Below is a paper that I wrote in my last year of my undergrad in 2019 for an education course that I took to prepare me for my Bachelor of Education. It details how child abuse is a wide spread problem that teachers often have to face and have a duty to report, but the difficulty that can come in that. Reading back on this paper I can see one of the reason I chose to become a teacher; to help. I think that we as teachers can often get lost in the day to day, the paper work, and academia. But often the reason we became teachers, or at least one of the reasons I did was to help make the world a better place and to be a source of inspiration and aid to those who need it.
If a child is in immediate danger, call police (call 9-1-1 or your local police) to intervene and a child protection social worker should be contacted to determine whether the child is in need of protection.
If you think a child or youth under 19 years of age is being abused or neglected, you have the legal duty to report your concern to a child welfare worker. Phone 1 800 663-9122 at any time of the day or night.
Chris Taylor
Prof. Christine Lee Abbot
Edu200
06/11/2018
Research Paper
Child Abuse is a widespread problem that many teachers face within the educational system, ranging from physical abuse that can leave children with cuts bruises and even broken bones to the more hidden forms of abuse such as neglect and emotional abuse which can affect children’s self confidence and how they function among their peers. According to a report by the CDC 1 in 7 children have reported being abused, with many researchers theorizing that the actual statistics of abuse among minors being much higher. Rates of abuse are five times more likely to occur to children born into poverty and abuse costing up to $124 billion to investigate and defend against within the United States alone. (CDC.Gov) Child Abuse is a debilitating and horrid issue that faces the education system; this paper explore the effects that abuse has on children within the education system and the long lasting effects of abuse, as well as researching the ongoing systems in place within the educational system to recognize, prevent, and aid in cases of suspected abuse.
Abuse affects millions of children in the United States alone with children who’ve been exposed to abuse growing up with depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and even suicidal tendencies. (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, 2018). Abuse can also result in in the warping of personal identity, boundaries and ability to self regulate internal emotions and relationships.
Identity can be classified as “a consistent sense of personal existence, of an internal locus of conscious awareness.” This state of identity is a tool that is useful in the face of traumatic events and upsets in both personal and professional relationships as one grows older and develops as a human being. Confidence in this state of identity is essential to the individual allowing them to respond from a secure internal psyche. Children and adults who have a firm state of identity are able to engage with challenging external and internal stimuli in a readily organized and confident manner without excessive confusion or disorientation. Individuals who’ve experienced abuse and have a fractured or deflated sense of identity are less stable and may “lose track” of themselves in the face of upsetting events or challenging external stimuli. This may lead them to becoming easily overwhelmed. As well they may become less internally organized and confident at times when their awareness of their own needs, perspectives, entitlements, and goals are most necessary and essential to overcoming their obstacles. This damaged sense of identity and self esteem is especially challenging during the adolescence age as children are developing and trying to establish their sense of identity and their brains are developing how to react to the stimuli around them, as this is compromised it can create deep seated internal challenges that can only be overcome through rigorous therapy and medication via a registered doctor. (Briere, J.; 1997)
Sense of Boundary is also affected by a history of abuse. Boundary refers to “an individual’s awareness of the demarcation between self and other.” Children with poor or weak boundaries have difficulty knowing where their identities, needs, and perspectives end and where the requests, demands and obligation to others’ begin. This damaged of self and boundaries allows others to intrude on, and manipulate a child’s sense of boundary and personal comfort. This is especially present amongst children whom have been abused sexually. An absence of boundaries when confronted with a conflict or an issue that conflict with their sense of boundaries and comfort can reduce the individual’s ability to negotiate personal interactions and relationships between peers this can create difficulties in self discrimination, help seeking, self-assertion, and struggles between right and wrong particularly in the face of victimization, and their trust in relationships. (Briere, J.; 1997)
These difficulties in sustaining identity and boundaries also decreases their affect regulation which allows them to reduce or change negative mental states including self-soothing, positive self-talk, placing upsetting events in perspective, and self-distraction. This also affects an individual’s ability to experience sustained negative effects without having to resort to external activities that distract or soothe, or avoidance through the use of disassociation or psychoactive substances. Frustration, anxiety, anger, aggression, self-injurious activities, sexual “acting out,” or other forms of externalization are outlets that adolescents who experience abuse may engage in.Children who’ve experienced abuse are also at increased risk for smoking, alcoholism, and drug abuse as teens and adults. As well as being about 25% more likely to experience problems such as delinquency, teen pregnancy, and low academic achievement in comparison to their peers.
Those with a history of abuse are also at a higher risk of developing chronic diseases and injuries as adults including being at risk for obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, as well as a higher risk for cancer, lung disease, liver disease, high cholesterol and having higher than average levels of C-reactive protein. (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, 2018).
In sum the effects of child abuse on adolescents well being is astronomical and impacts the child’s social, emotional, physical and economic well being for the their entire lives. This leaves the question of how one can prevent and aid in a child’s development well being in cases of abuse; particularly as an educator and role model in a adolescents developmental golden age.
Educators play an important role in cases of child abuse, as they are in many cases role models and in a position of trust to their students. As well educators, spend a large percentage of a students life in contact with them being a source of relief from the troubling and damaging homelife that children experience. As such educators in many cases are the best sources of noticing if a child’s academic or personal life is changing or if their developmental process is lacking in comparison to their peers; which many be a sign of abuse or other troubling personal issues. Despite this The role of the schools is limited to identifying, reporting, and creating a safe space, at school, for children who may have been abused. (“Child Abuse: The School’s Role – Dr. Kenneth Shore”, 2018)
There are many physical and behavioural indicators or “warning signs” of possible child abuse or neglect that educators should take care to look for in students; particularly if these behaviors or indicators are new and deviate from the norm. Though educators should be wary; by themselves, these indicators do not prove that a child/youth has been abused or neglected and can result from a variety of phenomena such as divorce, separation, a death of a significant family member or friend or even with the new stress of a new sibling. Thus why educators should leave investigations into family and incidents of abuse to be fully assessed by child welfare workers. (The B.C. handbook for action on child abuse and neglect, 2014) Indicators of child abuse can be a variety of different psychological and physical symptoms for instance a child that has recurring injuries, injuries that are in variety of stages of healing, or has bruises and welts that look like that were created by an object such as a belt or hand may be experiencing physical abuse at home, though these symptoms may also be present in a child who is more physical and rough houses with siblings or friends. Thus psychological symptoms are important in identifying and differentiating atypical injuries and symptoms; thus a child who presents injuries as described above who are also regularly reluctant to go home, who may insist on covering their arms or legs to hide injuries, flinch at touch or authority. Indicators as such are heavy indicators that abuse may be present in the child’s life. At this point educators who notice these symptoms and suspect cases of abuse have a responsibility to report suspected abuse to a school counselor, principal, or welfare authority who will be able to investigate and engage with the family of the the child in question. (Crosson-Tower, 2003) In addition to the moral responsibility to report teacher are also be required by law to report suspected abuse. In the United States every state legally mandates that educators report suspected child abuse and neglect. A mandated reporter is anyone required by State law to report maltreatment to the designated State agency. However, some States clearly define that teachers, principals, nurses, and counselors are included in this mandate, while other States designate all school personnel. In addition, almost every State levies a penalty against mandated reporters who choose not to report. This penalty ranges from a fine, a misdemeanor charge, or time spent in jail. Until recently, most States did not strictly enforce these penalties, but this has changed within the last few years. As well all States provide immunity from civil liability and criminal penalty for mandated reporters who report in good faith. (Crosson-Tower, 2003)
After abuse has been reported the proper authorities and local police will investigate the suspected reports of abuse and will act accordingly, the reporting teacher may be required to provide as much information as they can about the student and may be involved in aiding in interviewing the child as a trusted mentor. Many schools also provide in school mentoring and programs to aid children who have experienced abuse or maltreatment, or children who may come from impoverished families. This include counselling, after school activities, as well schools may be able to provide free or reduced-price breakfasts, lunches, field trips, and extracurricular activities, and for children who need them, the school may be able to arrange for glasses, hearing aids, or prosthetic devices. Many schools also maintain an emergency supply of clothing and shoes so that children without them can receive them quickly and quietly. Helping the children whose families experience financial difficulties can lessen the level of stress and frustration, which helps lower the risk of maltreatment. (Crosson-Tower, 2003)
Abuse is a debilitating problem that affects nearly 20% of children with many children not receiving the basic necessities such as food and decent shelter. Children who experience abuse are not only harmed from the initial abuse but can experience debilitating emotional and mental problems such as depression and anxiety, and are more likely to develop addictions to drugs and alcohol and develop chronic illnesses such as obesity and heart disease in comparison to their peers. Abuse is a lifelong struggle that many children unfortunately face and thus educators have a moral, and in many times legal, obligation to report suspected cases of abuse. Fortunately educators are trained to be able to recognize and report suspected cases of abuse, as well many schools have educational programs to prevent and aid children who’ve experienced abuse, as well as financial and meal programs to aid children from impoverished families. With this increase in education and programs many hope to end the systematic roots of poverty and emotional toll on children, thus ending the cycle of abuse.
Bibliography
- Child Abuse and Neglect: Consequences. (2018). Retrieved from http://National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention
- Briere, J. (1997). Treating adults severely abused as children: the self-trauma model. In D. A. WolfeR. J. McMahon & R. D. Peters (Eds.), Banff International Behavioral Science Series: Child abuse: New directions in prevention and treatment across the lifespan (pp. 177-204). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781452231938.n8
- “Child Abuse: The School’S Role – Dr. Kenneth Shore”. Dr. Kenneth Shore, 2018, http://drkennethshore.nprinc.com/for-teachers/child-abuse-schools-role/. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.
- [Ministry of Children and Family Development]. (2014). The B.C. handbook for action on child abuse and neglect. [Victoria, B.C.].
- The Role of Educators in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect
- Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/CAN-factsheet.pdf
- Crosson-Tower, C. (2003). The role of educators in preventing and responding to child abuse and neglect. [Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect.