IN THIS ISSUE
Abusive Head Trauma is Deadliest Form of Abuse
Reporting Abuse is Everyone's Responsibility
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OTHER NEWS
Call for Proposals:
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The 25th Annual "Kids Are Worth It!" Conference on Child Abuse & Neglect will be held in New Orleans, January 19-21, 2011. Workshop proposals should be submitted to PCA Louisiana no later than July 30th. Click here for an application.
New Sexual Predator Laws Take Effect in LA
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On July 7, Governor Bobby Jindal signed five bills into law to strengthen the ability of law enforcement to track down and punish sexual predators that prey on children. Click here to read more about the governor's new laws.
For the latest information on PCA Louisiana's prevention efforts, subscribe to our monthly
e-newsletters! Email us at prevent@pcal.org with "Subscribe" in the subject line. |
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Your small investment in our organization will support statewide initiatives to prevent child abuse before it begins. Click here to find out how you can help.
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WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A "MANDATORY REPORTER" |
How important are mandatory reporters? In many cases their intervention can mean the difference between a child’s life and death. We often are not privy to the details of what happens to a child once
they are removed from a dangerous and abusive environment. On the rare occasion that we do hear how a child’s life was changed once someone took the necessary steps to protect the child, we are reminded that whether the law requires us to report suspected abuse and
neglect or not, we all have a responsibility to protect children. |
Tristen's Story
Tristen lived with his uncle and aunt, and at the age of 8 his body was no larger than a 4 year old’s. Tristen slept on a feces, urine and blood-soaked mattress. He wasn’t allowed to eat with the family, but was forced to watch as the parents and their two biological children ate at the kitchen table. Fortunately for Tristen, one of the children’s soccer coach often drove her home from practice. The coach was never allowed in the house but he often got a glimpse of the small, dirty boy. The coach didn’t want to take any chances and decided to report the family to child protective services. Upon the case worker’s first visit to the home, she saw enough evidence of neglect that all three children were removed from the house. Today, Tristen lives with a loving foster family and is experiencing a life he always deserved, but knew nothing about.
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As mandatory reporters and concerned citizens, we are obligated to ensure that helpless and defenseless children grow up in safe and healthy environments. If you suspect the abuse or neglect of a child as described below, it is your duty to do something to help the child and the family.
Abuse means any one of the following acts which seriously endanger the physical, mental, or emotional health and safety of the child:
(a) The infliction, attempted infliction, or, as a result of inadequate supervision, the allowance of the infliction or attempted infliction of physical or mental injury upon the child by a parent or any other person.
(b) The exploitation or overwork of a child by a parent or any other person.
There are three types of abuse and neglect that are to be reported as soon as they are witnessed and/or suspected:
- Physical —a physical injury inflicted upon the child. Includes any use of excessive force which threatens the health or well-being of the child, even if the person considers the acts appropriate discipline.
- Signs: Unexplained marks on the body (cuts, bruises, welts, burns, black eyes, fractures or dislocations). Bruises or welts in various stages of healing, or in clusters or patterns in the shape of an object, like a belt or an electrical cord. Pattern burns, such as cigarette burns, iron burns, burns in the shape of a specific object, or scald burns in an immersion pattern. Marks in areas of the body that are not typically subject to normal childhood injuries.
- Sexual —the involvement of the child in any sexual act with a parent or any other person, or the aiding or toleration by the parent or the caretaker of the child's sexual involvement with any other person, or of the child's involvement in pornographic displays, or any other involvement of a child in sexual activity constituting a crime under the laws of this state.
- Signs: A child may have sexual knowledge beyond what is age appropriate, recurring pain or itching in genital or anal areas, sexually transmitted diseases, frequent bladder or urinary tract infections, genital injury, unexplained regression or fear, or sexual acting out behavior.
- Neglect —The refusal or unreasonable failure of a parent or caretaker to supply the child with necessary food, clothing, shelter, care, treatment, or counseling for any injury, illness, or condition of the child as a result of which the child's physical, mental, or emotional health and safety is substantially threatened or impaired.
- Signs: The child is often hungry, has poor hygiene, little or poor supervision, underweight, poor growth, failure to thrive, dressed inappropriately for the weather or erratic attendance at school.
Verbal and emotional abuse often co-exist with the three main types of abuse and can be additional indicators that abuse and neglect are apparent in the child’s life.
- Verbal and Emotional Abuse —A parent or caregiver using unkind words aimed at tearing down or destroying a child’s self-worth. A parent or caregiver withholds love and affection, constantly criticizes, belittles, insults, rejects, makes demands for perfection, makes conflicting or erratic demands, makes unfavorable comparisons to other siblings and uses shame to punish.
- Signs: The child is inappropriately aggressive, destructive to others, suffers from sleep or speech disorders, demonstrates compulsions, obsessions, phobias or hysterical outbursts.
Mandatory Reporters should be on the lookout for other indicators of abuse that may be evident in changes in a child’s behavior, such as:
- Extreme vigilance or watchfulness
- Bullying smaller children
- Poor social interactions with peers
- Extreme fear of parents or caregiver(s)
(e.g.
does
not want to go home)
- Harming animals
Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana offers 90-minute Mandatory Reporter Trainings either in person or online through webinars. To schedule a training, or for more information on how to report abuse in your area
call our KIDLINE, 1-800-CHILDREN (244-5373).
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