HD_300 1st Edition Lecture 17 Outline of Last Lecture I. Socially toxic environmentII. SummaryIII. Emotional abuse IV. Emotional neglectV. Emotional assault VI. Pet abuse and child abuse VII. Emotional abuse (Part 2)Outline of Current Lecture I. History of ReportingII. State LawsIII. What if you do not report?IV. When and Where to ReportV. What to ReportVI. “Professional”VII. Decision to ReportVIII. Costs and Benefits of ReportingIX. Responding to DisclosureX. In SumXI. Recognizing Physical AbuseXII. Recognizing Physical NeglectThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.XIII. Recognizing Sexual AbuseXIV. Recognizing Emotional AbuseCurrent Lecture**Exam next Thursday, October 30thClass Cancelled Tuesday October 28th Unit 14: Recognizing and Reporting AbuseHistory of Reporting- Until the late 19th century, little interest and no policies for child protection- Some mandatory reporting was first required in the 1960’s- Battered child syndrome described in 1962, but many still failed to report obvious abuse- By 1966, all states had laws mandating physicians to report battered children- In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s other professionals were added to the list of mandatory reporters, and definitions were broadened to include sexual abuse and exploitation State Laws- 1974- The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was passedo Defined Child abuseo Set the standard for state mandatory reporting lawso States needed to implement laws to receive federal child protectionfunds- Definitions of what is to be reported vary by state to stateo 50% do not report poverty- related neglecto 22% do not include emotional abuseo 55% omit educational neglecto 24% do not include medical neglect- Broad definitions result in high reporting rates- “Good Faith” reportingo If you see something that you think is abuse and report (may or may not be true)o Most states have laws that protect someone who reports abuse in “good faith”o People reporting in good faith cannot be sued o People who deliberately and falsely report abuse can be sued Most common in custody battles- Anyone can report anonymously - All states now have laws requiring professionals to report (mandatory reporters)- Some states require ALL citizens to reportWhat if you do not report?- Research suggests that only 40% of abuse cases are reported - Failure to report can result in being charged with a Class B misdemeanor- Professionals may be held accountable and lose their licenses to practiceWhen and Where to Report- Report ASAP- Child protective serviceso Handles investigating o May refer to police- Law enforcemento Handles criminal chargeso Better response from policeWhat to report- Name, age, and home address of the child - Name and address of parents or other person responsible for the child’s care- Whereabouts of the child - Nature and extent of the abuse/neglect- Identity of any individual responsible for the abuse or neglect- Any other information that would help determine the cause of the abuse or neglect“Professional”- Anyone who works with children and families including:o Medical personnelo School personnel Including the janitoro Legal and law enforcement professionalso Child care personnelo Counseling and psychology professionalso Camp and youth counselors o Leaders of youth groupso Social service personnel - Need to have training in recognizing child maltreatment- Should know their state’s laws regarding reporting- Deal with confidentiality issues early in the professional relationship- If the child discloses abuse, the professional must report- if the professional has suspicions:o do not immediately dismiss the issueo evaluate furthero if dismissed, follow up and monitor- if uncomfortable with the situation, get someone else with experience- Informing parents of the chargeso This may put the child at risko The child may need to be placed in protective custody prior to informing the parents- Keep good records- Follow up with any agencies - Participate in on-going trainingDecision to Report- Situation influenceso Victim attributes Age, how seriouso Type and severity of abuse- Legal Factorso Knowledge of the law- Professional characteristico Years of experience o Level of training o Experience reporting- Organizational factorso Ethical guidelineso Formal reporting guidelines However, the initial reporting is still responsible o Institutional policyo Support for reportingNo matter what you MUST report!!Costs and Benefits of Reporting- Costs of reportingo Disruption of therapy/treatmento Reliance on CPS to handle the investigationo Family faces CPS and legal investigation- Benefits of reportingo Stops the abuseo Maintains trust The child knows someone is looking out for them o Upholds the law- Costs of not reportingo Potential for more abuseo Potential for legal action o Potential for professional action - Benefits of not reportingo Maintains confidentialityo Protects the child/family from the “system” But doesn’t stop abuseo Neither is an excuse for not reportingResponding to Disclosure (Handout)- When a child discloses abuse:o Be on the same eye level as the childo Be tactful (don’t look shocked)o Be calm, do not react with shock or disgusto Asses the child’s safety needs and the urgency o Validate the child’s feelingso Believe the child and be supportiveo Assure the child that you careo Assure the child that he/she is not to blameo Let the child know what you will doo Tell the child you are glad that he/she told youo DO NOT interview or interrogate the childo Let the child tell his/her own story; leave out your own assumptions Don’t dig  Just listen to their storyIn Sum- If a child discloses abuse, you are legally and ethically obligated to report- If you suspect abuseo Disclose your observations to a professional for guidance on what to doo Report in “good faith”- If you don’t report, who will??Recognizing Physical Abuse (Handout)- Physical indicatorso Unexplained bruises, burns, fractures, lacerations, or abrasionso- Behavioral indicatorso Wary of adult contactso Apprehension when other children cryo Behavioral extremeso Frightened of parentso Afraid to go homeo Reports injuryRecognizing Physical Neglect (Handout)- Physical Indicatorso Constant hungero Poor hygieneo Inappropriate dresso Consistent lack of supervisiono Unattended medical needso