Educators and Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

by Child Welfare Information Gateway

Recognizing and reporting child maltreatment are important to prevent abuse and neglect from continuing or recurring. Schools also must be involved in working to prevent maltreatment from ever occurring at all. Schools are in a unique position to address this problem by virtue of the staff 's training and expertise, the school's position in the community, and the availability of physical facilities. A school's involvement in prevention can be divided into school-based programs, school-community programs, and individual action on the part of educators.

School-Based Programs for Children and Adolescents

Some prevention efforts are provided through specifically designed programs, other efforts are integrated into existing school curricula. Some of the more common areas that prevention activities address or strengthen are:

• Life skills training;
• Socialization skills;
• Problem-solving and coping skills;
• Preparation for parenthood;
• Self-protection training.

Life Skills Training

Adults require specific skills to navigate today's complex society successfully, but many daily living skills are never taught to them as they are growing up. Parents or other involved adults may teach these skills directly or by example; if they do not, young adults usually learn them by trial and error. Therefore, schools are increasingly integrating lessons teaching these skills into the curriculum. Learning skills that ease the transition into adulthood can prevent frustrated or overwhelmed future parents from becoming abusive to their children.

It is important to promote tangible and intangible life skills that are tailored to students' developmental needs. Tangible life skills are those needed for daily living, self-maintenance, and obtaining and sustaining employment, such as:

• Food preparation
• Personal hygiene
• Obtaining appropriate medical care
• Educational planning
• Money management and budgeting
• Time management
• Finding housing

Intangible life skills are those needed for developing and maintaining positive personal and professional relationships, such as:

• Conflict management skills
• Peer mediation skills
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Parenting skills

Instruction in these tangible and intangible life skills is intended to have a positive impact on a youth's self-sufficiency and self-esteem, in addition to the practical advantages he or she will incur in adulthood. Although only few of these programs have been fully evaluated related to child abuse prevention, many are working towards that goal in order to demonstrate their effectiveness. There are, however, studies demonstrating the effectiveness of life skills training related to other concerns, such as substance abuse prevention. One of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) rigorously researched and reviewed "model programs" is LifeSkills Training. Compared to children not receiving the training, participants cut their alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use by 50 to 75 percent and decreased multiple drug use by up to 66 percent. These effects were observed up to 6 years post-intervention.

Another study, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, focused on reducing the level of chronic disruptive and aggressive behavior in middle school populations by teaching conflict management and peer mediation skills. Such acting out behaviors are frequently observed in youth who have been abused or are members of high-risk families. This 3-year study found that disciplinary problems in the school decreased somewhat and that the skills taught were found to be generalized to the home environment and minor conflict situations.

Socialization Skills

Socialization - learning appropriate ways to interact with peers - is learned by children as they participate in activities during the school day. Less emphasis on competition and more attention paid to cooperative learning, in addition to teaching conflict resolution and problem solving, will enable children to better relate to peers.

Research suggests that it is important for children to learn these four basic skills to become adequately socialized, productive adults. Children need to:

1. Learn how to get their needs met appropriately. Often maltreated children are not able to express their needs and ask for help.

2. Learn how to express feelings, which enables children to separate these feelings from actions. For example, children must learn that it is acceptable to feel anger toward someone, but it is not appropriate to hit another person.

3. Learn to take responsibility for their actions.

4. Learn how to make decisions and solve problems.

Some educators use other techniques to strengthen socialization skills. For example, a tool used with increased frequency is the journal. Children and teens are asked to write in journals as a way of composing their thoughts, expressing feelings, and gaining self-awareness.

Bullying

A lack of socialization skills in children can be manifest in a variety of ways. Some may act withdrawn or introverted, while others are aggressive. Sometimes aggressive, threatening behavior becomes entrenched, creating a threat to siblings, neighborhood children, and classmates. Bullying can be defined as repeated or systematic harassment and attacks on others. It can be perpetrated by individuals or groups. Bullying can take many forms, including:

• Physical attacks and violence
• Verbal taunts, name calling, teasing, and put-downs
• Threats and intimidation
• Extortion of money or possessions.

A power imbalance is a key to the dynamic. Students who bully are nearly always stronger, bigger, more aggressive, and bolder than those students who are victimized. Bullying behavior may be an indicator of difficulties in the home. Abuse, exposure to domestic violence, as well as other high-conflict dynamics can play a role in the acceptance of inappropriate power dictating the actions of others. Supervision of children has been found to be of significant importance. Just as low levels of supervision in the home may be associated with the development of bullying behavior, so too can low levels of supervision at schools be problematic, particularly on the playground or in the hallways. Other measures schools can take to reduce bullying behavior include:

• Specific and identified rules against bullying;
• Consistent and immediate consequences for the perpetrator;
• Peer and conflict mediation;
• Awareness and involvement on the part of parents and concerned adults in anti-bullying efforts;
• Reduced emphasis on competitive activities;
• A safe space in the school for victims of bullying.

About the Author

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Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.