Child Abuse: Issues for Teachers

Prevalence Data

According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report in 2004, 64.5 percent of child abuse survivors suffered neglect (including medical neglect), 17.5 percent are physically abused, 9.7 percent are sexually abused, and 7.0 percent are emotionally or psychologically abused. Not all children survive their abuse. Approximately 1,500 children died in 2004 as a result of abuse or neglect.

Completely accurate figures are difficult to obtain because evidence of abuse and neglect is not necessarily clear-cut. Most cases of abuse and neglect never get reported because there are no outward physical effects in the case of neglect or psychological and emotional abuse, or there are attempts to cover up or hide these physical effects. In the case of sexual abuse, there is secrecy and shame that surrounds the survivor, and potentially the family, and often prevents the survivor from coming forward to tell his or her story.

The Reporting Role

There is one commonality in almost all cases of child abuse—abused children go to school. In all fifty states, teachers and other school officials are mandated reporters, as are doctors, nurses, any law enforcement official, and a long list of other professionals who come into contact with children in various capacities. Through its legislature, each state defines abuse and prescribes the rules for those who report cases.

Teachers and other school officials who have a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused must file a report with the appropriate social service agency for their particular state, such as Child Protective Services (CPS) in California or the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Florida. Some schools and/or districts have a policy that states that the teacher or other school official first report their suspicion to the school's principal, while others expect the teacher or school official to contact the social service agency on their own.

Whichever is the case, a report of suspected child abuse must be filed in a timely fashion—typically between twenty-four and seventy-two hours after becoming aware of the suspected abuse either by phone or face-to-face. This is followed by filing a written report within seventy-two hours of the original report. Once the report is on file with the appropriate social service agency, a determination is made whether or not to investigate the allegations of abuse or neglect by child protective services based on the information provided.

Because teachers and other school officials are mandated reporters of child abuse, each state provides the mandated reporter with immunity from the civil and criminal prosecution that may arise from reporting suspected child abuse and neglect, as long as the report was done in “good faith” and “without malice.” This immunity is given so that teachers or other mandated reporters will be more willing to file a report if they do not fear being held criminally or civilly liable.

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