Recognizing
The term for intended, non-accidental physical injury or cruelty to a child.
What is physical abuse?
Do or Don't?
Keep a disclosure confidential.
DO keep disclosures confidential.
This keeps students safe, gives them trust in the adults at school and respects their privacy.
Report a child protection concern only to the counselor or administrator/ crisis management team. Do not talk about the situation with other staff members or students.
Confidentiality and mandatory reporting are not mutually exclusive.
True of False? Only teachers, safeguarding team and administrators must report child protection concerns.
FALSE: All staff are mandatory reporters and should report any concerns to a counselor or administrator.
The Headteacher; if it is about the Headteacher we should report to DSL of IFtL or the Chair of Governors.
Who do we report any concerns we have about an adult to?
The following signs may indicate this kind of abuse:
Not receiving medical attention, poor hygiene, stealing food or school supplies, frequent absences, limited parent communication
What is neglect?
Do or Don't?
After a disclosure, you should stay calm and listen without judgment.
DO stay calm and listen without judgment.
The step to take after "Reporting" a concern.
What is "Recording?"
True or False?
You should hug a student who is crying.
FALSE.
Maintain appropriate physical boundaries at all times, and touch students - when necessary - only in ways that are appropriate, and in public and in a non-sexual way.
Some reasons for this:
-Not everyone likes hugs
-Culture or religion
-School is a professional environment
-It leaves a door open for sexual predators to touch students
-It protects you from false accusations of abuse and from students misunderstanding your intentions.
The following signs may indicate this kind of abuse: Sexual behavior/knowledge inappropriate for a child’s age, trouble walking or sitting, complaints of genital pain.
What is sexual abuse?
Do or Don't?
Promise to keep a child protection disclosure a secret.
DON'T.
Never keep secrets if you have a child protection concern. All school staff members are obligated to report any child protection concerns.
Secrets and confidentiality are not the same. You can report a child protection concern to a member of the safeguarding team and it can remain confidential.
True or False?
Child protection concerns need to be reported to a member of the safeguarding team within 48 hours.
FALSE.
You must report a child protection concern within 10 mins.
True or False?
Always be visible when working with students. Avoid being alone with students at school activities.
TRUE.
True or False? Sexual abuse can occur without physically touching the victim.
TRUE.
Examples: Exposure to sexually explicit material, communicating sexually explicit messages
Do or Don't?
Ask leading questions when you have a child protection concern.
DON'T.
The child should be given time to tell you in their own words.
The designated staff members who oversee CPOMs report at our school.
Who are the Safeguarding Team?
True or False?
It is okay to engage in private communications with students (via text messaging, email, or any forms of electronic or social media) except for activities strictly involving school business.
FALSE.
The following signs may indicate this kind of abuse: Social withdrawal, loss of interest/enthusiasm, uncontrollable crying, fear of adults, recurrent somatic symptoms (i.e. headaches, etc.), chronic anxiety
What is emotional/psychological abuse?
Do or Don't?
Before reporting, be sure to begin the investigation.
DON'T investigate.
Be sure to report to a member of the safeguarding team as soon as possible. They follow the protocol and have education, training, and experience with child protection reports.
Asking too many questions of the child, peers, or family members could backfire.
For example, if the person who did the abuse finds out about the investigation too soon, they could manipulate the child into silence.
These are the preferred mediums for making a child protection report.
What is a face-to-face conversation and follow-up CPOMs reporting?
Tell a member of the safeguarding team in-person, as soon as possible. Make sure that you received a response to your report if you could not talk with them face-to-face.
The name of the document that we all agreed to and signed to the risk of harm to students and that also protects staff.
What is the IFtL Signing Agreement?