Child Protection Policy

Responsibility

RecogniseRespond

Record and Report

Prevention

Ground Rules

Be aware that this material may result in some emotional reactions.

Consider the well-being of yourself and others during discussions.

Make a commitment to participate and contribute.

Respect the opinions of others. Maintain confidentiality. Sign registration sheet.

Outcomes of the Child Protection Session

Know Your Responsibilities re Child Protection

Respond to Harm and Maltreatment

Help Prevent Harm and Maltreatment.

Ice Breaker

Throw a numbered ball across the room

Open the Number You’ve Retrieved.

Join and Share all you know about Child Protection Policy with your group.

Goals Section 1

Revised key policy terms and definitions.

Determine roles and responsibilities And define what is qualified privilege

Revised Policy Themes

Terminology of ‘maltreatment’ vs ‘abuse’. Although WA has no legislated mandatory reporting,

There is policy mandated reporting for DET employees. The importance of prevention and health promotion, as

well as responding effectively. Importance of staff being mindful of their own conduct

and the conduct of others towards children in their care. Greater emphasis on the context and responsibility of

the whole community in the care and protection of children.

Legal Definitions

The criminal code defines a child as:

Any boy or girl under the age of 18 years. In the absence of positive evidence as to age, any

boy or girl apparently under the age of 18 years. Age of consent is considered to be 16 years of age. Age of consent of 16 years is not a reasonable

excuse when the person is in authority to a child. It is considered misconduct for an DET employee to

have a sexual relationship with a student.

Definitions Child Maltreatment and Neglect

Maltreatment refers to when a child or young person has been subjected to physical, sexual, emotional or psychological maltreatment and/ or neglect, the severity and/or persistence of which has resulted in, or is likely to result in significant harm.

(Statutory Child Protection, Department of Community Development, 2004; p3)

Key Sections from Policya) Child Protection Concern

A concern may arise from an action or inaction which is inconsistent with the care and protection needs of a child.

This may include neglect, physical, emotional or sexual maltreatment of a child and it may be the result of a single incident or repeated incidents.

b) Shared Responsibilities

Everyone working in a school is responsible for the care and protection of children and reporting information about child maltreatment concerns, such as neglect and physical, sexual or emotional maltreatment.

Shared Responsibilities Involves

Have knowledge and understanding of maltreatment.

Understand their responsibilities: Child Protection Policy.

Provide all necessary documentation to show their fitness to work with children.

What is Qualified Privilege

Where a staff member makes a bona- fide statement to the Principal or other authorities in relation to a situation that they suspect exists, and which they consider may be harmful to a child, a valid defence exists under common law.

Quiz Who is responsible for the child’s safety? Terminology What is the word used instead of

‘abuse’? Age of consent is…except when? WA has legislated mandatory reporting? True/False Inaction refers to … What is an indicator? Name 4 forms of maltreatment. What is Qualified Privilege?

2: Recognising Maltreatment

Goals Section 2

Be aware of responsibility sharing.

Be aware of your role and others.

Group Activity 1

Discuss and Determine Who Has Responsibility for Each Situation.

Handout 1

Recognising Maltreatment

Be aware of the different forms of maltreatment.

Be aware of the indicators of maltreatment.

TYPE Some concern Strong concern

EmotionalMaltreatment

Neglect

PhysicalMaltreatment

SexualMaltreatment

“For you to be concerned about a young person in the age group that you teach, what would you have to see as an indicator?” (Group Activity 2a- Handout 2 and 3)

Definitions Emotional Maltreatment

• It can include rejection or refusal to accept a child, terrorising, bullying, isolation, continued belittlement and exposure to chronic or serious domestic violence

• Emotional maltreatment may be evidenced through disturbed behaviour or the impairment of the child’s emotional, intellectual or social development.

A constant attitude or behaviour by a person towards a child that causes emotional harm

Indicators of Emotional Maltreatment

Physical Indicators: depression eating disorders lethargy or fatigue symptoms of stress; evidence of drug abuse or dependence; wetting, soiling; and psychosomatic complaints

Indicators of Emotional Maltreatment

Behavioural Indicators: Aggressive or delinquent behaviour; Attempted suicide and self harm; Excessively compliant or passive behaviour Excessive shyness or withdrawal Low self-esteem Fire setting Truancy or school avoidance Deliberate harming of animals Poor peer relationships

DefinitionsPhysical Maltreatment

• It includes injuries such as cuts, bruises, burns and fractures caused by a range of acts including beating, shaking, illicit administration of alcohol and other drugs, attempted suffocation or excessive discipline.

• Female genital mutilation is included in this definition.

Persistent and/or severe physical harm caused to a child.

Indicators of Physical Maltreatment

Physical Indicators:

bruises; burns; hair missing in tufts; missing or loosened teeth; self-mutilation; welts; and lacerations & abrasions (especially to the

eyes, lips, gums & mouth).

Indicators of Physical Maltreatment

Behavioural Indicators: fear of adults frequent absences, with or without explanations

from parents/caregivers; guarded or evasive answers to questions about

the causes of obvious injury; injuries that are not consistent with a child’s

explanation of them; disclosure of maltreatment directly or indirectly

through a friend; and fear of going home.

DefinitionsSexual Maltreatment

These behaviours include:• observation or involvement with inappropriate

fondling of a child, • making a child touch an adult’s genitalia, • showing pornographic material to a child, and • sexual penetration of a child.

A wide range of behaviours or activities that expose or subject a child to sexual activity that is illegal and/or inappropriate to his/her developmental level.

Indicators of Sexual Maltreatment

Behavioural Indicators:

• disclosure of involvement in sexual activity directly to an adult, indirectly to a friend or in a disguised way; e.g. ‘I know a person who…’;

• Inappropriate:• expressions of affection; • interest in sexual matters; • clothing• use of sexual language for child’s age

• evidence of sexual themes in artwork, stories or play; • possession of pornographic materials;

Indicators of Sexual Maltreatment

Behavioural Indicators:

promiscuity, exposure or sexual behaviour towards others;

reluctance to change clothes in front of others; fear states, eg. anxiety, depression, obsessively

neat, socially withdrawn, or overly compliant behaviour;

poor peer relationships; and inability to concentrate in school.

DefinitionsNeglect

This includes the provision of:• adequate supervision• healthy food, • suitable clothing• medical care• emotional security.

Failure of a parent/caregiver to provide a child with the basic necessities of life such that his/her development is, or is likely to be significantly damaged or injury to occur.

Indicators of Neglect

Physical Indicators: Abandonment; Poor hygiene; Lack of adequate or suitable clothing; Inadequate nutrition; Lack of medical or dental care Constant fatigue Developmental delays Untreated sore, boils or lice; and Lack of adequate supervision

Issues to remember Indicators of Maltreatment

Refer to handout and/or policy for a copy of the indicators.

Indicators are just that – indicators, not definitive.

The context of the indicator is important – age, culture, medical history, developmental level, etc

Generally any single indicator is not definitive as maltreatment, view within clusters.

Group Activity 2b

Given a scenario, determine: Is this maltreatment or concern? Type (e.g. physical, emotional, etc)?

Discuss and debrief

BREAK

10 minutes

3: Responding to Maltreatment

Goal: Participants will

Be aware of appropriate responses to students who have been maltreated

Be aware of helpful ways to respond to students seeking help or making a disclosure including ‘protective interrupting’

Factors influencing a student disclosure

Factors Appropriate InappropriateOpportunity Teacher

interviewClass

brainstormAtmosphere Supportive &

attentivePressed for

timePhysical

surroundings

Quiet & private Noisy and distracting

Company With a close friend

In a group of students

Mood Calm Angry or upsetOther Talking in third

personTrivialising

issue

Activity 3A

In pairs discuss what did you do on the weekend.

Discuss your favorite hobby. Discuss….

Debrief

Activity 3B:Emotional responses

Brainstorm in your group:

“What possible emotional responses would a young person who is being maltreated have:

When they haven’t disclosed? After they make the decision to tell someone? After they have disclosed or interventions

have begun regarding the maltreatment?”

Use handout to record group responses

Responses to a disclosure: Supportive responses

Stay calm Establish clear limits on confidentiality. Make no promises not to tell. Listen, be supportive, understanding, non-judgmental and

empathetic Acknowledge the difficulty of disclosing. Reassure it was right to tell

and that you believe they are not to blame Believe Don’t interrogate Lay no blame Make a written record Use protective interrupting if necessary Take action

School staff must support students who have disclosed or about whom there is a concern.

Protective Interrupting

It is essential that staff are able to stop a child from disclosing maltreatment information in a public setting.

The aim of protective interrupting is not to prevent a disclosure but to facilitate it happening is a safer and private setting.

Protective interrupting is a strategy used to stop someone from disclosing sensitive information in a context that could increase victimisation.

Activity 4:Protective Interrupting

Your class is discussing safety issues for children in the community when Jeremy blurts out “What if someone you know does those things to someone in your family?” The other students in the classroom are looking at Jeremy closely…

In pairs, come up with two scripts you could use to protectively interrupt Jeremy from disclosing more information in this environment.

Responses to a disclosure:

What are things not to do?

? ? ?

Staff must be mindful that they DO NOT:

Push for details or conduct an investigation. Other agencies have this responsibility

Express judgment Get angry, upset or show shock Blame students Put words in the student’s mouth or interrogate Promise not to tell when there are clear limits on confidentiality Give a lecture about right and wrong Say ‘forget it’, ‘you’ll get over it’ or other such minimising statements Give excessive pity Engage in general staff room discussion about the disclosure Ħ

Responses to a disclosure: Things not to do

Section 4: Recording and ReportingMaltreatment

Goals Participants will understand the recording

and reporting requirements for student disclosures or for strong concerns about possible maltreatment.

Recording

Staff must document information about all maltreatment concerns:

Record the source of the information. Record accurately and objectively. Record facts rather than personal opinion. Record information concisely and so it can be

clearly understood – use simple language. Sign and date all documents.

Recording

Record Verbatim wherever possible. Ginger Bread drawing recording physical

indicators. Confidentiality. Observations and opinions that are not related to

the case should not be recorded (eg. rumour). Principal is responsible for maintaining and

transferring this information.

Activity 5:Recording and Reporting

Groups to examine a scenario

In your group respond to the questions:

What are your main concerns? Is this a child protection issue? Discuss and write on the “School

Reporting Proforma” the details you would record.

ReportingSequence of Responses

Handout 7 “School Response Sequence to a student disclosure”

Handout 8 “Sequence of Response Informing Others”

School Response Sequence Student Disclosure

SCHOOL RESPONSE SEQUENCE TO A STUDENT DISCLOSURE

TEACHERSListen to student

Record informatio

n ‘word for word’

Report matter to school principal

Seek further advice from

student services if

needed

Principal reports matter to DCD or police

Store information in secure location

NON TEACHING STAFF

Listen to student

Record information ‘word for

word’

Inform principal and

class teacher/s of

matter

Principal reports matter

to DCD or police

Store information

in secure location

 

School Response Sequence Suspected Maltreatment

Store information in secure

location

TEACHERS

Record what is

observed using

recording proforma

Important that

information is

factual and dated

Inform principal of your

concerns

Seek further advice from

student services if

needed

Principal reports

matter to DCD or police

NON TEACHING

STAFF

Record what is

observed using

recording proforma

Important that

information is

factual and dated

Inform principal and class teacher/s of matter

Seek further advice from

student services if

needed

Principal reports

matter to DCD or police

Store informatio

n in secure

location

ReportingReporting to Parents

Principals will report all strong concerns and disclosures of maltreatment and neglect to parents/caregivers only on the advice of Police or officers of DCD.

Video

14:45 - minutes 21:50 - minutes

Section 5: Prevention of Maltreatment

Goals Participants will be aware of what it is

understood by resiliency and

the preventative programs that are available to support secondary schools.

Resiliency

The capacity for recovery following stressful life experiences, and even becoming stronger as a result of overcoming them.

The ability of an individual to successfully recover from, or adapt to, adversity and to develop social/emotional competence despite exposure to life’s problems.

Levels of Intervention

Universal

Selective

Indicated

Individual Case Work

Partnerships & services

School organisation

Curriculum, teaching and learning

Adapted from Pathways to Health and Wellbeing in Schools 12 , and Dwyer and Osher6.

Prevention Programs

Program Target Group

General information

‘ACE’ 13 – 15 years

Early intervention program targeting 13-15 year olds, which builds resilience and increases positive coping in young people using cognitive behavioural and interpersonal skills

‘Growing and Developing Healthy Relationships’

High School

Health and well-being program, including sexual health and healthy relationships

‘PASH’ 15 – 19 years

Sexual health, Family Planning

Protective Behaviours

Protective Behaviours Australia, DCD, Family Planning’s ‘People First’ program

Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP)

12 – 14 years

Universal early intervention program for depression in adolescents which teaches explicit skills to provide resistance to depression.

Closure

Issues questions use hand out.

Teachers health and well-being.

Evaluation sheet.

Thank you for your participation