Which is most prevalent?
Physical Abuse ..... 28.3%
Sexual Abuse ...... 20.7%
Emotional Neglect 14.8%
Emotional Abuse ... 10.6%
Physical Neglect. ... 9.9%
More than 70% of the children who died as a result of child abuse or neglect were two years of age or younger. More than 80% were not yet old enough for kindergarten.
Act or omission where child subject to sexual assault, molestation, exploitation, emotional abuse or prostitution; where child is in need of food, clothing, shelter, medical care or supervision because parent or guardian fails to do so; where child exhibits evidence of skin bruising, bleeding, malnutrition, burns, fractures, etc.; or circumstances indicate a condition that may not be the product of an accidental occurrence.
Basis of Reporting of abuse/neglect?
Reasonable cause to know or suspect that a child is
subject to circumstances or conditions which would reasonably result in abuse
or neglect
What are some of the indicators of abuse or neglect?
Please note that not any single indicator
proves that abuse is taking place, but the repeated presence of an indicator or
a combination of indicators should alert educators to the possibility of abuse.
Learning disorders Behavior problems such as aggression or withdrawal Below grade-level
performance Delays in the ability to speak and to understand
spoken language Psychosomatic
illnesses Poor coordination,
deficiencies in motor skills Low self-esteem Clinging behavior Severe emotional disturbance Some suggestions on how to respond to a disclosure Remain Calm Keep an
open mind
and don’t make
judgments. Support the child with active listening. Find a
quiet, private place to talk to the child. Reassure the child that he/she has done the right
thing by telling someone. Listen to the child without interruption; let
him/her talk openly about the situation and record concrete information. Tell the
child that there is help available. Reassure the child that you will do your best to
protect and support him/her. Let the
child know you must report the abuse to someone who has helped other children
like him/her and their families. Report the incident to the proper authorities. Let the
child know what will happen when the report is made (if you have appropriate
information). Seek out
your own support person(s) to help you work through your feelings about the
disclosure (if needed). Be aware of personal issues and how they affect your
perception.
DON’T: Promise confidentiality. Express
panic or shock. Convey anger or impatience if the child is not
ready to discuss the abuse. Make negative
comments about the perpetrator. Disclose the information indiscriminately. Tell
only those adults who need the information to protect and support the child.
School personnel have a legal* and moral obligation to make a report if child
abuse or neglect is suspected. School personnel should NOT investigate the
situation. Investigation is the job of child protective services or law
enforcement. The verbal report must immediately be made to your local child
protection agency as specified by school policies and legal statutes.