When Should Teachers Report Abuse?

A Child Abuse Investigator Offers Tips for Educators

An ordinary school day begins, overcast and cloudy. The classroom is filled to capacity and noisy with children eager to begin another day's school project. The little girl in the front row with long dark hair and big blue eyes arrives dirty and says she is hungry because her mother doesn't have any food. The teacher observes a fading bruise beneath the girl's eye. Over several months, the teacher has noticed the girl's bruised legs, and arms with healing sores.

The child has been referred to the school nurse because of chronic lice, dental neglect, and poor hygiene. School staff, particulary her teacher, are frustrated and suspect something is wrong at home. Calls to home generally elicit angry outbursts-Mom has made it clear she doesn't appreciate the school intruding on her family and tells the teacher as much. The teacher decides it's time to contact child protective services (CPS) and file a report of suspected child abuse.

Sound familiar?

According to the U.S. Children's Bureau, "More than half (approximately 53%) of all reports alleging maltreatment came from professionals, including educators, law enforcement and justice officials, medical and mental health professionals, social service professionals, and child care providers."(1)

David Finkelhor, Director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center and Codirector of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire says, "The key problem is educators are confused about what child protection does and whether it does any good." Finkelhor, who has been studying child victimization, child maltreatment, and family violence since 1977, adds, "There is the other problem that schools may not support the reporting process."
What Is a Teacher Expected to Report?
Teachers are in a unique position to observe and report suspected allegations of child abuse and neglect, but it's a precarious position for educators-especially neophytes struggling to comprehend various community systems and the vast arena of child abuse reporting laws.

Credits: Children's Voice Article, November 2001