Every situation of disclosure is different. First, assure the child that you believe them and that the abuse or neglect is not their fault. Then, talk to the child and gather facts and other pertinent information.
Make note of the disclosure and record your observations. Sign and date the entry.
Continue to observe the child’s behavior and any physical indicators of abuse or neglect. Sign and date each entry.
If you are a person of authority over the child, talk to colleagues and your supervisor. Have they noticed the same signs of abuse or neglect? Compare notes and discuss strategies.
Develop a plan. Brainstorm on what steps you should take to protect the child from harm.
Talk to child care agencies. Contact Child Protective Services, the regional Department of Human Resources, and any other agency that protects children from abuse and neglect.
Talk to the child often. Be his confidante and respect the child’s need for confidentiality and privacy. Reassure the child that what’s happening is through no fault of their own. This can’t be said often enough. Children always feel that abuse and neglect is caused by something they’ve done.
Responsibilities
Every person has a moral responsibility to report child abuse or neglect. Mandated notifiers such as teachers, principals, doctors, nurses and police have a legal responsibility to report a child’s need of protection. The responsibilities of mandated notifiers are as follows:
If you don’t feel comfortable reporting abuse or neglect, it is the responsibility of your boss or supervisor. All cases of suspected abuse and neglect must be reported, by law.
Mandatory notification always takes precedence over codes of professional ethics. For instance, if your job mandates that client information is confidential, the responsibility to report abuse and neglect takes precedent over confidentiality.