Help Stop Child Abuse

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Help StopChild Abuse

• What You Need to Know . . .

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The Problem

• Nation 2002
• 2.6 million total reports
• 896,000 real incidences
• Over ½ of all victims are under the age of seven
• Over 75 of child fatalities as a result of child
  abuse and neglect are children under the age of
  four
• The leading cause of maltreatment death is
  neglect
• In 73 of children who were sexually abused, the
  abuse lasted more than 5 years

• Georgia 2003
• 92,612 total reports
• 27,911 real incidences
• Every 30 minutes a child
• is a confirmed victim
• 70 fatalities
• 66 of child deaths related to abuse or neglect
  were determined to be preventable
• 83 of abusers are the parents of the child

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Types of Abuse

• Neglect
• Physical
• Sexual
• Emotional

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Possible Signs of Neglect

• Physical Neglect
• Not Providing
• Adequate food clothing
• Appropriate medical
• care
• Supervision
• Proper weather
• protection
• (heat coats)
• Can include
• Abandonment

• Behavior
• Stealing food
• Constant fatigue
• Inappropriate seeking
• of attention

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. . . more Possible Signs of Neglect

• Psychological
• Lack of any
• emotional support and love
• Never attending to
• the child
• Spousal abuse
• Drug alcohol abuse including allowing
• child to participate
• in drug and alcohol
• use.

• Educational
• Failure to provide
• appropriate
• schooling
• Failure to provide
• special education
• needs
• Allowing excessive
• truancies

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Home Alone

• DFCS policy states
• Children 8 or younger should NEVER be left alone.
• Children 9 -12 may be left alone for up to two
  hours at a time.
• (Based on maturity level)
• Children 13 older who are sufficiently mature
  may be left alone and may act as a baby-sitter as
  authorized by parents or caretakers for up to
  twelve hours.

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Possible Indicators of Physical Abuse

• Behavioral Signs
• Wary of adult contact
• Aggressiveness or withdrawal
• Afraid to go home
• Manipulative behavior
• Poor self-concept

• Physical Signs
• Unexplained bruises welts
• Unexplained burns
• Unexplained fractures/dislocations
• Bald patches on scalp

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Possible Indicatorsof Sexual Abuse

• Physical Indicators
• Difficulty in walking or sitting
• Pain when urinating
• Excessive masturbation

• Behavioral Indicators
• Sophisticated sexual
• knowledge
• Aggressive acting out
• Poor peer relationship
• Reports sexual abuse
• Sexually acting out on younger children

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Possible Signs of Emotional Abuse

• Physical
• Speech disorders
• Behind in physical
• development
• Failure to thrive
• Hyperactive/disruptive
• behavior

• Behavioral
• Bad Habits
• Conduct/learning
• disorders
• Behavior extremes
• Suicide attempts
• Behavior development lags

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Georgia Law

• School employees are mandated reporters (follow
  protocol of reporting)
• Immunity from liability
• Confidential
• Failure to report GUILTY
• of misdemeanor

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Responses to Avoid

• Are you sure this is happening?
• Are you telling me the truth?
• Why are you telling me?
• Let me know if this happens again.
• Why didnt you stop it?
• What did you do to make this happen?

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Good Responses to a Child

• I believe you.
• Im glad you told me.
• It is not your fault this happened.
• (Sexual) abuse is wrong.
• I will do whatever I can to help you.

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Reporting Abuse

• Immediately tell the Counselor
• If a Counselor is not available, talk with an
  Administrator.
• No Counselor, No Administrator, (Have secretary
  or ASP Dir. contact Admin. by cell phone)
• Call Susan Goethe or Brian Otott (BOE)
• (if Administrator cannot be contacted)
• Information needed Childs name, Parents name,
  address, phone number.

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Just think . . .You might just save a childs
life!