Uintah School District Child AbuseNeglect Reporting Training 20082009

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Uintah School DistrictChild Abuse-Neglect
ReportingTraining2008-2009
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Abuse Includes

• Actual or threatened non-accidental physical or
  mental harm
• Negligent treatment
• Sexual exploitation or
• Any sexual abuse.

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Neglect Includes

• Abandonment of a child
• Subjecting a child to mistreatment or abuse
• Lack of proper parental care by reason of the
  faults or habits of the parent, guardian, or
  custodian
• Failure or refusal of a parent, guardian, or
  custodian to provide proper or necessary
  subsistence, or medical care, including surgery
  or psychiatric services when required, or any
  other care necessary for his/her health, safety,
  morals, or well being or
• A child at risk of being neglected or abused
  because another child in the same home is
  neglected or abused.

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Neglect does not include

• A parent or guardian legitimately practicing
  religious beliefs and who, for that reason, does
  not provide specified medical treatment for a
  child. (62A-4A-101) et seq.

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Reporting Requirement

• Every person who has reason to believe that a
  child has been subject to abuse or neglect shall
  immediately notify the nearest peace officer, law
  enforcement agency or officer of the State
  Division of Human Services.
• Employees are asked to notify their supervisor as
  well.
• It is not the responsibility of school employees
  to prove that the child has been abused or
  neglected, or determine whether the child is in
  need of protection.

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Reporting Requirement

• Any school employee who has reason to believe
  that a child has been subject to incest,
  molestation, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse,
  physical abuse or neglect, or who observes a
  child being subjected to conditions or
  circumstances which would reasonably result in
  sexual abuse, physical abuse, or neglect shall
  immediately notify the nearest peace officer, law
  enforcement agency, or office of the Division of
  Child and Family Services (62A-4A-403), and the
  building principal.

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Additional Reporting Requirements

• In addition, a school district employee who has
  reasonable cause to believe that a student may
  have been physically or sexually abused by a
  school employee shall immediately report the
  belief and all other relevant information to the
  school principal, superintendent, or to the Utah
  State Office of Education.
• A school administrator who has received such a
  report, or who otherwise has reasonable cause to
  believe that such physical or sexual abuse of a
  student by an educator has occurred, shall
  immediately report that information to the Utah
  State Office of Education.

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Additional Reporting Requirements

• Failure to comply with this requirement shall be
  considered unprofessional conduct, as outlined in
  UCA 53A-6-502 and 53A-6-103(13).

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Responsibility of the Employee

• It is not the responsibility of school employees
  to investigate or to prove that the child has
  been abused or neglected, or to determine whether
  the child is in need of protection.
• Investigations and notification of parents are
  the responsibilities of the Division of Child and
  Family Services (see R 277-401-3).

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Cooperation

• School employees shall cooperate with social
  services and law enforcement agency employees
  authorized to investigate charges of child abuse
  and neglect, assisting as asked, as members of
  interdisciplinary child protection teams in
  providing protective, diagnostic, assessment,
  treatment, and coordination services.

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Anonymity

• The identity of a school employee making a report
  of child abuse or neglect shall not be released
  to any person or entity except to those
  responding in an official capacity to investigate
  the report made
• An employee shall not promise confidentiality to
  a student in order to obtain information about
  possible abuse.
• If a student offers to provide information but
  requests anonymity or confidentiality, the staff
  member shall advise the student that he or she
  (the staff member) may be required to disclose
  the information the student may then choose to
  disclose the information or not.

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• Other than reporting to Law Enforcement or Child
  Protective Services personnel or the childs
  principal, the employee should not discuss any
  suspected abuse with any other person, unless
  authorized to do so by law.

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• For further information see Uintah School
  District Policy
• 007.0710