Part II: Child abuse: protection from, prevention of and prosecution for

February 23, 1:47 PMDallas Parenting ExaminerChristy Coffman

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A fellow Examiner posted an interesting comment to part one of this series that mentioned we were all raised in a “don’t get involved” society. She’s right. We are taught to not interfere in other’s family business. Guess what? It’s time to interfere. As a matter of fact, some of us are obligated to interfere, or rather report any suspected signs of physical abuse.

Signs of Physical Abuse

Consider the possibility of physical abuse when the child:   

Consider the possibility of physical abuse when the parent or other adult caregiver:   

Reporting Suspected Child Abuse

All States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands have statutes identifying persons who are required to report child maltreatment under specific circumstances.

Professionals Required to Report

Approximately 48 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands designate professions whose members are mandated by law to report child maltreatment. Individuals designated as mandatory reporters typically have frequent contact with children. Such individuals may include:   

 Reporting by Other Persons

In approximately 18 States and Puerto Rico, any person who suspects child abuse or neglect is required to report. These voluntary reporters of abuse are often referred to as "permissive reporters."

Standards for Making a Report

The circumstances under which a mandatory reporter must make a report vary from State to State. Typically, a report must be made when the reporter, in his or her official capacity, suspects or has reasons to believe that a child has been abused or neglected. Another standard frequently used is when the reporter has knowledge of, or observes a child being subjected to, conditions that would reasonably result in harm to the child. Permissive reporters follow the same standards when electing to make a report.

Most States maintain toll-free telephone numbers for receiving reports of abuse or neglect. Reports may be made anonymously to most of these reporting numbers, but States find it helpful to their investigations to know the identity of reporters.

What do I do if I think someone is abusing a child? 

If a child discloses that he or she has been abused by someone, it is important that you listen to them most of all.
DO NOT
• Investigate
• Ask leading questions (a question that suggests the answer or contains the information the questioner is looking for – That man touched you, didn’t he?)
• Make promises
• Notify the parents or the caretaker
DO
• Provide a safe environment (be comforting, welcoming, and a good listener).
• Tell the child it was not his/her fault
• Listen carefully
• Document the child’s exact quotes
• Be supportive, not judgmental
• Know your limits
• Tell the truth and make no promises
• Ask ONLY four questions
• What happened?
• Who did this to you?
• Where were you when this happened?
• When did this happen?
• Asking any additional questions may contaminate a case!
Report it!
• Call your local law enforcement agency
• Call your local Child Protective Services Agency
 

Child Abuse is Under Reported

Even the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, the primary organization responsible for collecting data on child abuse and neglect, states that the incidence numbers they report are underestimates. The reality is that all forms of child abuse are greatly under reported and underestimated in current research. Accurate statistics on the prevalence of abuse are impossible to gather at this point.

There is no more a way to determine by how much abuse is under reported than there is a way to determine how much abuse is occurring.

Why Don’t Some People Report Child Abuse and Neglect?

The reasons for the under reporting are a mixture of the obvious and the not so obvious. It's obvious that victims almost never tell people about their abuse. They have very reasonable and rational fears of retaliation, as well as more complicated emotional reasons for not reporting. Victims of abuse often deny abuse even after it has been reported. It's also obvious that it can be hard to tell if an injury is a result of abuse or a result of an honest accident. Still, given the number of people who are required to report abuse, it would seem that fewer children would fall through the cracks of the system.

Among the most frequently identified reasons for not reporting are lack of knowledge about child abuse and neglect and lack of familiarity with state reporting laws. Other reasons people don’t report include:   

Although these feelings are understandable and it can be frightening to respond to suspected child abuse and neglect, the consequences of not reporting your worries to child welfare professionals could be seriously detrimental to a child’s safety. In some cases, they might even be life threatening. So don’t be afraid to call and ask for help. The safety of a child is at stake.
 

Sources:www.americanhumane.org; Child Welfare Information gateway; www.findcounseling.com; www.childhelp.org.

Part three of this series will be posted on February 23, 2009.

To read Part I: Child abuse: protection from, prevention of and prosecution for, click here.