INFORMATION FOR EDUCATORS

Experienced educators likely have seen all forms of child abuse at one time or another. They are alert to signs like these that may signal the presence of child abuse.

The Child:

• Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance
• Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents' attention
• Has learning problems that cannot be attributed to specific physical or psychological causes
• Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen
• Lacks adult supervision
• Is overly compliant, an overachiever, or too responsible
• Comes to school early, stays late, and does not want to go home

The Parent:

• Shows little concern for the child, rarely responding to the school's requests for information, for conferences, or for home visits;
• Denies the existence of -- or blames the child for -- the child's problems in school or at home;
• Asks the classroom teacher to use harsh physical discipline if the child misbehaves;
• Sees the child entirely bad, worthless, or burdensome;
• Demands perfection or a level of physical or academic performance the child cannot achieve; or
• Looks primarily to the child for care, attention, and satisfaction of emotional needs.

The Parent and Child:

• Rarely touch or look at each other;
• Consider their relationship entirely negative; or
• State that they do not like each other.

None of these signs prove that child abuse is present in a family. Any of them may be found in any parent or child at one time or another. But when these signs appear repeatedly or in combination, they should cause the educator to take a closer look at the situation and to consider the possibility of child abuse. That second look may reveal further signs of abuse or signs of a particular kind of child abuse.