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20 Ways
You Can Help Prevent Child Abuse
From the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
What You Can Do
Unrealistic expectations of parenthood, differences between
what we want and what we actually have, a strained relationship
with our marriage partner, too much to do and too little
time, financial problems, drug abuse, alcoholism, and a
history of being abused as a child are examples of problems
that can cause parents to take out anger and frustration
on their children. Even very loving parents can lose control
to the point of child abuse.
Here are some actions you can take to help children and
their parents.
- Be a good example.
Respect your family members. Use a courteous tone of voice
with them. When children misbehave, let them know that
you dislike what they did, not who they are. Don't hit
your kids; violence teaches violence. Apologize when you're
wrong. Say "I love you" more often. Reward good
behavior.
- Be a friend to a parent.
Listen. Sometimes, just being able to express anger and
frustration helps ease tensions. Go shopping with a parent
and child. Children are usually better behaved when their
adults are happier and more relaxed. Invite a parent to
go jogging or bowling or golfing. Exercise helps relieve
stress.
- Reach out to neighbors or relatives with children.
Offer to babysit to give them a much-needed break.
- Praise and encourage the children you know.
Mean words can make a child feel worthless, ugly, and
unloved, and the hurt can last a lifetime. So be positive.
Tell a child you're proud of her and why. Stick up for
her; don't let others tease or make fun of her. Smile.
Let her know she is important to you. Say, "You're
terrific. I like you!"
- Take action...don't wait for someone else to
do it!
Arrange for a speaker on child abuse and neglect to come
to your PTA, church, club, or workplace. The more we all
know about abuse and neglect, the more we can do to stop
it.
- Organize safety systems for your neighborhood.
Arrange for neighbors who are at home most of the day
to watch out for children on their way to and from school.
Set up "safe houses" where children can go if
they feel threatened or afraid. Participate in a telephone
network for neighborhood children who are home alone after
school and need help, advice, or reassurance.
- Volunteer.
Volunteer your time in a child crisis shelter, parenting
support program, drug abuse prevention or treatment program,
or shelter for the homeless.
- Set up an after-school-hours program at a retirement
home.
It's hard to tell who benefits more from such an arrangement,
the children or the elders.
- Form a Carpenters Guild.
Work with others in your church, club, or workplace to
repair homes of disadvantaged families to make them more
livable for children.
- Host a baby shower.
Invite friends and neighbors to bring items for needy
infants and children.
- Start a resource room.
Call your local office of the Texas Department of Family
and Protective Services and collect diapers, clothing,
toys, books, and formula to help ease the transition for
children who must be removed from their homes because
of abuse and neglect. Hold a fund raiser to buy school
supplies for foster children.
- Work in a day-care center.
Volunteer your time in a day-care center that serves abused
and neglected children. Work with your church, club, or
organization to form a partnership with a child-care center
that serves low-income children.
- Be a mentor.
Help a pregnant teen-ager learn parenting skills. Or be
a mentor to a pre-teen through one of the school mentoring
programs.
- Learn more about child abuse and child abuse
prevention.
Teach others. Plan an adult education program in your
church, club, or organization to inform people about children's
needs. Open your group's facility to local education programs
for parents.
- Become a foster parent.
It's not an easy job, but the rewards are great when you
help a child learn what it feels like to be safe.
Help a foster child get a good start.
Call the Preparation for Adult Living program
in the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
and provide "housewarming gifts" of linens,
pots and pans, small appliances, and lamps for 18-year-old
foster children who are moving out on their own.
- Get involved with the child welfare board in
your county.
- Understand which children are most likely to
be abused.
Although child abuse occurs in all racial, ethnic, cultural,
and socio-economic groups, physical abuse and neglect
are more likely among people living in poverty. Children
who are most likely to be abused are children who are
mentally retarded, premature, unwanted, stubborn, inquisitive,
demanding, or have a disability.
- Learn to recognize the signs of abuse.
Know the signs of neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse,
and emotional abuse listed at the bottom of this page.
Know them.
- Report suspected child abuse and neglect.
Call 1-800-252-5400 or your local law enforcement agency
if you think a child is being neglected, sexually abused,
or physically or emotionally abused. Children are hardly
ever abused only once. If you suspect it, you must report
it. That's the law. Reporting suspected child abuse makes
it possible for a family to get help. Note: Other states
may use (512) 834-3784 to report abuse or neglect that
has occurred in Texas.
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Ten Tips for
Internet Safety
- Talk about potential dangers of the Internet with your
child.
- Locate computers in common areas in the home, not your
child’s bedroom.
- Ask questions about your child’s use of the Internet.
- Insist on access to passwords for the sites your child
uses.
- Periodically search your child’s name on the
Internet.
- Watch what is posted about your child’s identity
on community or game sites.
- Enable Internet filtering features if they are available
from your Internet Service Provider.
- Install monitoring software on your family’s
computers that will help monitor your child’s Internet
activity.
- Use an interactive educational safety resource, available
for children ages 5 to 17 at www.netsmartz.org.
- Remind your child NEVER to give out his/her name, address,
school name, or other information that could be used for
identification.
Additional Resources
Definitions of Abuse
(taken from the State of Texas Family Code)
Physical Abuse
Physical injury that results in substantial harm to the
child, or the genuine threat of substantial harm from physical
injury to the child, including an injury that is at variance
with the history or explanation given and excluding an accident
or reasonable discipline by a parent or guardian that does
not expose the child to a substantial risk of harm. Physical
abuse also includes failure to make a reasonable effort
to prevent an action by another person that results in physical
injury that results in substantial harm to the child.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional,
or physical welfare, including conduct that constitutes
the offense of indecency with a child, sexual assault, or
aggravated sexual assault; failure to make a reasonable
effort to prevent sexual conduct harmful to a child; compelling
or encouraging the child to engage in sexual conduct; and
causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing
the photographing, filming or depicting of the child if
the person knew or should have known that the resulting
photograph, film, or depiction of the child is obscene or
pornographic.
Mental Abuse
Inflicting mental or emotional injury to a child, and/or
causing or permitting the child to be in a situation in
which the child sustains a mental or emotional injury that
results in an observable and material impairment in the
child’s growth, development, or psychological functioning.
Neglect
The leaving of a child in a situation where the
child would be exposed to a substantial risk of physical
or mental harm, without arranging for necessary care for
the child, and the demonstration of an intent not to return
by a parent or guardian of the child
(Texas Family Code, 2006)
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INDICATORS OF ABUSE
Physical Abuse
Physical Signs
- Frequent injuries such as bruises, cuts, black eyes
or burns, especially when the child cannot adequately
explain their causes.
- Burns or bruises in an unusual pattern that may indicate
the use of an instrument or human bite.
- Cigarette burns on any part of the body.
- Lack of reaction to pain.
- Injuries that appear after the child has not been seen
for several days.
- Unexplained bruises (in various stages of healing),
fractures, lacerations or abrasions.
- Evidence of delayed or inappropriate treatment for
injuries.
- The child’s injury is too severe to have been
caused by the incident described.
- The injuries involve the backs of the hands, buttocks,
genital area, abdomen, back, or sides of the body (particularly
the face)
Emotional or Behavioral Signs
- Frequent complaints of pain without obvious injury.
- Complains of soreness or moves uncomfortably
- Aggressive, disruptive and destructive or self-destructive
behavior.
- Passive, withdrawn, emotionless behavior.
- Fear of going home or seeing parents.
- Unseasonable clothes that may hide injuries to arms
or legs.
- Chronic runaway (adolescents)
- Child is wary of adult contact.
- The child is reportedly injured doing something that
he or she is developmentally unable to do.
- The caretaker’s story changes when challenged.
- Bizarre explanation of injuries.
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Sexual
Abuse
Physical Signs
- Torn, stained or bloody underclothing
- Pain, swelling or itching in genital area.
- Difficulty walking or sitting
- Bruises or bleeding in genital area
- Venereal disease.
- Frequent urinary or yeast infections.
- Physical signs of sexually transmitted diseases.
- Pregnancy in a young girl.
Emotional or Behavioral Signs
- Excessive seductiveness, inappropriate sex play or
premature understanding of sex.
- Sexually suggestive, inappropriate or promiscuous behavior
- Knowledge about sexual relations beyond what is appropriate
for the child’s age.
- Role reversal, overly concerned for siblings
- Significant weight change
- Suicide attempts (especially adolescents)
- Threatened by physical contact, closeness
- Extreme fear of being alone with adults especially
if of a particular gender
- Child suddenly refuses to change for gym or to participate
in physical activities.
- Sexual victimization of other children.
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Emotional
Abuse
Physical Signs
- Speech Disorders
- Delayed physical development
- Substance abuse
- Ulcers, asthma, severe allergies
Emotional or Behavioral Signs
- Habit disorder (sucking, rocking, biting)
- Antisocial, destructive
- Neurotic trains (sleep disorders, inhibition of play)
- Passive and aggressive-behavioral extremes
- Delinquent behavior (especially adolescents)
- Developmentally delayed.
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Neglect
Physical Signs
- Obvious malnourishment or inadequate nutrition.
- Lack of personal cleanliness
- Torn and/or dirty clothes
- Need for glasses, dental care or other medical attention.
- Abandonment
- Unattended medical needs.
- Consistent hunger, inappropriate dress, or poor hygiene.
- Lice, distended stomach, emaciated.
Emotional or Behavioral Signs
- A Child unattended to for long periods of time.
- Stealing or begging for food.
- Frequent absence or tardiness from school.
- Regularly displays fatigue or listlessness or falls
asleep in class.
- Reports that no caretaker is at home or consistent
lack of supervision.
- Self-destructive behavior.
- Extreme loneliness and need for affection.
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Questions
to ask when you suspect child abuse
Physical Abuse
- When you get in trouble at home or school, what happens?
- Who disciplines you?
- What do they use?
- Do they ever leave any marks or bruises?
- Do they ever say anything to you about not telling or
what will happen if you do?
Sexual Abuse
- Are there any places on your body where it’s not
ok for someone to touch?
- Where are those places?
- Has anyone ever touched any one of those places?
- Has anyone ever done anything to any one of those places?
- Who? When? When will you see that person again?
In the state of Texas, all adults are mandated reporters
of child abuse. If you have suspicions that a child is being
abused, please make a report to Child Protective Services
by calling the statewide hotline at 1-800-252-5400.
If a child is in immediate danger or if someone outside
of the home is abusing the child, call local police, or
all immediately. The following information will assist you
when making a report to the authorities.
Child Protective Services (CPS)
Definitions taken from the Texas Department of Family and
Protective Services website, http://www.dfps.state.tx.us.
Responsibilities of Child Protective Services include conducting
civil investigations of reported child abuse and neglect;
protecting children from abuse and neglect; promoting the
safety, integrity, and stability of families; and providing
permanent placements for children who cannot safely remain
with their own families. Within CPS, there are different
branches. There are units whose sole purpose is to investigate
allegations of child abuse and neglect as well as others
whose focus is on foster care and adoption placements or
implementing family services to keep children in the home
with their families.
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Making the
Report
Step One – Gather Information
There are several pieces of information that the
CPS intake worker will be looking to obtain from someone
making a report of suspected child abuse. As you are preparing
to make a report to CPS, consider the following items before
calling.
- The child or children at risk including names when possible
- The nature of the harm or risk
- What kind of abuse?
- What is the child’s condition?
- What emotional, behavioral, or physical problems
does the child have?
- The persons involved
- Who is responsible for the child’s care and
custody?
- Who is the individual(s) causing the harm or putting
the child at risk?
- What is this person’s relationship to the
child?
- Try to get names when possible.
- Locating information of both alleged victim and alleged
perpetrator
- Phone numbers – home and work
- Identifying information (for both alleged victim
and other children involved)
- Child’s age or birth date
- Description of child
Step Two – Make the Report
To make a report of suspected child abuse, call
Statewide Intake Hotline at 1-800-252-5400. This number
is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. DFPS is located
in Austin where a group of caseworkers answer and take all
the child abuse reports for the state. BE PATIENT!
Be specific in your report. Include as much of the above
information as is possible. Failing to gather the specific
details of the suspected abuse, especially the kind of injuries
and the alleged perpetrator, may prevent DFPS from investigating
the case since they cannot meet the established definitions
of child abuse. It is also important that you not tell the
child’s parents that you are reporting suspected child
abuse to DFPS. Telling them that you are doing so could
potentially endanger the child or cause one of the parents’s
to interfere with the investigation. If the child is in
immediate danger, call the police (911). They can respond
immediately and will inform CPS.
After the Report
Determining Case Priority
Once CPS has determined whether or not the statutory
definitions of abuse have been met, they proceed to determining
the case priority, 1 or 2. Priority 1 (P1) indicates that
a child is in immediate danger and that a CPS caseworker
needs to visit the family within 24 hours of the intake
call. Priority 2 (P2) cases cover all other reports of abuse
in which the intake worker has determined the definitions
of abuse have been met. In this case, the CPS caseworker
has 10 days to visit the families and assess the situation.
The following are other things that DFPS in Austin will
consider when classifying a case as Priority 1 or 2 (Texas
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, 1996).
- Frequency and duration of the same behavior or similar
incidents that have been reported to Child Protective
Services
- Previous history of abuse or neglect
- Extent, location and severity of child’s injury
- Age of the child
The Investigation
Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services,
1996
When a case of reported abuse is assigned to a CPS unit,
a worker will receive the information and will then complete
a full investigation of the allegations. The worker may
interview the family, child and any other collateral source
that has information concerning the family. The caseworker
must investigate each allegation identified for the investigation
and provide a disposition concerning each.
Once the caseworker has completed the investigation process,
he/she will make an assessment about whether or not abuse
has occurred. If abuse is confirmed, the investigator considers
the remaining parent, family or caregivers available to
the child and intervention options are considered. The following
are intervention options available through Child Protective
Services
Low-Risk Casework Services
- Volunteer services such as Family Outreach
Low to moderate risk casework services
- Caseworker works with the family 10 hours per month
- Provides supportive services such as parenting, counseling,
child care, and job support
High risk Casework Services
- Intensive support services
- Two face-to-face contacts with the family per week
- In-home parenting, counseling, and intense monitoring
Removal from Home
Child can be removed from the home immediately, if immediate
danger exists. This occurs only in the most serious cases.
The child is placed in a foster home or possibly with a
relative while services are provided to the parents to enable
them to care for the child safely, so the child can eventually
return home
Supervisory approval must be obtained prior to removal
of a child from their home, and the matter is presented
to a juvenile court judge within 24 hours of the decision
to remove. The judge makes the decision to remove the child
from the home.
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