This document provides information on recognizing and reporting child abuse, including signs of physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional maltreatment in both children and parents. It outlines policies for reporting all diagnosed or suspected cases of abuse to the state agency hotline. Reporting mechanisms include notifying the administrator, assisting with the referral, ensuring follow up by both agencies, and documenting all actions. Staff receive training on identification, reporting policies/procedures, and their responsibilities through orientation, annual in-services, and outside programs.

1. Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse

2. An Abused Child
• Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance
• Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the
parents' attention
• Has learning problems that cannot be attributed to specific physical or
psychological causes
• Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen
• Lacks adult supervision
• Is overly compliant, an overachiever, or too responsible
• Comes to school early, stays late, and does not want to go home.

3. The Abusing Parent
• Shows little concern for the child, rarely responding to the school's
requests for information, for conferences, or for home visits
• Denies the existence of or blames the child for the child's problems in
school or at home
• Asks the classroom teacher to use harsh physical discipline if the child
misbehaves
• Sees the child entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome
• Demands perfection or a level of physical or academic performance the
child cannot achieve

4. The Parent and Child
• Rarely touch or look at each other
• Consider their relationship entirely negative
• State that they do not like each other.
• None of these signs proves that child abuse is present in a family. Any of
them may be found in any parent or child at one time or another. But
when these signs appear repeatedly or in combination, they should
cause the educator to take closer look at the situation and to consider
the possibility of child abuse. That second look may reveal further signs
of abuse or signs of a particular kind of child abuse.

5. SIGNS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE
Consider the possibility of physical abuse when the child:
• Has unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes
• Has fading bruises or other marks noticeable after an absence from
school
• Seems frightened of the parents and protests or cries when it is time
to go home from school
• Shrinks at the approach of adults
• Reports injury by a parent or another adult caregiver.

6. SIGNS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE
Consider the possibility of physical abuse when the parent or other
adult caregiver:
• Offers conflicting, unconvincing, or no explanation for the child's
injury
• Describes the child as "evil," or in some other very negative way
• Uses harsh physical discipline with the child
• Has a history of abuse as a child.

7. SIGNS OF NEGLECT
Consider the possibility of neglect when the child
• Is frequently absent from school
• Begs or steals food or money from classmates
• Lacks needed medical or dental care, immunizations, or glasses
• Is consistently dirty and has severe body odor
• Lacks sufficient clothing for the weather
• Abuses alcohol or other drugs
• States there is no one at home to provide care.
Consider the possibility of neglect when the parent or other adult caregiver:
• Appears to be indifferent to the child
• Seems apathetic or depressed
• Behaves irrationally or in a bizarre manner
• Is abusing alcohol or other drugs.

8. SIGNS OF SEXUAL ABUSE
Consider the possibility of sexual abuse when the child
• Has difficulty walking or sitting
• Suddenly refuses to change for gym or to participate in physical activities
• Demonstrates bizarre, sophisticated, or unusual sexual knowledge or behavior
• Becomes pregnant or contracts a venereal disease, particularly if under age fourteen
• Runs away
• Reports sexual abuse by a parent or another adult caregiver.
Consider the possibility of sexual abuse when the parent or other adult caregiver:
• Is unduly protective of the child, severely limits the child's contact with other children, especially of
the opposite sex
• Is secretive and isolated
• Describes marital difficulties involving family power struggles or sexual relations.

9. SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL MALTREATMENT
Consider the possibility of emotional maltreatment when the child
• Shows extremes in behavior, such as overly compliant or demanding behavior, extreme passivity or aggression
• Is either inappropriately adult (parenting other children, for example) or inappropriately infantile (frequently
rocking or head-banging, for example)
• Is delayed in physical or emotional development
• Has attempted suicide
• Reports a lack of attachment to the parent.
Consider the possibility of emotional maltreatment when the parent or other adult caregiver:
• Constantly blames, belittles, or berates the child
• Is unconcerned about the child and refuses to consider offers of help for the child's school problems
• Overtly rejects the child.

10. Reporting Child Abuse
Policy for Reporting all Diagnosed or Suspected Cases of Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation:
1. Reports of Child Abuse:
●
Any persons having reasonable cause to believe that a child has been subjected
to child abuse or acts of child abuse shall report the same promptly to the State
agency hotline for child abuse.
●
Such reports, where possible, shall contain the names and addresses of the child
and their parents, guardian, or other persons having custody and control of the
child, and if known, the child’s age, the nature and extent of the injuries, abuse,
or maltreatment, and any other information that may be helpful with respect to
the child abuse and the identity of the perpetrator.

11. Reporting Mechanisms
Mechanisms for coordinating and reporting of suspected cases of child abuse and/or neglect:
a) The Administrator will be notified
b) The Administrator or designee will assist in the referral, collect necessary data, ensure the
case is reported to the Child Welfare office, insure follow up and coordinate both agencies
c) All actions taken by the Agency staff will be recorded in the clinical record
Operating Hours:
Staff office hours are M-F 8am to 6pm. Each staff member is given the number for reporting
purposes.

12. Reporting Mechanisms (continued)
Protocols for Identification and Referring Suspected Cases of Abuse and/or Neglect:
a. Staff members have the opportunity to assess the physical/emotional status of children/families.
The following observations may indicate a need for referral:
Primary detection - Beginning symptoms of child neglect, e.g., inadequately fed
infant, infant rejected, emotional deprivation, inadequate
parenting skills, etc.
Secondary detection - Definitive symptoms of child abuse, e.g., multiple fractures,
circular lesions indicating burns, malnutrition, failure to
thrive, welts on body, severe physical illness and/or
handicap affecting either children and/or parents, indications
of sexual abuse

13. Reporting Mechanisms (continued)
b. Recording and reporting:
– Factual evidence must be accumulated
– Data should be pertinent
– Explicit statements about a child's appearance and family
interactions and quoted statements of family members are of
value
– Discuss referral with family.

14. Education and/or Training
1) Orientation for new staff includes in-services regarding responsibilities to
report suspected cases.
2) In-service education is provided to all appropriate staff regarding the
identification and reporting of diagnosed and suspected cases of child
abuse and neglect and regarding the above policies and procedures, on at
least an annual basis.
3) Staff is sent to programs on abuse/neglect sponsored by other agencies,
as appropriate.
4) Board of Directors, through the Administrator is kept abreast of current
problems and trends.