPS
• Failure to report suspected child abuse or
  neglect is a Class B Misdemeanor

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Responsibility to Report

• Person reporting does not need to be certain that
  child is being abused or neglected, only to have
  a reason for believing
• Concerned citizens should not try to investigate
  or intervene in the suspected abuse themselves
  REPORT!
• Any time a child discloses abuse to an adult, the
  adult has reason to make a report

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Professionals Who Work With Children

• If professional thinks a child has been or may be
  abused or neglected, he/she must report within 48
  hours
• Professionals may not delegate or rely on another
  to make report

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Types of Child Abuse

• Emotional
• Physical
• Sexual
• Neglect
• Physical
• Emotional
• Educational

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Emotional Abuse

• Mental or Emotional Injury resulting in
  impairment in childs growth, development, or
  psychological functioning
• Name-calling
• Belittling/Insulting
• Blaming
• Withholding affection
• Isolating the child
• Negative comparison to others

• Intimidation
• Instilling fear through looks, actions, gestures,
  and/or property destruction
• Using adult size
• Aggressive yelling
• Being violent to parent, pets, siblings, etc.

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Emotional Abuse

• Isolation
• Controlling access to social interaction
• Friends
• Siblings
• Other parent
• Grandparents
• Etc.

• Threats
• Abandonment
• Suicide
• Physical harm
• Confinement
• Harm to loved ones

12
Emotional Abuse

• Emotional Abuse
• Insults/name calling
• Using children as confidants
• Being inconsistent
• Humiliating/degrading children
• Using children to get/give information to other
  parent

13
Neglect

• Causing/permitting child to be in a situation in
  which the child sustains a mental or emotional
  injury resulting in observable and material
  impairment in childs
• Growth
• Development and
• Psychological functioning
• Abandonment
• Leaving child in a situation where he/she may be
  exposed to substantial risk of physical or
  mental harm, without arranging necessary care
• Demonstration by the parent/guardian, of intent
  not to return

14
Medical Neglect

• Failure to seek, obtain or follow through with
  medical care for the child, resulting in
• Risk of death, disfigurement, bodily injury or
  with the failure
• Impairment in growth, development or functioning
  of child

15
Physical Neglect

• Failure to provide the child with adequate
• Food
• Clothing or
• Shelter
• necessary to sustain life/health of child,
  excluding failure caused primarily by financial
  inability unless relief services had been offered
  and refused
• Providing an unsafe environment/health hazard

16
Physical Abuse

• Physical injury resulting in substantial harm to
  child, or genuine threat of such harm, including
• Injury that varies with history or explanation
  given excluding accident or reasonable
  discipline by parent/guardian that does not
  expose child to substantial risk of harm
• Corporal punishment is not in itself abusive
  under Texas law

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Physical Abuse

• Scratching, biting, arm twisting, pinching
• Pushing, shoving
• Choking
• Slapping, punching, hitting, kicking
• Pulling hair

• Hitting with objects, throwing objects at him/her
• Pushing down
• Holding against ones will
• Use of weapons

18
Physical Abuse cont

• Failure to make reasonable effort to prevent
  another person from substantial harming child
• Current use of a controlled substance in a manner
  that results in physical, mental or emotional
  injury to the child
• Causing, permitting, or encouraging a child to
  use a controlled substance

19
Sexual Abuse

• Failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent
  sexual conduct harmful to a child
• Permitting or engaging in filming, photographing,
  or depicting of child in pornographic manner
• Penetrating with fingers, objects and/or sexual
  organs orally, vaginally or anally
• Touching private areas
• Being intrusive of a childs private time
  (Example bathroom time)

20
Sexual Abuse cont

• Commenting inappropriately on a childs anatomy
• Fondling, masturbation of a child or self in
  childs presence
• Possessing child pornography
• Exposing self to a child
• Forcing, coercing, or bribing a child to expose
  him/herself

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Age of Consent Law

• Anyone 13 younger is too young to give consent
• At 17, individuals are considered adults in this
  realm
• If 14-16 year olds have consensual relationship
• Affirmative defense makes prosecution difficult
  if both are within 3 years of age
• Should still be reported to CPS

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Non-verbal Warning Signs

• Withdrawal, distance from family
• Sleeping or Eating problems
• Developmental delays
• Careful movement
• Mood swings/behavioral changes
• Bed-wetting

23
Verbal Warning Signs

• Denial or minimization of the abuse
• Explanation does not match injury
• Reluctance to discuss injury
• Complaining of pain
• Phobias

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Somatic Warning Signs

• Children often dont talk about something that is
  wrong many develop physical problems such as
• Headaches
• Stomach problems
• Asthma attacks

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Physical Warning Signs

• Abdominal injuries
• Injuries hidden by clothing
• Wounds to the back (knees, neck, torso, etc.
  (70)
• Multiple injuries
• Injuries to multiple sides of body
• Imprints of instruments on skin

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Physical Warning Signs

• Bald patches
• Clusters of bruises
• Strange patterns of bruises
• Bruises after absence from school

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Physical Warning Signs- Bruises

• Multiple stages of healing
• Life cycle of a bruise
• Initial Red
• 6-12 hours Blue
• 12-24 hours Black/purple
• 4-6 days Dark green tint
• 5-10 days Light green/yellow (sometimes with a
  brown tint)

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Signs of Neglect

• Begging for money or food
• Excessive absences
• Poor hygiene
• Inappropriately dressed for weather
• Parent is apathetic or depressed
• Parent behaves in irrational manner
• Parent appears to be under influence

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Other Warning Signs

• Escape through drugs/alcohol
• Sexual promiscuity
• Sexual knowledge/behavior beyond age
  appropriateness
• Frequent injuries
• Running away

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Working with Kids

• Tell them its not their fault!!!
• Let them know youre glad they told
• Do not promise confidentiality
• Encourage, dont force talking

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Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

• 1-800-252-5400
• Do not call your local office to make report.
• Anyone wishing to report must report through the
  above hotline

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Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

• Professionals may report non-emergencies at the
  following website
• https//www.reportabuse.ws
• Using login professional
• And password report1 (all lowercase)
• The general public may report non-emergencies
  online at
• https//www.txabusehotline.org
• Serious emergencies should be called in to 911

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CPS Investigation

• Reports are assigned priority that determines
  time frames for starting investigation (based on
  report)
• Priority I Immediate risk for abuse/neglect
  that could cause death or serious harm
• Must start investigation within 24 hours of
  initial report
• Priority II Includes all reports not classified
  as Priority I
• Investigation must start within 10 days of
  initial report
• Other reports that do not meet definition of
  abuse or neglect (as defined by Family Code) are
  not assigned

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CPS Investigation

• Staff must assign a disposition to each
  accusation for investigation
• Reason to Believe abuse has occurred
• Ruled Out no abuse has occurred based on
  evidence
• Unable to Complete conclusion cannot be made
  because family 1) could not be found 2) would
  not cooperate

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Hidalgo and Starr Counties Mujeres
Unidas/Women Together

• Family Justice Center
• 511 N. Cynthia St.
• McAllen, TX 78501
• [phone]
• Satellite Office
• 420 N. 21st Street
• McAllen, TX 78501
• [phone]

• 24 Hour Crisis Hotline
• 1-800-580-4879
• Free Confidential services provided to victims
  of domestic violence and sexual assault.

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Cameron CountyFamily Crisis Center
Jim Hogg, Webb, and Zapata Counties Casa de
Misericordia

• 1602 W. Harrison, Suite C
• Harlingen, TX 78552
• [phone]
• Satellite Office
• 129 N. 3rd St.
• Raymondville, TX 78580
• [phone]

Lamar Rooney Vergada Center 100 Mir St. Laredo,
TX 78043 [phone]