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Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse
The best and most effective way that you can help a child in this constant battle against child abuse is by fully understanding how to recognize the signs/symptoms of child abuse. Remember that noticing only one of the following signs/symptoms of child abuse is not necessarily enough to consider it grounds for a case of child abuse. However, if there is more of a repeated occurrence of one or more of these signs, you should probably take a closer look at the situation.
The following signs/symptoms of child abuse would be most apparent in:
1) A child that shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance; Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents' attention; Has learning problems (or difficulty concentrating) that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes; Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen; Lacks adult supervision; Is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn and/or comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home.
2) A parent that shows little concern for the child; Denies the existence of—or blames the child for—the child's problems in school or at home; Asks teachers or other caretakers to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves; Sees the child as entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome; Demands a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve and/or looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of emotional needs.3) Both the parent and child that rarely touches or looks at each other; Considers their relationship to be entirely negative and/or states that they do not like each other.
Once you have a clear understanding of the [abusive] situation then reporting the said form of child abuse is your civic duty and in many cases, failure to report can result in civil liability. All states require certain professionals and institutions to report suspected child abuse, including health care providers and facilities of all types, mental health care providers of all types, teachers and other school personnel, social workers, day care providers and law enforcement personnel.
It is understood that there are various triggers that will prompt the reporting of any/all incidents of child abuse and these include those that know or suspect, may have a reasonable cause to believe or have a reasonable suspicion of child abuse. According to the Child Protective Services Law of Pennsylvania (CPSL) there are several ways to report suspected child abuse. The following resources may assist you with concerns regarding recognizing and reporting child abuse:
Child Protective Services Law of Pennsylvania (CPSL) Reporting of Child Abuse and The Child Protective Services Law of Pennsylvania http://www.diopitt.org/postingboard/minlead_CPSL_brochure1.pdf
Child Abuse or Neglect Hotline – (215) 683-6100
Philadelphia Department of Human Services 1515 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 683-4DHS (4347)
Parent Action Network An Information and Referral Network for Parenting Education and Support Programs (215) P-A-R-E-N-T-S (727-3687)
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