Identifying child abuse and neglect(DCF,CAAN)

Indicators of trauma in children ages birth to 5

Attachment behaviors toward caretakers Sleep disturbances, particularly nightmares Immobility Does not explore Regression in behavior Failure to Thrive Thumb sucking, whining, and loss of acquired speech Prolonged uncontrollable crying Hyper-vigilance Biting, kicking, tantrums, unprovoked aggression

What are some examples of things that might be observed or shared with you that could help you recognize the signs of abuse or neglect?

Blames or belittles the child Talks about the child as bad or evil Smells of alcohol/drugs or seems to be under the influence Fails to keep appointments Seems unconcerned with the child Mentions financial problems Talks about divorce, death, or illness Admits to alcohol or substance abuse Talks about domestic violence or shows signs of it

Physical signs are observable in the appearance of a child. For example, you may see:

Bruises and welts in various stages of healing Missing hair or visible scalp Handprints or fingerprints Broken or fractured bones Burns

Child Risk Factors

Child Risk Factors

Indicatiors

Child has no knowledge about the community in which he/she is located Child is not allowed or is unable to speak for himself/herself and may be extremely fearful Child has no personal items or possessions (including identity documents if foreign born, which is common in cases of labor trafficking) Child appears to have material items that he or she cannot afford, such as cell phones, expensive clothing, tablets, etc. Child shows signs of being groomed in a manner the child cannot afford and cannot justify how the items and/or services were paid for, for example getting hair done, nails done, new clothing, etc. Suspicious tattoos or other signs of branding, for instance tattoos of the trafficker's names, dollar signs, diamonds, stars, etc. Child associates with and/or has relationships with age-inappropriate friends, boyfriends, and/or girlfriends Child has inappropriate, sexually suggestive activity on social media websites and/or chat apps

How to Handle Accusations ofChild Abuse and Neglect

Don't become defensive. Cooperate fully and factually with authorities. Get statements from colleagues about your character. Know the laws related to abuse and neglect. Talk to a lawyer to ensure your rights and those of family members. Remember that protective policies you have put in place, such as your discipline procedures and incident reports, will help you. Work with your director and colleagues to handle the impact of the accusation on the school, other parents, and children.

DO

Ensure the child care program has a resource area for families, which includes community organizations or services that can provide assistance. Be observant and look for the signs of child abuse that might be seen in children and parents. Realize that abusive parents are in need of help and most often can be successfully treated, but only by medical and mental health professionals. Take action when you suspect or observe abuse or neglect, or the signs of possible abuse or neglect. Report suspected child abuse, abandonment, and neglect to the Florida Abuse Hotline. Remember that the law states that if you report in good faith, you cannot be prosecuted. Know that you may be the one to save a child's life.

Key Points

Every adult in Florida is required by law to report ANY suspected abuse or neglect. All child care professionals must provide their names when reporting suspicions of child abuse, abandonment, and/or neglect; everyone else can make an anonymous report, if they prefer. Failure to report suspected abuse or neglect is a third degree felony in the State of Florida. The four ways abuse and neglect reports can be made to the Florida Abuse Hotline are: online, telephone, Florida Relay/TTY, and fax. Florida law ensures that confidentiality will be maintained for child care workers reporting suspected cases of child abuse and/or neglect. There are local community resources that provide help for abused children, their families, and abusers. The Department of Children and Families' child abuse website is a good source of information.

The Impact of Trauma, Abuse, and Neglect

Extreme anxiety Depression Inability to form healthy relationships Memory loss Short attention span Easily distracted Poor self-esteem Sleeping or eating disorders

Tips for helping children ages birth to 5 after a traumatic event

Give these very young children a lot of verbal support Take a deep breath before holding or picking them up and focus on them, not the trauma Get down to their eye level and speak in a calm, gentle voice using words they can understand Tell them that you care for them and will continue to take care of them Do everything you can to make them feel safe

Behavioral signs are observable in the way a child acts. For example, children may:

Have nightmares Flinch when a hand or object comes close Sound depressed Hurt themselves on purpose Bully others

To prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome:

Make sure those who care for young children know the dangers of shaking a baby Be careful during play or physical activity

Research has shown that the following protective factors are linked to a lower incidence of child abuse and neglect:

Nurturing and attachment Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development Parental resilience Social connections Concrete supports for parents

Shaking a baby or young child can cause

Permanent brain damage Paralysis Blindness Seizures Developmental delays Broken bones Death

Parental/Family Risk Factors

Personality factorsFeeling of insecurityLack of trustLow tolerance for frustrationPoor impulse controlControllingDepression, anxiety, or mental illness Childhood history of abuse Social isolation/lack of support Family structure - single parent with lack of support, grandparent with new responsibility Marital problems and divorce Death and/or illness Age Abuse of alcohol or other drugs Lack of parenting skills or living skills Financial problems or unemployment

Persons in the following professions must provide their names when filing a report

Physician, osteopathic physician, medical examiner, chiropractic physician, nurse, or hospital personnel engaged in the admission, examination, care, or treatment of persons; Health or mental health professional other than one listed in subparagraph a; Practitioner who relies solely on spiritual means for healing; School teacher or other school official or personnel; Social worker, day care center worker, or other professional child care, foster care, residential, or institutional worker; Law enforcement officer; or Judge.

In Florida, the continuum of prevention and intervention services fall into many categories, such as

Prenatal support for expectant parents Postnatal education and support In-home education and support Early and regular educational, medical, and psychological screening Medical and psychological services Child care Self-help groups Parent education and training Child safety training Family crisis and intervention support Treatment and intervention services Community organizations Public information Legal action

DON'T

Remain ignorant about the situation. Lose your temper with an abusive parent; it only serves to put him or her on the defensive. Wait to suggest needed resources to families who are at risk. Make excuses for child abuse or ignore the warning signs. Assume that all abusive parents are bad people and cannot be changed. Be influenced by gossip or unverified information. Be afraid to become involved.

Examples of Human Trafficking - CSEC

Renegade/Survival Sex: There is no third party; no pimp. The victim may "broker" exchanges for a sexual act independently. There may be an exchange of a sexual act for money, food, housing, clothing, etc. Any exchange of a sexual act for any tangible thing, or for the promise of a tangible thing, is human trafficking. Pimp Trafficking: There is a third party "brokering" the exchange of the sexual act for a tangible item, typically money. Pimps can be any age, any gender, and can come from all types of backgrounds. Gang Trafficking: The trafficking is a source of generating money for the gang, and a gang member is involved in the trafficking of the victim. This might be a local, state, national, or transnational gang. A gang is defined as, "An association of three or more individuals whose purpose, in part, is to engage in criminal activity." Labor trafficking: Labor trafficking occurs in many different situations, including domestic servitude; construction; landscaping; the sex industry; factories and sweatshops; migrant farm work; service industries such as nursing homes, cleaning services, bars, and restaurants; and the food industry. Familial trafficking: Trafficking involving a person who is being forced to engage in commercial sex or forced labor by a family member or caregiver.

Social/Environmental Risk Factors

Stressful life or community events (for example, hurricanes) Low socioeconomic status/poverty Homelessness Lack of access to medical care, health insurance, child care, and/or social services Dangerous/violent neighborhood Community violence Cultural acceptance of abuse

You can cope with a crying baby or child by:

Taking deep, slow breaths Taking a break Asking for help Counting to 10

A coworker at your child care program just went through a divorce and is having financial problems. Over the last week, you heard her yelling and several of the children crying. You approached her about it and she said that the children were just misbehaving. Today, a little boy from her class approaches you in tears and said that she made him stand in the dark closet for a long time.

The correct answer is "Suspect Abuse and Neglect" The key indicators are: A child has reported being forced to stand in a dark closet. (Abuse or Neglect) The children are crying after being yelled at by a caregiver. (Abuse - Institutional)

The parents of one of the children in your program both work for an airline. In this family, both do a lot of traveling but usually travel at different times. Unavoidably, they needed to be out of town at the same time and the children were cared for as usual by a woman they hired about four months ago. The child came to your class very angry and would not play with her best friend. You noticed that on a hot summer day when she would normally wear a short-sleeved sundress, the child was wearing long pants and a long sleeved blouse.

The correct answer is "Suspect Abuse and Neglect" The key indicators are: The child displays behavioral indicators; she is angry and will not play with her friend. (Abuse or Neglect) The child wears long sleeves and pants in warm weather. (Abuse or Neglect)

Scenario 2 You are a caregiver and one day one of your 3-year-olds comes to your program limping. You ask the child what happened and if you could see what is hurting her. She says, "Mommy won't take me to the doctor, she said I was bad." and the child starts to cry.

The correct answer is "Suspect Abuse and Neglect" The key indicators are: The child has an unexplained injury. (Abuse) The child may have an unattended physical problem or need. (Neglect) The child gives an unusual reaction and response to your question. (Abuse or Neglect)

You are a caregiver for four-year-olds. You have known one of the boys in your class and his family for about six months. The mother is divorced and is raising the boy and his older sister by herself. The father sees the children once in a while. The mother dates and leaves the boy at night with his older sister to supervise him. Lately, the boy has been coming to school with various cuts and bruises. Each time you ask his mother about the marks, she explains what has happened. Today, the child came to your program with what looks like cigarette burns on his right leg. He also has a fresh bruise on his arm. When you try to ask him about it, he will not talk to you. He seems very withdrawn.

The correct answer is "Suspect Abuse and Neglect" The key indicators are: There may be inadequate supervision. (Neglect) There are unexplained bruises, welts, and burns. (Abuse) The child displays withdrawn behavior. (Abuse)

A child in your program has had a recent personality change. He has become very quiet and rarely speaks to adults. One day, he complains of his arm hurting. He rolls up his sleeve and shows you what appears to be finger marks from a very hard slap. You ask him how it happened and he tells you that his father slapped him. You ask the child where else he has been slapped and he shows you his back with many old marks.

The correct answer is "Suspect Abuse" The key indicators are: The child displays withdrawn behavior. (Abuse) The child is weary of adult contact. (Abuse) The child has obvious bruises and welts. (Abuse) The child reports injuries by parents. (Abuse)

When you change an infant's diaper, you notice a yellow discharge and unhealthy odor. You report your observations to the parent that evening. The parent says it was nothing. You notice the same symptoms the rest of the week, write an incident report, and suggest to the parent that a doctor look at the infant. The parent replies that money is not available and it will probably clear up soon. The following week, you notice the same symptoms and report it to your Director, who insists on medical treatment. Nothing happens this week.

The correct answer is "Suspect Neglect" The key indicators are: The child has unattended physical problems or medical needs. (Neglect - Lack of Medical Attention

You are the cook in a child care facility. There is a very sweet child who has a slight smile on his face each time you smile at him. You notice that for a number of weeks now, he has brought nothing but a small butter and bread sandwich for lunch. He has no fruit or other food in his lunch. He is extremely thin and you observe that he never buys milk that is sold by the school, but instead has only water in his cup. The mother, who always comes to the facility with fancy clothes and jewelry, has consistently ignored your inquiries into providing a more balanced meal for the child. The mother claims that he is a picky eater. You have offered him food occasionally when the school has prepared too much. He seems grateful when you do this and gobbles the food down.

The correct answer is "Suspect Neglect" The key indicators are: The child is consistently hungry. (Neglect) The child lags in physical development; he is extremely thin. (Neglect)

Key Points

There are three types of child abuse: physical, sexual, and emotional. Failure to provide support, acceptance, attention, warmth, supervision, and normal living experiences for a child is considered neglect. There are observable physical and behavioral indicators associated with abuse and neglect. Interaction with children and families provides information that may further help the caregiver in recognizing possible cases of abuse and/or neglect. There are child, family, and environmental factors that place children at risk for abuse and/or neglect. The effects of child abuse and neglect can be serious and permanent to a child's cognitive, physical, and emotional development. It takes understanding, patience, and skills to work with abused and neglected children.

Indicatiors

Youth's acknowledgement of being trafficked Report of human trafficking by parent/guardian, law enforcement, medical care or service provider, teacher, child protective services, and/or juvenile probation officer History of running away four or more times, or getting kicked out of the home four or more times (the definition of running away or getting kicked out of the home includes times the youth did not voluntarily return within 24 hours and also includes incidents not reported by or to law enforcement) Child is 12 or older and has a history of allegations of sexual abuse (with or without findings); or a disclosure of sexual abuse by the child Current incident or history of inappropriate sexual behaviors (not limited to prostitution) Child is known to associate with confirmed or suspected CSEC youth Child is recovered from a runaway episode in a hotel or known area of prostitution