Teach

Child abuse and neglect is a serious issue for early care and education. A single lesson cannot teach you everything you need to know. However, this lesson gives a basic introduction to the topic. More detailed information is available in the Virtual Lab School courses,Child Abuse: PreventionandChild Abuse: Identification & Reporting。

Early childhood professionals are mandated reporters. This means that you and all the staff members you serve are legally bound to report suspicions of child abuse or neglect. It is your job to ensure that staff members demonstrate competence in child abuse identification, prevention, and reporting procedures. This lesson will give you information to help you do your job.

什么是虐待和忽视？

What are the Signs of Abuse or Neglect?

每个孩子都是不同的。任何一个行为可能不会necessarily be a symptom of abuse or neglect. If there is a pattern of behavior or multiple signs, however, you may have a reason to be concerned. As a trainer or coach, it is your responsibility to make sure staff members know the signs. “Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Symptoms” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) offers a list of child and parent behaviors that may be signs of abuse. This tool is available at the bottom of this page. Share this tool with staff members. Talk about signs. Answer staff members’ questions.

教学人员使用他们的观察技巧及其对每个孩子的知识。提醒他们，像日常健康检查一样的活动（在健康课程中讨论）是他们积极主动地注意到虐待或忽视的实际方法。虐待可以在家里或节目中发生。您必须准备员工在两个设置中寻找滥用的迹象。

Teach staff members what to do if they suspect abuse or neglect. Procedures may vary across programs, states, and countries. Provide training, forms, and follow-up support to help staff members know what to do when they encounter suspected cases of abuse.

Model

在整个课程中，经验丰富的老师将分享她的经历报告虐待儿童虐待和忽视。这些视频示例可用于与员工分享，他们想知道他们的感受和经验是“正常”。请记住，这三个经历发生在不同的时期和不同的节目中。别担心：滥用和忽视很少是工作人员每天甚至每年遇到的东西。

防止儿童在家里虐待和忽视

您和计划人员可以为家庭提供资源和模型有效的解决方法解决方法。您可以确保最大限度地减少儿童虐待和忽视的风险。您可以将您的角色视为教育家庭，并提供对虐待儿童的认识和忽视的认识。

To minimize the risk of abuse and neglect, your program can serve families on three levels (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Consider ways you might support your program in the following ways:

1. Your program can make parents aware of the resources around them. You can hang posters about positive parenting techniques. As a trainer, you can host parent education nights about nurturing, attachment, or positive discipline. Your program can organize family support groups. These supports could benefit all of the families in your community, regardless of risk for child abuse or neglect.
2. Your program may identify families most at risk for child abuse or neglect, perhaps based on recent traumatic life changes, such as deployment or loss. Your program or community can organize a parent education class specifically about dealing with deployment stress or loss. You can help families find respite care. These interventions can meet families where they are and help them meet their own needs.
3. Your program might serve families who have already experienced abuse or neglect. These families need systematic, individualized supports. At this level, your program should connect families with mental health support for parents and children, mentoring programs, or specialized support groups.

在第一个视频中，PAM描述了她的经验报告儿童忽视。特别注意她如何令人怀疑，她注意到的迹象以及积极的结果。

防止儿童虐待和忽视现场

很可能你的程序already has features in place to reduce the risk of child abuse. Many newer facilities are built with vision panels so individuals can see into the classroom from the hallway and outside. Restrooms for young children are built with low barriers rather than doors. Surveillance cameras, visitor sign-in procedures, and daily health checks are all part of a comprehensive system for preventing child abuse.

全面的儿童指导政策和触控政策也有助于保持安全。您必须确保程序的触控政策，并使其可供工作人员使用。每个工作人员必须充分了解政策及其作为专业人士的职责。永远不要允许员工使用苛刻的纪律做法。永远不会使用以下实践：

• 击中，打屁股或其他物理行为
• 分离成人视线
• Confinement, binding, humiliation, or verbal abuse
• Deprivation of food, outdoor play, or other program components

该re is also a lot staff can do in their classrooms to promote safety for children. Good room arrangement and design is the first step. Inspect the classrooms to make sure there are no blind spots. Staff members need to be able to see all children at all times. Be aware of the behaviors you heard described in the video. If you notice an adult acting strangely, act on your suspicions. Use the checklist provided in the Apply section to make sure you are doing all you can to keep children safe.

如果我怀疑孩子被虐待或被忽视，我该怎么办？

You and the staff have a responsibility to report a suspected case of abuse or neglect. It is not your job to identify the abuser. All you need to do is suspect abuse and allow investigators to do their jobs. Reporting requirements vary from state to state and program to program.

如果您怀疑滥用或忽视，您可以在1-800-4-a-child（1-800-422-4453）上致电儿童Help国家虐待热线。这条线每周7天24小时开放，可以帮助您找到紧急资源。

Follow all procedures required at your place of employment.

Listen as Pam shares a second experience.

在家里报告滥用和忽视

呼叫后要期待什么

报告涉嫌儿童虐待或忽视可能是教师的紧张事件。在呼叫后致力于自己准备自己和员工是很重要的。

Watch this video to hear about the emotions and events that might follow a report of child abuse or neglect. What advice does she give across these videos about making the call? Preparing for the call?

In most states, reports will be evaluated by Child Protective Services. If there is enough evidence to warrant an investigation, a caseworker will initiate the investigation. Children, families, and caregivers may be contacted and interviewed. Child Protective Services will determine whether the claim is substantiated and whether the child is safe in the home. If the report of abuse involves alleged criminal acts, law enforcement will be contacted and the investigation will be conducted jointly.

It is important to prepare yourself and your staff emotionally for what follows a report. First, you need to help the reporter understand that he or she may never learn the final outcome of the report. They may only receive confirmation that the report is being investigated. Second, some families remove their child from the program after a report of child abuse or neglect. Both of these events are normal and can be expected. Some staff members fear that making a report may get the child in trouble and may lead to more abuse. It is also the case that you and the staff likely have a relationship with these families. Perhaps they are your friends or neighbors. It can be difficult to make a report when you are afraid of damaging the relationship or opening yourself up to retaliation. Remind staff they have done the right thing. Do not let fear of what might happen next stop them from doing what they can to protect the child.

It can be especially difficult to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect when the alleged perpetrator is one of your co-workers. Staff members might doubt themselves or question what they saw. They might worry about how that individual or other staff will treat them. They might be afraid of publicity or damaging the reputation of your program. They might even be discouraged from reporting by coworkers or leaders. Remind staff members it is their job to keep children safe and to speak for children. Always encourage staff members to trust their instincts. If they suspect abuse or neglect, make a report. As a trainer, be sensitive to the conflicting emotions staff members feel when they suspect abuse or neglect. Support staff members and help them know how to follow your program’s reporting procedures.

倾听另一个儿童开发专业人员在计划中享有不当行为的经验。

儿童开发中心问题

照顾好自己,并鼓励员工to take care of themselves, too. Protecting a child who is experiencing trauma can be an exhausting and emotionally draining experience. You are likely very invested in this child’s health and safety. You have spent hours worrying about this child’s well-being and wondering what to do. You can seek out the help of a mental-health specialist in your program. Seek out time with friends and family. You should also be sure to keep healthful habits like eating well, exercising and sleeping.

obs

Use the checklist provided in the Apply section to assess how well staff members prevent and respond to suspicions of abuse.