Responding to Child Abuse
Workshop Summary
Child abuse continues to be a prevalent social issue in Canada. By law, only police and child protection workers are mandated to investigate reports of child abuse. However, investigators rely on those individuals directly involved with children to alert authorities to the plight of a child in need. The identification of a child at risk and the initial response are critical in the investigative process and must be handled in a sensitive manner, while not contaminating evidence. As well, those people responsible for supporting a child victim must be aware that initial disclosures are often the "tip of the iceberg" and further information may well be disclosed.
Increasingly teachers, therapists, foster parents, victim services personnel, nurses and child care workers are expressing their concern over what appears to be the greater number of children who are victims of abuse or neglect. This workshop will assist participants in handling the challenges that are faced when suspicions, disclosures, or retractions of child abuse occur. It will offer you guidelines for both responding appropriately to situations of child abuse and supporting the child, without jeopardizing the evidence that may be necessary for a criminal or civil trial.
The information presented is current, relevant and applicable to those that find themselves involved with abused children and their families. The presentation style is professional and energetic and is supported by interesting video clips. Useful handouts are provided. The workshop content will include:
- How to recognize forms of child abuse
- Types of child abuse disclosures
- Mandates of investigative personnel and community professionals
- How to obtain information and make a child abuse report
- How to best respond to the child making a disclosure of abuse
- How to avoid leading questions that might contaminate evidence
- How to work cooperatively with police and child welfare throughout the iinvestigative process
- How to respond to a child who retracts a disclosure of abuse
- Child abuse outcomes
