Child Maltreatment involves various types of abuse of a minor. A minor is any person below 18 years old. Such minors are in most cases mistreated by their caregivers, parents, teachers and other individuals in society (Robertson, 2010). Child maltreatment include but not limited to physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as neglect. As a child care professional, it is important to identify any form of abuse and prevent it from progressing any further.
As a professional in a day care facility, the first step to take after suspecting that a child is being abused is to carry out an investigation. One can begin by first talking to the child and asking indirect questions concerning the abuse to avoid alarming the child. A three year old child is more than likely going to say everything that happens to him or her (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013). I will then contact the parents or the child’s caregivers after talking to the child and talk to them only if it will not interfere with my investigation. This will provide me with more information to ascertain whether the child is being abused or not based on the statutory definitions of child maltreatment. I will then monitor the child for a few more days before taking any action. It is usually very difficult to determine child abuse since there is no legally accepted definition of child abuse.
If the child is being abused, I will have to determine the nature of the abuse and the individual responsible (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008). I will then report the issue to the relevant authorities and arrange with other members of the child’s family on how to take care of the child and prevent further abuse. I do not have to prove however if the child is being abused or not.
References
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2013). Preventing child abuse and neglect. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau.
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2008, April). Long-term consequences of child abuse and
neglect. Retrieved from http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfm
Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education. Belmont, Calif:
Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
