Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect October 6, 2010 Presented by Amy Hada and Laura Lambert

Facts and Figures In , Mecklenburg County DSS investigated 12,283 children, 4905 (40.33%) of these children were ages 0-5. In 2008, 33 children died at the hands of their parents or caregivers in North Carolina, 2 were in Mecklenburg County. 27 of the children who died at the hands of their parents or caregivers were 5 years old or younger.

How does this impact us? Child abuse and neglect can be prevented “We must weave increased support for parents and parenting into the fabric of our healthcare system, schools, and communities” – Donna Alberton, President of Prevent Child Abuse NC A number of programs and strategies have been effective in preventing maltreatment, including skill based education efforts to help parents raise healthy successful children More at Four is a program that targets at risk families and can help to prevent child maltreatment

The truth about abuse and neglect Child abuse occurs in all ethnicities, cultures, education levels, and socioeconomic divisions of society The emotional pain and trauma suffered by children who are abused and neglected often trouble them throughout their lives Children who are abused or neglected are often more aggressive and disruptive in the classroom

What is Child Abuse? Child Abuse is non-accidental injury or pattern of injuries to a child There are 3 types of Child Abuse – 1. Physical Abuse – actions that result or could result in serious physical injury – 2. Sexual Abuse – any sexual behavior imposed on a child – 3. Emotional Abuse – expressing attitudes or behaviors toward a child that create serious emotional or psychological damage

Neglect Neglect is defined as any serious disregard for a juvenile’s supervision, care or discipline

Signs of Possible Physical Abuse Have unexplained bruises in various stages of healing (bruises will be different colors) Exhibit self-destructive behavior Have welts, human bite marks, bald spots Have unexplained burns, especially cigarette burns or glove-like burns Have unexplained fractures, abrasions, or other injuries Exhibit nervous, hyperactive, aggressive, disruptive, and destructive behaviors Be unusually wary of physical contact Be unduly frightened of parent or caretaker Expresses little or no emotion when hurt Be unduly shy, withdrawn, and passive Be nervous around adults Be watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen Be unable to concentrate at school Suddenly underachieve – or overachieve – at school Find it difficult to trust other people and make friends

Signs of Possible Emotional Abuse Have speech disorders or have difficulty learning to talk Exhibit delayed physical or emotional development Have ulcers, asthma, severe allergies Have habit disorders, sucking, rocking Be unduly passive and undemanding Have very low self-esteem and think badly of themselves Be extremely demanding, aggressive, and angry Be antisocial, destructive Be depressed and/or suicidal Be attention seeking Exhibit delinquent behavior, especially in adolescents Find it hard to develop close relationships Be overly friendly with strangers Be unable to play imaginatively Underachieve at school

Signs of Possible Sexual Abuse Engages in sexual activity not appropriate for the child's age Has a detailed and sophisticated understanding of sexual behaviors Goes back to behaviors such as bed-wetting, speech loss Be unable to sleep or suffer from sleep disturbances or nightmares Has pain, itching, bruising, or bleeding in the genitalia Has venereal disease Has frequent urinary tract or yeast infections Behave differently when the abuse starts Be secretive and stop talking about home life

Possible Signs of Neglect abandonment by parent or caretaker unattended medical needs consistent lack of supervision consistent hunger, inappropriate dress, poor hygiene lice, distended stomach poor social skills indiscriminate with affection pale, listless, begs or steals food, frequently absent from school falls asleep in class, regularly displays fatigue self-destructive

Duty to Report Legal Requirements for the Public N.C.G. S. §7B-302(b) is North Carolina’s mandatory reporting law that states " Any person or institution who has cause to suspect that any juvenile is abused, neglected, or dependent, as defined by N.C.G.S. §7B-301, or has died as the result of maltreatment, shall report the case of that juvenile to the director of the department of social services in the county where the juvenile resides or is found." The intent of this legislation is to encourage reporting to the proper authority situations in which children may be at risk. It does not require that the reporter possess any information beyond a cause to suspect abuse or neglect. The reporter is not required to have witnessed the abuse or neglect or to have firsthand knowledge. N.C.G. S. §7B-302(b) N.C.G.S. §7B-301 A person who makes a report of suspected child abuse, neglect, or dependency is immune from civil or criminal liability, if the report was made in good faith according to N.C.G.S. §7B-309. This statute also guarantees immunity to anyone who cooperates with DSS in its CPS assessment, testifies in any court action resulting from the report, or participates in authorized procedures or programs for screening and responding to reports of abuse, neglect, or dependency.N.C.G.S. §7B-309

Your Responsibility Once you are suspicious about abuse or neglect, it is your legal duty to report You do not need proof to report; you only need reasonable cause to suspect If you report in good faith, you are immune from liability All NC citizens are required by law to report Failure to report is a misdemeanor offense

How to Make a Report In Mecklenburg County, call CARE (2273) Plan for a 20 – 30 minute conversation Plan to leave a phone number where you can be reached The conversation will include background information, demographics, and your concerns and information

Guidelines to Making a Report The person who receives first hand information from the child should make the report Gather all pertinent information (i.e. cum. folder) Make the report the same day, as soon as possible. Make the report in a confidential location

When a Child Discloses: the Do’s and Don'ts Remain calm and in control of your feelings in front of the child Listen carefully to what the child is saying Tell the child that you believe them Tell them that it wasn’t their fault Validate their feelings Tell the child you are glad that he or she told you

Do’s and Don’ts cont. Don’t make promises you cannot keep Don’t push the child to give you details about the abuse Don’t ask direct questions of the child Don’t discuss what the child told you with others who are not directly involved with helping the child

You Can Make a Difference Repeatedly, survivors of child abuse and neglect name a teacher or another member of the school family who made a real difference in their lives. The actions of these special adults help them to heal and avoid repeating the negativity of their own childhood. You can make a difference in the life of a child at your school

References and Resources 1. Department of Social Services: Youth and Family Services (Mecklenburg County) CARE(2273) Home.htm Home.htm 2. NC Department of Health and Human Services 24-Hour CARE-LINE Information and Referral Service (English/Espanol) 3. Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina Phone: CHILDREN Fax: