1. COLLINSVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TRAINING
PRESENTER:
KEYLEE TESAR MS LPC

2. ABUSE AND NEGLECT

3. WHAT IS ABUSE
Child abuse is defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as any recent act or failure to act that results in a child’s serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, exploitation or death. An act or failure to act that presents a risk of serious harm to a child is also considered to be child abuse.
Oklahoma statutes define child abuse as harm or threatened harm to a child’s health, safety or welfare by a person responsible for the child. This includes non-accidental physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, or neglect (Title 10, Section 7102).

4. TYPES OF ABUSE
Physical:A non-accidental physical injury as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking, hitting, burning or otherwise harming a child, that is inflicted by a parent, caregiver or other person who has responsibility for the child. Such injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caregiver intended to hurt the child.
Sexual:A form of child abuse that includes any sexual act performed with a child by an adult or older child, with or without force or threat of force. It may start as seemingly innocent touching and progress to more serious acts, including verbal seduction or abuse, anal or vaginal intercourse, oral sex, sodomy, manual stimulation, direct threats, implied threats or other forms of abuse.
Emotional:A pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth. This form of abuse is almost always present when other forms of abuse are identified. It may include constant criticism, threats or rejection, as well as withholding love, support or guidance. Emotional abuse is often difficult to prove and, therefore, Child Protective services may not be able to intervene without clear evidence of harm to the child.
Psychological:This is a pattern of behavior that affects a child’s sense of worth by communicating to the child that he or she is not worthy, loved or important.Psychological abuse may include harsh demands, constant criticism, threats and yelling. Witnessing other violent incidents such as, domestic violence or school violence is also a form of psychological abuse due to the intense fear it produces and the indirect threat to a child’s safety.

5. WHAT IS NEGLECT
Child neglect is the leading form of child abuse in the United States and occurs when a caretaker fails to provide for a child's basic needs, which include adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, supervision medical care or safekeeping. As a result of such treatment, the child's physical, mental, or emotional development can be impaired.
Neglect is the MOST COMMON form of maltreatment and accounts for roughly 78.3% of charted cases.
Don’t forget about “failure to protect”. This is separate from the legal definition of abuse and neglect however it is a reportable offense and the obligation of the district to report.
Medical Neglect: If a child has a doctor’s orders to receive medical care or to routinely taken medication and a parent/guardian fails to meet this need, this is medical neglect and must be reported

6. The Facts
Mothers are the most likely to abuse their children, as they are the perpetrators in 52.6% of all child fatalities
35.8% of child fatalities are linked directly to neglect
Child abuse kills nearly 5 children everyday in the US
A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds
1 in every 25 children in the US are neglected and abused
Before they turn 18, 1 in 6 boys will experience some form of sexual abuse.
28% of males that are victims of rape report occurrences to place before age 10.
1 in 4 girls experience some form of sexual abuse
60% of abusers are non-relative acquaintances such as family friends, babysitters or neighbors
30% of abusers are related to their victims.
Only 10% of child sexual abusers are strangers

7. Behavioral and Psychological
KNOW THE SIGNS OF ABUSE
Behavioral and Psychological
Behavior extremes, such as appearing overly compliant and passive or very demanding and aggressive.
Withdrawn and/or overly sensitive behaviors
Increased fear or avoidance of a specific person and/or situation
Difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings
Substance use
Changes in eating and sleeping patterns
Anxiety and/or excessive worrying
Low self-esteem
Uncharacteristic obedience or perfectionism
Strong feelings of shame or guilt
Programmed statements or behaviors
Developmental
Failure to thrive socially and academically
Speech disorders
Delayed physical development
Attachment issues, such as discomfort with physical contact or difficulty connecting to others
Lags in physical, emotional or intellectual development
Learning disorders

8. KNOW THE SIGNS OF ABUSE Physical Sexual Bruises, welts or swelling
Sprains or fractures
Burns
Lacerations or abrasions
Frequent physical complaints, such as stomachaches and headaches
Fatigue
Bedwetting
Regression
Sexual
Difficulty in walking or sitting
Torn, stained or bloody clothing
Pain or itching in the genital area; bruises or bleeding in the external genital area
Sexually transmitted infections or diseases
Pregnancy
Knowledge of or interest in sexual behaviors that are not age appropriate
Enuresis and Encopresis
Grooming behaviors
Excessive masturbation in young children

9. KNOW THE SIGNS OF NEGLECT
Child consistently arrives hungry, begs for food
Untreated lice, distended stomach, emaciated
Child has poor hygiene: matted hair, dirty skin, or severe body odor
Evidence that parents have left the child alone, or have left a child to care for younger siblings when the child is too young to do so
Child is not taken to a doctor for physical problems or medical needs
Constant fatigue, listlessness, or falling asleep
Frequently absent or tardy
Abandonment

10. LONG TERM EFFECTS: Anxiety Depression Dissociation
Difficulty concentrating
Academic problems in school-aged children and adolescents
Withdrawn and/or difficulty connecting with others
Flashbacks
Increased hypervigilance
Difficulty sleeping
Substance abuse
Suicide
Abuse changes the prefrontal cortex of the brain
Changes to the stress response system

11. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Domestic violence should be reported!
The emotional toll on children who witness threats or violence against others can be substantial, especially when those involved are familiar to the child and the violence takes place in the home. Children may be affected when they witness domestic violence, regardless of whether or not they are directly abused.
Current research has found that children exposed to domestic violence are at an increased risk for emotional and behavioral problems, including anxiety, depression and academic problems. The research also suggests that some children who have witnessed domestic violence show no symptoms of psychological distress.
Children's responses may depend on the severity and frequency of the abuse, the availability of family and community support, and the child's resilience. Once their safety is assured, most children can overcome the effects of trauma through professional counseling or other supportive interventions.

12. CARETAKER CHARACTERISTICS
Consistent failure to keep appointments (neglect)
Forgetting medication or inconsistent with medication (neglect)
Uses harsh or inappropriate discipline (physical)
Offers illogical, contradictory, or no explanation for injury (physical)
Extremely protective or jealous of the child (sexual)
Non-abusing caretaker may be frequently absent thereby allowing abuser access to the child (sexual)
Withholds affection or love (emotional)
Seems unconcerned about the child’s problems (emotional)
CARETAKER CHARACTERISTICS

13. KNOWING HOW TO TALK TO CHILDREN
Give them your undivided attention and provide them with a private time and place to talk.
Reassure them that they have done the right thing by telling or asking for help
Inform them that you are required to talk with the school counselor about abuse and that the information may need to be reported to OKDHS
Do NOT express shock or criticism of their family
Reassure the child that the abuse is not their fault, that they are not bad or to blame
Use their vocabulary to discuss body parts
Talk to the child about the differences between good secrets and bad secrets
Don’t badger or overwhelm them with questions
Determine their immediate need for safety
Let the child know what will happen when you report
KNOWING HOW TO TALK TO CHILDREN

14. COLLINSVILLE REPORTING POLICY
All concerns should be reported to school administration.
The building principal or designee, the reporting employee, the school nurse, counselor and any other employee who the building principal believes may have had an opportunity to observe the student shall review the available information and indications of abuse and/or neglect. If the group determines that there is a reason to believe the student may be experiencing abuse and/or neglect, a call should be made to DHS to report the concerns
If the employee involved in the review believes a report should have been made when it was not or at any point believes that the student is in imminent physical danger, the employee should report the situation to DHS, with or without the concurrence of the other employees involved. The employee making the report shall notify the building principal.
If a call is made to DHS, a written report must be completed detailing the call and information given. This information should be filed in a SEPARATE file then the students general file. A copy of the report shall also be maintained by the District in the office of the superintendent or designee.
If investigators appear in person at the school to speak with the student, the building principal may permit the investigator access to the student. The principal, counselor, or teacher may be present but shall not participate in the investigators interview.
Oklahoma law provides that any school employee who in good faith AND exercising due care who makes a report to DHS or other law enforcement OR allows access to a child by persons authorized to investigate a report concerning a child, shall not be liable in damages to any person in the event the report is inaccurate.

15. REPORTING ABUSE When to report:
A report should be made EACH TIME there is a reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused or neglected or is in danger of being abuse. If you are worried about a child, consult with the school counselor before taking the next step in reporting.
Who must report:
Every person, private citizen or professional, who has reason to believe that a child has been abuse, is mandated by law to promptly report suspected abuse to the OKDHS Hotline. Failure to do so is a misdemeanor. A person making a report, in good faith, is immune from civil or criminal liability. The name of the reporter is kept confidential by OKDHS.
How is abuse reported:
Please contact school administrators such as the school counselor prior to making a call to OKDHS
OKDHS has a 24 hour statewide Child Abuse Hotline:
Be prepared with information about the child and other children living in the home as well as resident information, description of suspected abuse or neglect and the current condition of the child.

16. DOCUMENTATION AND FOLLOW UP
Reference number:
Request a reference number and document the reference number. Keep this documentation in a safe and confidential place.
Follow up:
Responsibility doesn’t end with making a phone call to DHS. Follow up should be done within 10 days of making a DHS call. Request a final result of the case and document the results.
Screened out
Unsubstantiated
Substantiated
Regardless of the outcome, if situations persist, keep calling!
Never assume someone else is calling
If you make a call to DHS please pay attention to the child's attendance for the next 10 school days especially. If the child starts missing school for unknown reasons, contact school administration immediately.

17. Online Professional Development Course
You have completed the study portion of the Child Abuse and Neglect and Child Sexual Abuse
Online Professional Development Course
To receive professional development credit and confirm participation click or paste the link below and complete the quiz.