Providing Services When Threat May Exist

Providing Services When Threat May Exist

BSHS/ 408

Introduction

In this paper I will be discussing and answering the following questions what are the primary interventions and methods human service professionals use to prevent child abuse and neglect in a family setting? What are the primary interventions and methods human service professionals use to prevent child abuse and neglect in a school setting? What ethical issues arise from working with children in school settings? What other factors must be considered?

Providing Services When Threat May Exist Working with children can be difficult and very

time consuming because you never know exactly what is going on unless they allow you into

their world. Children will only allow a stranger in their world if they are scared of someone,

have trust, or they know you well. This can serve as a difficult situation when a child or children

are the victim of abuse and or neglect and the outcome can lead to a negative outcome for the

future of the child’s lifespan. The areas will involve mental and physical issues, poor academic

development, social behavior issues, and health problems and even behavior problems. As a

human service worker and a leader in the community rather it be a teacher or counselor it is their

role to ensure a prevention method included and an intervention is available to assist with the

child or children who may be suffering from child abuse or have suffered from child abuse in the

past. An abused child or children will at times show signs of depression, low self-esteem, and

anger issues. This will in time affect the child’s social skills, academic skills, and could even

affect the way the child or children will act when they become an adult and the need to be

somebody will now be there. Communication will help a child or children develop the need to

want help out of the abuse or neglect that they are receiving. Allowing the child or children to be

heard and feel wanted is a good way to show the child or children, that this will help them to find

the truth and understand what is actually going on. Looking at visible abuses cannot determine

abuse alone because children have accidents all the time and that is not enough facts and

evidence to go on. Especially if the child or children are terrified of the abuser and they feel that

the community cannot and or will not help them because the abuser could have a bad reputation

of showing anger to individuals. Individuals who work around children should have enough

tools to help with identifying abuse and when a child is in need of help. Noticing when a child or

children have changed their emotions, how they act when their parents are not around, and if

they are constantly acting like they are hiding something or from someone. Knowing the signs

and understanding them should be a huge factor when it concerns working around children. If the

signs of abuse is not detected.

In time it can leave negative traits and will hinder the child’s adult abilities. This can

include the child can repeat what they with through as a child and committing the same

crime to another child or they can commit murder or suicide. Preventions and

interventions have to be near in order for healing and rebuilding to occur, and the

workers who work around these children can be the ones to prevent this from

happening or continuing to happen in the future. The parent has to be there for their child or

children mentally, physically, emotionally, and educated them, and instruct them of what may be

ahead for them in the near future. If the parent is the abuser it can be difficult for the child to

learn all of these methods when they are terrified of their parents and when this is happening it

will be the responsibility of a human service professional to use primary interventions to help

with the present abuse that is going on as well as preventing any future abuse. The first primary

intervention and methods that are used is setting up an assessment with the child or children, this

will help the Human service professionals determine who the individuals are, what they struggle

with, their strengths,and weaknesses. Finding out personal information from the parent will help

to assists them as well with the changes and finding the right program to help them to stop the

abuse as well as becoming a better parent. This is not only getting help for the child or children

but for the parents as well. “Primary preventions programs are usually local in nature. They may

be developed from a national pilot or model program, but they are administered locally with a

plan to prevent abuse and neglect by direct services family” (Hirschy, S. T., & Wilkinson, E.

(2010). The use of theprimary preventions will help the parents with programs that offer shelter,

food assists, protectiveservices, and child care programs. This method will help to reduce the

stress the parent may haveto give them the extra time to get themselves right to become better

parents, andoverall better person. Being able to teachtheir child to become a productive

individual when they reach adulthood. Primary intervention and methods Human service

professional use to prevent child abuse and neglect in a school setting is a little different than it

will be in a family setting because a family setting will have a longer lasting relationship with the

child or children than the school setting would. The individuals that work in the school setting

having an obligation and responsibility to teach and look after the children. Especially if the

individuals notice any visible marks on the child or the child communicate with them about

abuse in their home. Rather it is the teacher, principle, or counselor it is their job and role to

ensure safety first to the child and or children and anyone else around even if calling the police

has to happen. Whatever the solution is to stop the abuse than that is what has to happen.

“Schools and child care programs must set up policies regarding appropriate hiring practices.

Screening of teachers and all personnel involved with children should include a background

check, fingerprint check, check references, and interviews. Teachers should be trained before

hiring and routinely after hiring in issues regarding abuse and neglect” (Hirschy,S. T., &

Wilkinson, E. (2010). With using this method in a school setting it will help to not lose a child to

child abuse because of the lack of education the teacher has to notice what is going on with the

child. A teacher needs to know when a child changes their program from a happy child to a now

depressed child, notice when a child is staying covered up even when it is hot outside, have

knowledge of the reaction of the parents when the teacher has to notify them about their child, a

teacher should always have records from emergency numbers for the child or children, and how

the child or children should get home because leaving a child or children alone should never

happen. When a child or children are left in the care of the school it is the

responsibility of the school to protect, teach, and observe a child while they are in their

care. When this is done it will limit the ongoing abuse and any future abuse that can

occur, no matter the fear the teachers may have or feel for the parents they have to report any

possible abuse or neglect that may be happening to the child or children to the police

immediately.Although school system want to keep the children safe as well as themselves,

ethicalissues get involved with the school system from doing the right thing.

Teachers are faced with parent’s retaliation from reporting abuse, students will deny the

abuse, and reporting false abuse. The school system can only go by what they have

notice and observe when reporting abuse, and no matter how the parents feel the police

needs to be notified. Parents may try to intimidate the teachers from reporting the abuse

by; threats, stalking and actual physical harm. The school system should still hold their

ground and trust the law will protect them. The student or students can be so scared of the

repercussions of what the parents might do to them, will cause the child and children to lie and

say the abuse never happen, and it will make the teacher look like a liar if evidence is not found.

Other factors that may arise when working with children in a school setting, is the discipline

the child lacks. The child can be constantly disruptive and not willing to listen to

authority and this can cause the teacher to become frustrating from the child’s actions.

A child can be born with health issues such as; down syndrome, obesity, mental issues,

and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Those are some common issues that may

cause some ethical issues in a school setting, and will have some effects on the

teaching as well as the learning. Although some children are faced with health issues

that may cause them to act out, other issues are a child does not know how to act. A

child only does what he/she sees, is taught, and hears which can cause the child to act in

certain way. A child that is loved, sheltered, protected, and discipline will have greater

chance to live a productive lifestyle than a person who has experienced abuse. A child

that have seen or experienced abuse will become mean, depressed, withdrawn, and

unstable which causes them to not obey rules in school. Children are brought into this

world with no knowledge to what is going on, they will only know what they are taught to

do. Learning life is always hard because it is done with practice and persistent time no

matter what is going on a child will do things to show how they feel. This is why it is

important that a child has adults around him/her to protect them and become their voice

of peace and a healthy environment. The professionals around the children rather it be

the teacher, counselor, doctor, or social worker it is their obligation and responsibility to

commit to their role which is keeping a child safe and reporting any wrong doing.

Conclusion

In conclusion it is our responsibility to make sure that our children or child is healthy, safe,

Educated, sheltered, and loved. They learn and do things based on how they were raised and

taught. We must always teach them how to act and behave in whatever the setting is whether it

be home, school, church or so on.

Reference

Hirschy, S. T., & Wilkinson, E. (2010). Protecting Our Children. Understanding and

Preventing Abuse and Neglect in Early Childhood