The current definition of child abuse, according to the law, includes four categories of abuse: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. The number of children being abused in the U.S. keeps rising and the effects can be devastating.
Teachers often play a significant role in a child’s life and sometimes they are the only people outside of a child’s family involved in a child’s life. They have a legal responsibility to report child abuse if they detect it.
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A gap in teacher education programs
There could be any number of signs or symptoms of child abuse present for a teacher to detect and report but many of them are not trained to recognize the signs and they don’t know the guidelines for reporting abuse.
More teacher education programs about child abuse could lead to more reporting and more children being rescued from abusive situations. Teachers could be more proactive if they had a level of certainty in knowing how to detect child abuse and report it.
Dealing with child abuse doesn’t stop with detecting and reporting it. Once a report is made and the child is protected, the teacher should ensure the safety and success in the school for the victim. Teachers need education in how to help the victims recover from abuse and what strategies to use to assist them academically.
Detecting child abuse
Child abuse can be detected in a couple of different ways. The child could confide in the teacher about the abuse or the teacher could observe it. Sometimes the child could communicate about the abuse directly or it could be done indirectly depending on the situation.
If a child does not tell anyone, teachers can observe that abuse is taking place if they are aware of the signs of different types of child abuse. Of course, the signs of physical abuse and neglect are easier to recognize. The victims often show signs such as bruises, broken bones or burns and may wear clothing that hides the signs or come up with explanations for them. A child that steals food battles to stay awake and has poor hygiene may be suffering from neglect.
Sadly, many children hide their abuse. They don’t speak out because they feel guilty and feel that they did something to bring it upon themselves. They could also have been told by the abuser not to say anything, especially in the case of sexual abuse.
Learn more about child abuse
Child abuse is a theme that students getting an education at college may have to write about for their college courses. It can help them to read examples of child abuse essays by Samplius, which reveal the complex nature of the subject. Writing about the subject can be difficult and schools expect students to research the topic thoroughly and understand more about the different types of abuse, signs and consequences etc. These free essays will certainly help you excel in your school and impress everyone around you.
The consequences of abuse
Experiencing abuse from someone older who is supposed to play a protective role in a child’s life has a significant effect. According to Childhelp, about 30% of abused children will abuse their future children. Victims of abuse are more likely to be arrested and commit violent crimes.
Many people in drug treatment centers were victims of childhood abuse. Criminal activity, drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness are not always related to child abuse, but statistics show that they can be.
The negative effects could be short-lived or long-lasting depending on the type of abuse, the child’s age and development at the time of the abuse, the length of the abuse, and the relationship between the victim and the abuser.
Reasonable cause
Each state has different laws that govern the process of reporting child abuse and following up on cases. Teachers can be held liable for legal sanctions if they ignore child abuse. They don’t need to prove that child abuse is taking place but they must have reasonable cause to make a report.
The first step is to go to the administration with the claim and go through the steps in the district. If a teacher feels ignored by the administration, contacting child protective services is acceptable. The report is then investigated by a professional caseworker.
Conclusion
Child abuse is a serious problem in the U.S. and the education system has a role to play in helping to detect and report it. Teachers need to be educated in this area as this will make them far more likely to report suspected cases and take an active role in fulfilling their legal and social responsibilities. Education should also equip teachers with the strategies to help victims cope with and recover from abuse.
Author’s Bio
James Collins writes with a degree of passion. He never takes any assignment lightly and puts in his best effort to woo his audience, who always wait for his papers, editorials and blogs. He has reached new heights in his career and plans to keep working to help students with their assignments.
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