Page 6 - Professional Advisory: Duty to Report

• child protection investigations may occur at school
• parents may approach you for information about a report. You must refer them to your school administrator or the local children’s aid society. Your interaction may compromise an investigation or impact the child.
• the duty to report is ongoing, which means that if you have made a report about a child and suspect further abuse or neglect, you must report to the CAS again.
• the act of making a report under the CYFSA is, by nature, stressful. Members may seek support and guidance from their school administrators, through their Employee Assistance Programs or from their professional associations.
Report
A child in need of protection is one who is or who appears to be suffering from abuse and/or neglect, who may demonstrate this through actions, spoken word, artistic drawings or other means.
Possible signs observed by the member and/or shared by the child may include:
• Physical Abuse
○ the use or threat of deliberate physical
force that results in pain or injury or creates a genuine risk of harm to the child, which can occur as an isolated incident or over a period of time
○ punching, slapping, shaking, burning, biting, throwing, hair pulling, beating, kicking, cutting and throwing objects. Signs or indicators may include such things as bruising, burns, bites and cuts
○ consistent and intentional neglect and failure to supervise or protect a child adequately
• Sexual Abuse
○ sexual touching/activity, exposure,
sexual suggestiveness, harassment, underage pregnancy, or observation of sexual behaviour
○ grooming for sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, incest, interference or molestation, including child pornography
• Emotional Abuse
○ repeated treatment that negatively affects
the child’s sense of self-worth or self- esteem and impairs the child’s growth, development and psychological functioning
○ yelling, ignoring, rejecting, demeaning, isolating or exposing the child to domestic violence
• Domestic Violence
○ violent or abusive behavior occurring
within the child’s home, usually involving
the abuse of a partner or spouse
○ all acts that eliminate a nurturing
environment for the child
• Neglect
○ failure of a parent or caregiver to
provide the child with basic needs such as adequate food, sleep, safety, supervision, clothing or medical treatment
○ failure to provide, support or consent to treatment where a child has a medical, mental, emotional or developmental condition requiring treatment
• Caregiver Death/Absence/Separation ○ failure to provide adequate care and
custody of the child when the child’s parent or caregiver has died or is absent
4 PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY: DUTY TO REPORT