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School-community partnerships for the welfare of children have existed for years, and these partnerships now include efforts to work with maltreated children. Although implementing new programs and making changes requires effort, the school and community together can serve as powerful advocates for children. Two exciting new programs that have taken shape in the last decade are the Families and Schools Together (FAST) Program, which joins parents and schools to help reduce delinquency, and Community Schools, which provides a forum for collaboration between educators, social service agencies, parents, and the wider community. Although many of these programs are originally directed toward the reduction of violence, in a broader sense their impact on child abuse, as one form of violence, can be significant.

Traditionally, advocates for special needs programs have been the parents of children in need. For maltreated children, however, someone other than their parents often needs to assume this function. A school-community partnership is a logical option.

Training and Staff Development Programs

Cooperative efforts between schools and the community can be an effective means of preventing child maltreatment. Training and staff development programs for those who work with children are an excellent starting point. These programs should stress identifying, reporting, treating, and preventing child maltreatment; furnish information on professional roles and responsibilities; and offer opportunities for free and frank discussion of mutual interests and problems among professionals in various disciplines. Some States even require educators to receive training on being a mandated reporter.

Public Awareness Programs

Schools can participate in public awareness programs through parent-teacher groups and other school-community organizations. By increasing public sensitivity to child maltreatment, schools can help develop a cadre of concerned individuals who will press for resources and programs for child abuse and neglect prevention. This is a familiar process for educators. Many programs for physically disabled, learning disabled, and other children with special needs began this way.

Use of School Facilities and Resources

Schools can offer facilities such as auditoriums or conference rooms to self-help groups, such as Parents Anonymous or Circle of Parents, or for school-sponsored public forums and workshops on child abuse and neglect prevention. Joint school-community adult education programs also can be offered on such topics as alternative disciplinary methods and early childhood growth and development. School buildings can be made available for daycare, crisis care, and after-school care programs operated by social service agencies. School staff can serve as consultants, leaders, and facilitators of these programs. School newsletters can be used to announce them. In addition, school-owned films and books can be lent to other agencies and organizations for training programs and meetings.

In short, the school offers a wealth of resources for efforts that seek to prevent child maltreatment. All that is needed is the school's willingness to offer them and the community's willingness to accept them.

Individual Action

While the school as a whole is important in preventing child maltreatment, it is the individual who is often in a position of carrying out these efforts. As mentioned previously, reporting suspected child maltreatment is necessary to prevent it from continuing. The attitude of the reporter can affect the progress the family is able to make once the report is filed. The educator, who recognizes the strengths of both children and their parents and is supportive and available to the family throughout the investigation, treatment, and rehabilitation process, helps the family maintain its dignity and protects the child.

Educators must consider how their actions affect family functioning. For example, if behavior management is a point of contention between parents and their child, a terse note from the school about the child misbehaving in class may increase the risk of maltreatment to the child. Instead, it may be better to meet with the parents to decide together which techniques of behavior management should be used.

If grades are an issue, a parent-teacher conference to discuss academic performance may be a better choice than sending home a report card with a failing grade. Whenever possible, the educator should stress the child's positive performance while suggesting ways to improve any negative aspects. Reiterating the child's faults may reinforce the child's negative self-image and further the parent's view of the child as a disappointment. In contrast, emphasizing the child's assets will increase the child's self-confidence and indicate to the parent that the child is worthwhile, capable, and someone of whom to be proud.

The positive influence of an educator on the life of a child can be significant. As one survivor of an abusive home commented:

"I don't think my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Evans, had any idea what an impact he had on my life. He was my father's opposite and taught me much about how men could be. He was consistent and concerned while my father was drunk or ignored me. He praised me while my father criticized. He prized my mind and my accomplishments; my father cared only about abusing my body. I learned a great deal from that teacher about who I was and that I was an important person. I think I became a teacher myself to be like him, so that I could make a difference for some other child."

Many survivors will name an educator who made a real difference in their lives by showing they cared.

The actions of these vital educators helped prevent survivors of abusive homes from repeating the negative behaviors from their childhoods. Every educator has the opportunity to make a difference for an abused or neglected child. It is a challenge worth meeting.

Conclusion

As is illustrated throughout this manual, educators are important partners in preventing, identifying, and responding to child abuse and neglect. Because of their close and consistent contact with students and their families, educators are in a unique and critical position to help deal with these issues. Schools and educators have developed creative approaches in the programs they have established and supported, as well as in the messages and lessons incorporated into curricula. This creativity is instrumental in allowing educators to play an ever-evolving role in addressing the needs of maltreated children and their families.

Tags: Child Abuse

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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.