Child Abuse Packet 2Revised June 27, 2005 |
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Bernard, Bonnie, “New Research Adds to
Knowledge of Resiliency” |
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Specific Points · One out of every three high-risk children developed into a “competent, confident, and caring young adult by age 18, of the remaining two out of three high-risk adolescents, two-thirds became successful adults by age 32! 1. Werner and Smith clearly establish the “self-righting tendencies that move children toward normal adult development under all but the most persistent adverse circumstances. 2. If children encounter persons who provide them with the secure basis for the development of trust, autonomy, and initiative competence, confidence and caring can flourish. 3. Positive buffering relationships make a more profound impact on the life course of children who grow up under adverse conditions than do specific risk factors or stressful life events. 4. It is never too late to change a life trajectory from despair to on of hope and success. · Its also never too early! · By learning about resilience, you can become resilient – that you can master your painful memories rather than tripping the “victim trap”. · You can get revenge by living well. · You can break the family cycle of your family troubles and put the past in its place. Seven traits of resilience that develop when children actively learn to watch out for themselves, identify allies outside of the family, and engage in rewarding activities: (1) insight, (2) independence, (3) relationships, (4) initiative, (5) creativity, (6) humor, and (7) morality. From pain we learn forgiveness From fear we learn faith From disappointment we learn nonattachment From isolation we learn intimacy From obligation we learn loving kindness Challenge to Care in Schools: Care for self, for intimate others, for associates and acquaintances, for distant others, for nonhuman animals, for plants and the physical environment, for the human-made world of objects and instruments, and for ideas. When we care, we accept the responsibility to work continuously on our own competence so that the recipient of our care – person, animal, object, or idea – is enhanced. Caring for the whole child is the key to academic success, and that mutual respect and positive expectations are the operating dynamics. You can not teach and empower children to be successful if you do not hold yourself to be so. Everything that you are and all that you believe in is transmitted to your students on some level. Caring is the strong resilient backbone of human life. |
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Harvard Mental Health Letter |
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Specific points: · Early experiences can have a profound long-term effect on the biological system that govern responses to stress. · A threat to survival or bodily integrity mobilizes the body and mind for fighting or fleeing. o Blood pressure and blood sugar level rise, breathing and heart rate increase, muscles tense, and we feel anger, anxiety or fear. · If the stress response is provoked too often or for too long, it becomes less adaptive. o A person under chronic stress, with no hope of relief, is constantly on guard and never able to relax, psychologically or physiologically. The feedback mechanism loses its sensitivity and the system fails to shut off. · It has long been known that childhood abuse and neglect and the loss of a parent are associated with adult psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. · Childhood trauma and loss can cause prolonged hypersensitivity to stress upsetting the regulation of the HPA axis and sympathetic nervous system. · Learning more about the biological consequences of child maltreatment through brain imaging and molecular genetic studies will help in defining more precisely the cause and nature of depression, anxiety, and PTS symptoms. · This may improve our understanding of how resilient children maintain hope, control anxiety, and achieve normal development despite abuse and neglect.
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Upon executing a search on Child Abuse the following Web Sites and articles came up. Encyclopedia Britannica = Results 3,974 Britannica Student Encyclopedia =Results 1,144 The Web’s Best Sites = Results 1022 Multi Media = Results 34 (Although not all child abuse media) http://capcenter.org/: Child Abuse Prevention Center http://www.preventchildabuse.org/: Prevent Child Abuse America http://www.childabuseprevention.org/: Child Abuse Prevention Association http://child.cornell.edu/: Child Abuse Prevention Network http://www.musc.edu/cvc/candis.htm: The Child Abuse and Neglect Database Instrument System Child Abuse article: http://search.eb.com.og-ariel.stmartin.edu/eb/article?tocId=9024056&query=child%20abuse&ct=
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Working With The Abused Child in the Classroom |
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Classroom Strategies The classroom teacher can play a significant role in the rehabilitation of an abused child by acknowledging, but not dwelling on, the situation and then creating a supportive and safe environment for the child. This can be accomplished by:
2. Structure-Structure will be the child security initially until they can mobilize on their own. 3. Identity-Give the child information about himself. Let the child express feelings without giving advice. 4. Consistency and Predictability- The child needs to be able to predict your behavior and it is important to be clear about expectations. Respond immediately to inappropriate behavior. 5. Sense of Belonging-Display the child’s work. Make sure he/she is included. Reinforce relationships. 6. Intimacy in appropriate ways-Be genuinely radical. Establish a relationship. When comfortable touch occasionally with permission (on the shoulder, elbow, etc) 7. Approval-Acknowledge the child; a nod, wink, warmth in your voice- however you feel most comfortable. 8. Enhancement of positive self concept- Let the child know he/she is valued, accepted, and capable. 9. Support for the Family-Respect and support the child’s family. Respect the family’s privacy. |
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Child Sexual
Abuse |
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· Reports up to 80,000 times a year for child sexual abuse. · The long-term emotional and psychological damage can be devastating. · When the sexual abuse has occurred, the child develops a variety of distressing feelings and thoughts. · No child is psychologically prepared to cope with repeated sexual stimulation. · The child may be threatened and fear for his/her family if they tell. · A child who is the victim of prolonged sexual abuse usually develops o Low self esteem a feeling of worthlessness and an abnormal perspective on sexuality. Withdrawn, and mistrustful of adults, and can become suicidal. · Some sexually abused children become child abusers or prostitutes. · Often there are not physical signs of child abuse, or signs that only a physician can detect. · Children of sexual abuse may exhibit the following behaviors; o Unusual interest in or avoidance of all things of a sexual nature. o Sleep problems or nightmares o Depression or withdrawal from friends and family o Seductiveness. o Refusal to go to school, delinquency. o Secretiveness. o Aspects of sexual molestation in drawings, games, fantasies. o Unusual aggressiveness. o Suicidal behavior. · Preventative Measures; o Teach children, SAY NO and tell someone you trust right away. o Teach children that respect does not mean blind obedience. o Encourage prevention programs in local schools. · Sexually abused children and their families need professional evaluation and treatment. o Such treatment will reduce the risk that the child will develop serious problems as an adult.
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Responding to
Child Sexual Abuse |
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The following guidelines should be used when responding to children who say they have been sexually abused. · Encourage him/her to talk freely. Don’t make judgmental comments. · Listen to the child, show them you understand. The reponse to the disclosure of sexual abuse is critical to the child’s ability to resolve and heal the trauma of sexual abuse. · Assure the child they did the right thing by telling. · Tell the child they are not to blame for the sexual abuse. · Finally, offer the child protection, and tell the child that you will help to get the abuse to stop. What to do · Report any suspicion of child abuse. o If the abuse is in the family call CPS, if the abuse is outside of the family, report it to the police or district attorney’s office. o You are immune from prosecution if you reported in good faith. · Referral to an abuse clinic or a physician who specializes in evaluating and treating sexual abuse. · The child may be asked to testify. A psychiatrist will evaluate for special considerations. · The abused child should never be blamed. · WHEN A CHILD TELLS SOMEONE ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE, A SUPPORTIVE, CARING RESPONSE IS THE FIRST STEP IN GETTING HELP FOR THE CHILD AND REESTABLISHING THEIR TRUST IN ADULTS. |
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Sex abuse leaves
kids powerless |
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· Sexual abuse usually occurs as part of a cycle. · A child molester or rapist nearly always has been molested or abused as a child. · Sexual abuse can be about power and powerlessness. o The molester may be trying to regain power he lost as a child by taking it sexually from another child. · The victim may feel it their fault. · Female victims tend to become adult victims, while male victims tend to replay the molester role. · A child molester-is calculating in their psychological grooming, threats, and demands. · A child molester – will often delude himself that he care for his victims and is sharing affections, not harming them. · A sexually abused child will often turn off her physical feelings. · As adults, victims often have trouble enjoying any physical touching. · Deep feelings of shame and guilt. · A greater feeling of being betrayed-particualry when the child is being abused by a parent and suspect the other parent knows. Victims find it almost impossible as adults to trust others. |
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Romance starts
with lie, end in tragedy |
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· The label of a sex offender can be devastating to a person. · Teenagers/young adults need to be careful when engaging in sexual relationships. Age is very important. May not be too rude to ask for ID if you are the older person. · Orientation to the legal system and what to really expect may help ease fears. · Sad story to see a young man loose all hope for living. · No mention of the girl and how she handled the trauma. I’d be interested to see how this affected her. |
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How to Handle
Disclosure |
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If a student discloses to you that she has been abused, it is crucial that you do not show disbelief, anger, or any other emotions you experience. The following points may assist you in responding in a more appropriate way.
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Reporter’s Rights |
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1. You may not be sued for making a report as long as that report was made in good faith. 2. You may not report anonymously. 3. CPS will not tell the parent that you made the report. Your name should be taken off the report before it is shown to the parents or their representative. You may want to specify that you want your name confidential, requesting your name not be given out as the report.. 4. You may not be harassed at home or work. 5. You may not be threatened physically or verbally. If this occurs you should file a report with law enforcement. |
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Documentation |
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· Learning to Document is a smart, easy, practical way to protect yourself and to manage an effective classroom. · Notes can be used to jog your memory, to put happenings in perspective and to maintain your credibility. · Keep a set of personal notes or a documentation notebook. These notes are not part of the permanent official school record. · Suggestions of 3X5 cards, spiral notebook, three-ring binder, etc>I’d probably use the computer. |
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Parents work to
discipline without damage |
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· Where is the line between discipline and abuse? · Legally, its abuse if it leaves a more than a transitory mark-a red mark that fades quickly would not signify abuse, but a bruise, welt or cut that remains would. · How can parents regain control of themselves, while still teaching their children to behave? · Parents Helping Parents o A support group for parents who want to learn healthy discipline methods and how to handle their own frustrations. o Facilitators talk about setting healthy boundaries, managing anger, and emotions, step parenting, self-esteem and more. · Parents realize that was considered discipline when they were young is now considered abuse or at least considered inappropriate. · Many parents today are isolated with few support system/family. · What do you do? · Parents should take care of themselves.
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Understanding and
reporting child abuse: legal and psychological perspectives: |
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· Emotional abuse and secondary abuse of children are as at least as damaging to adjustments as physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. · It is more difficult for mandated reporters to recognize and document emotional and secondary abuse. · Psychological harm may actually have a more profound negative impact on development than physical abuse. · Adult behavior that can make a child feel worthless o Rejection, isolation, terrorizing the child, ignoring the child, and corrupting the child. · The report probably won’t observe the parent emotionally abusing the child, although they have a much greater opportunity to observe the child. · Although almost all states refer to mental injury or emotional abuse in their reporting provisions, most do not clearly define what is meant by those terms. · Parental substance abuse is usually a significant predictor of child emotional abuse. · Not all emotionally abusing parents are substance abusers. · Emotionally abusing parents not only ridicule their kids, but they typically do it in front of others. · Emotionally abusing parents typically have unrealistic expectations regarding their children’s behavior and accomplishments. · In some cases, parents lack empathy even for their own children, so that they fail to consider the pain they inflict when they insult, berate, and belittle these children. · Social norms support the view that we should be able to raise above insults. o Sticks and stone will break my bones but names will never hurt me. · Emotionally abusive parents are frequently themselves survivors of one or more forms of child abuse. · 3 per 1000 in the population suffered demonstrable harm as a result of the emotional abuse they experience. · The prevalence of emotional abuse, coupled with the severity of the damage associated with such abuse, clearly justified the need for CPS to develop standards in governing the conditions that justify intervention in families in that emotional abuse appears to be occurring. · Children have limited experiences and generally believe that their parents and other important adults tell them. (1) Emotional Abuse-of exposure to a traumatic event contained in the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. (1) The person experience, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved “actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others” and (2) the person’s response involved “intense fear, helplessness, or horror.” This could also included verbal insults or other statements that might be expected to hurt one’s feelings. (2) Emotional Abuse-A pattern of psychically destructive behavior inflicted by an adult on a child. (3) Emotional Abuse-forms of punishment involving the tortuous restriction of movement, including (1) tying a child’s arms or legs together or binding the child to a chair or bed, or (2) confining the child to an enclosed area, such as a closet. (4) Emotional Abuse-has occurred when an act or failure to act results in a non-accidental serious mental injury defined as a psychological condition, as diagnosed by a physician or licensed psychologist, that (1) renders a child chronically and severely anxious, agitated, depressed, socially withdrawn, psychotic or in reasonable fear that the child’s life or safety is threatened. (2) Seriously interferes with a child’s ability to accomplish age-appropriate developemental social tasks. Emotional maltreatment-a repeated pattern of parent or caregiver behavior that conveys to a child that he or she is worthless, flawed, unloved, unwanted, endangered, or only of value to meet someone else’s needs. Verbal or emotional assault-habitual patterns of belittling, denigrating, scapegoating, or other forms of overtly hostile or rejecting treatment, as well as threats of other forms of maltreatment (such as threat of beatings, sexual assault, abandonment, etc.)-Intention to damage the child’s self-concept. Mental Injury-an injury to the emotional well-being, or intellectual or psychological capacity of a child, as evidenced by a substantial impairment in the child’s ability to function. Effects of childhood emotional abuse-the numbing of affect, difficulty sleeping, irritability and/or outburst of anger, difficulty concentrating, hypervigilance, and exaggerated startle response. Secondary Abuse-occurs when a child observes abuse behavior acted out between the parents. · Interpersonal or intimate partner violence is a problem of great magnitude that can significantly impact the short and long term development of children who are exposed to such violence in their homes. This includes minor aggressive acts of throwing, shoving and slapping as well as major aggressive acts of beatings, forced sex, and threats with a deadly weapon, and homicide. · Predictors of domestic violence-poverty, substance abuse, depression, and a history of domestic violence within one’s family of origin. · According to the Social Learning Theory, men may learn to abuse their female partner by observing their fathers. Women as children observed their fathers abusing their mothers may have come to believe that such abuse is to be expected in relationships with men. · Partner abuse may occur early in relationships, although it more frequently emerges over time. · Mothers who report domestic violence do increase the risk of losing custody of their children so they are afraid to report the violence. · Possible 10 million children a year witness domestic violence. There is no doubt that such abuse occurs frequently enough to represent a significant public health problem. · Not all children that observe domestic violence will have problems. Although ½ of the children exposed to domestic violence display traumatic stress symptoms. · Children exposed to domestic violence generally have more emotional and behavioral problems, less social and cognitive competence, and exhibit more health problems than children not exposed to domestic violence. They manifest a disproportionately high incidence of internalizing pathology and have been described as more anxious, sad, worried, fearful and withdrawn. They are likely to be classified as inappropriately aggressive, noncompliant, disruptive and antisocial. They develop adjustment disorders and deficits in cognitive functioning The data strongly suggest the need for additional training of CPS workers in identifying domestic violence. Mandatory reporters should advocate for development of systems that consolidate the function of protecting the child with that of ensuring the safety of the abused parent.
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Child Abuse and
Neglect: A Practical Guide for Professional School Counselors |
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Introduction · Procedural uncertainty can cause anxiety · Only a small percentage of suspected abuse cases known to school personnel were reported to CPS for formal investigation. · Abuse- The infliction of physical harm upon the body of a child by other than accidental means, continual psychological damage or denial of emotional needs. · Neglect-The failure to provide necessary food, care, clothing, shelter, supervision or medical attention for a child. Prevalence and Severity of Child Abuse · Determining whether to report suspected child abuse is the second most frequently reported ethical dilemma in School Counseling. · Approximately 5 millions cases of suspected abuse were reported to CPS during the year 2000 in the US, and 2400 children were found to be victims of abuse each day. · Actual numbers are probably much higher · At least five students have been or will be reported as being possible victims of abuse in a typical teacher’s classroom per year. · 3-5 children die every day as a result of abuse. · Boys and girls suffer physical abuse equally, although girls are four times likely to experience sexual abuse. · Reporting suspected child abuse is not only a moral/ethical/legal decision, it is a life-or-death decision. Potential Consequences of Abuse · Child abuse affects all of society, from the offended to every social institution, including school and mental health agencies. · Long term consequences-possible brain damage, developmental delay, learning disorders, problems forming relationships, aggressive behavior, depression, low academic achievement, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, sexual re-victimization, and criminal behavior. · Immediate Effects-feeling helpless, hopeless, and ashamed, unworthy to have friends, fearful of the family secret, isolation, and withdrawal, pessimistic feeling about self, self-blame, guilt and shame, etc. · School Counselors need to be able to identify the symptoms of maltreatment as early as possible and intervene appropriately. · Early identification and intervention for these students may reduce the potential consequences of the abuse. Ethical Obligation and Legal Statutes Associated with Abuse · School Counselors have a moral, ethical and legal obligation to students who have experienced abuse. · It is essential that School Counselors be knowledgeable about their state’s law regarding abuse. · ASCA’s 2004 Ethical Standards for School Counselors state, a School Counselor ethically is knowledgeable of laws, regulations, and policies relating to students and strives to protect and inform students regarding their rights. o keep informed of legal statutes and policies regarding abuse o protect their students by disclosing confidential information with/without consent o report such information to the appropriate authorities if abuse is suspected. · 1974-National Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act · 1978 –Child Abuse Prevention And Treatment Act · 2003-Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 · Child abuse and Neglect- o Physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment of a child under the age of eighteen or the age specified by the child protection law of the state in question, by a person who is responsible for the child’s welfare under circumstances which indicate that the child’s health or welfare is harmed or threatened thereby. · School Counselors are criminally liable is they fail to report suspected abuse. · School Counselor’s are immune from criminal/civil lawsuits for reporting in good faith. Symptoms of Abuse Signs of Possible Physical Abuse Signs of Possible Sexual Abuse Signs of Possible Emotional Abuse Signs of Possible Neglect Guidelines for Reporting Suspected Cases of Abuse Prevention and Education Programs Supporting Parents, Families and Students |
