2 28 2 2 Part Two Creating a Safe and Healthful Environment
known or suspected cases of child
abuse or neglect. As a mandated
reporter, you should read your
state’s statute, a formal document
drawn up by elected officials. The fi
statute will explain your legal
responsibilities and the penalties for
failing to make a report. To receive
a copy of the statute, contact your
local law enforcement offi fice.
Follow your center’s procedure
for reporting child abuse and neglect
to the proper authorities. Your
program must comply with the law,
but may also have other guidelines
in making a report. For instance,
you might need to complete certain
paperwork and report the abuse to
the director or health consultant.
Some programs designate one
employee to make all reports of
child abuse for the program. In other
programs, each staff member reports
these cases himself or herself.
If you must make a child
abuse report, do so immediately
by telephone. Include the name,
age, and address of the child and
his or her parents or guardian.
Report the facts that led to your
suspicion, 11-10. After the telephone
conversation, confi the report in firm
writing. Make a copy of the written
report for the program and one for
yourself. As long as you make the
report in good faith, you will not
be subject to legal action if your
suspicions are found not to be child
abuse or neglect.
Should a child abuse case result
in a trial, you may be required to
testify in court. This may make you
feel nervous, but focus on telling
the truth. Your legal and ethical
responsibility is to tell the court
what you know about the case that
will help the court protect the child.
Background Checks
Early childhood programs
need to protect themselves from
potential child abuse accusations.
This is a licensing requirement of
many states. A background check
needs to be conducted on every
new employee, student teacher, and
volunteer. This check will determine
if they have had any felony or child
abuse convictions.
Protection Education
Planning for children’s safety
goes beyond the classroom.
Children need to learn how to
deal with dangers outside the
classroom. They must learn about
sexual abuse and how to protect
themselves from it.
Warning children about
strangers has been a common
practice for some time. However,
only 10 to 15 percent of child
abusers are strangers to the
children they abuse. The other 85
to 90 percent are people known to
the children. These people may be
neighbors, relatives, friends of the
family, scout leaders, siblings, or
parents. Most offenders are men,
but women are also reported.
Before age eight, 3.0 to
4.6 percent of all children are
sexually assaulted. About
10 percent of these children are
assaulted by the time they are five fi
years old. Girls are reported as
victims far more often than boys.
Studies show that race, intelligence,
family income, and social class do
not appear to affect the occurrence
of sexual assault.
Teach children to resist sexual
attacks. They must first resist fi
the offender by saying no. Then