One of the hardest aspects of working with families is that sometimes there are situations that call on the early childhood educator to report incidence of child abuse and/or neglect. This is not a "fun" part of the job, and being an early childhood educator means that you are a mandated reporter to the authorities if you suspect abuse of any child.
For this assignment, we’ll read some case studies (these case studies are taken from my experiences as an educator over the years. The names have been changed and none of these instances occurred in or around Kitsap County) and learn what it means to be a mandated reporter in Washington State. Begin by watching this brief video clip regarding mandated reporting in Washington State:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVfaKD37SQk
Then, read each of the case studies listed below and answer each of these questions for each scenario completely and thoroughly:
- would you make a call to CPS based on the information you have?
- in cases where you are unsure, what further information would you seek to help make your decision?
- how do you think you would feel if you had to make a report of suspected child maltreatment?
- how might a colleague or other professional help you cope with reporting this case?
Case 1: imagine you are a second grade teacher and you have a student, Nathan, whom you are concerned about. When 7 year old Nathan arrives at school, he is very dirty (beyond the typical 7 year old boy dirty) and daily states that he is hungry. You have started giving him cereal bars in the morning, and he seems grateful for them. Although Nathan does not appear to be malnourished, he is small for his age. Academically, Nathan is not a strong student, is disengaged during class time, does not play with other children at recess, and he almost never completes his homework. Although you have asked Nathan’s mother to come in for a conference, she says that because she works full time and is a single mother, she cannot. When you ask her about breakfast, she says that Nathan is hard to get up in the morning, and therefore, does not have time to eat.
Case 2: As a para-educator in kindergarten, you frequently have to reprimand 5 year old Zachary because he bullies his peers. He seems especially vicious toward the youngest and smallest children. One day you are leading Zachary away from the playground by placing your hand on his back. When he winces, you lift his shirt and notice a large black and blue bruise on his back, and one a little lower that is yellow in color. Zachary says he full down the stairs at home and hurt his back. When Zachary’s mother picks him up, you mention the bruise and she says that Zachary is wild at home and hurt himself when he fell from a tree. Two weeks later, you notice some bruising on Zachary’s ear. He says he hurt himself playing and his mother supports this story. It is now April, and when you look at Zachary’s attendance record, you notice that he has missed five days of school each month.
Case 3: As a lead teacher in the child care facility, you work in the preschool classroom. One day you see Sally kissing one of the boys in the dramatic play area. When you ask what they are doing, Sally informs you that the are "TV kissing with their mouths open". You gently explain that this is not appropriate behavior and direct the children to another activity. However, two weeks later, you find Sally and a different boy showing each other their private parts. When you talk to Sally’s mom, she says that recently Sally has become interested in the difference between boys and girls and talks about it frequently. Although her mother seems embarrassed, she does not seem concerned, and reports that this type of activity happens frequently with children in her neighborhood. At the end of the conversation, the mother notes that Sally has recently started wetting the bed at night and has become fearful around teenagers–especially teenage boys.
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