Because schools are often the first line of defense in addressing child abuse/neglect, it is important to keep school business officials and other education leaders updated on this troubling issue so they can protect their students.
Given the widespread mistreatment of children, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have adopted protection and reporting statutes, with variations in how they define abuse/neglect, identify who is subject to these laws, and penalize noncompliance.
As illustrated by Ohio’s statute, for example, child protection-reporting laws cover a wide array of educational personnel as mandatory reporters: “licensed school psychologist; …administrator or employee of a child care center; administrator or employee of a residential camp, child day camp, or private, nonprofit therapeutic wilderness camp; administrator or employee of a certified child care agency or other public or private children services agency; school teacher; school employee; school authority;…superintendent or regional administrator employed by the department of youth services; superintendent, board member, or employee of a county board of developmental disabilities;….”
Statutes require individuals to file good-faith reports of abuse/neglect directly with state-level child protection agencies rather than in their local districts. Personnel who fail to comply with reporting laws can face serious consequences, including dismissal from their jobs.
Require regular professional development sessions for all staff members to update them on the law and provide them with information about indicators of possible abuse/neglect along with how to fulfill their roles as mandated reporters.
Educators’ Responsibilities
Because complying with child abuse and neglect reporting laws requires school boards to work with their employees, SBOs and other education leaders must devise and enforce their policies to ensure that all students are protected from harm.
Aware of their duty to keep all employees informed, including, but not limited to, teachers, counselors, administrators, cafeteria and maintenance workers, coaches, and bus drivers/monitors, when implementing state laws and local policies, SBOs, their boards, and other education leaders may wish to keep the following suggestions in mind:
- Include representatives of key constituencies on the policy writing/revising team to ensure a variety of perspectives. Committees should include the SBO, a board member, the board attorney, central office and building-level administrators, teachers from different levels of schools, a staff member, a school nurse, a school counselor/psychologist, a staff member from a local mental health facility who works with abused and/or neglected children, a social worker, a medical doctor, a representative of a local hospital or healthcare facility, a faculty member from a local college or university, a parent, and perhaps an upper-level high school student.
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- Physical: Intentionally using force that can result in bodily injury.
- Sexual: Completing or attempting sexual acts with children.
- Emotional: Harming children's self-worth or emotional well-being by name-calling, shaming, rejecting, and/or withholding love.
- Neglect: Failing to meet the physical and emotional needs of children, including housing, food, clothing, education, and medical care, and ensuring their overall well-being.
- Clarify the duties of educators, reiterating the need to promptly report suspected abuse/neglect directly to the appropriate state agencies while maintaining confidentiality to protect all parties, including the accused, who remains innocent until found liable or guilty. As a backup, reporters should also inform their principals or other relevant administrator so local educational officials know what is happening.
- Direct employees and students to cooperate if state officials are present in schools investigating abuse/neglect claims.
- Require regular professional development sessions for all staff members to update them on the law and provide them with information about indicators of possible abuse/neglect along with how to fulfill their roles as mandated reporters.
- Sessions should be delivered by professionals in such areas as child development, psychology, medicine, and law to identify whether children have been abused and/or neglected, as well as how to respond to protect those who have been victimized.
- Identify the types of questions staff members may face when calling in reports, such as who is involved, what happened, when and where suspected abuse/neglect occurred, and whether it is continuing or has stopped so they can be best prepared to provide accurate information.
- Ensure that staff members receive hard copies of handouts, links to relevant websites, and phone numbers to call to make reports. These materials should be included in employee contracts and handbooks and posted in conspicuous locations in staff lounges.
- Include information in student handbooks, materials sent home to parents, and district websites about relevant state laws on filing good faith reports.
- Call for regular public information sessions about child abuse-neglect detection and reporting, presented by the same professionals who met with school staff, to heighten awareness of this crime and how it can affect learning communities,
- Mandate age-appropriate instruction for all students.
- Identify staff members with whom children can speak confidentially if they are threatened, are victims of abuse/neglect, or know someone who is being mistreated.
- Reassure children who have made reports that they have done the right thing and that help should be forthcoming.
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- Offer confidential, free, or low-cost counseling to students who were abused/neglected and their parents, siblings, and peers to help them overcome the emotional traumas they suffered.
- Require writing and revising teams, including the SBO, to meet at least annually to evaluate and, if necessary, revise their policies to ensure consistency with state law and best practices when dealing with child abuse/neglect.