It’s a Sign!

Sign of Abuse, Reporting &

Referral
 FACTS ABOUT CHILD
ABUSE
80% total prevalence rate of any form of VAC among those aged 13-24 years.

More males (81.5%) experienced VAC than females (78.4%)

In terms of age group, 78.8% males belonged to the 13-18 years while 80.9 % were females aged 18 to 24

Among the forms of violence experienced by children in any setting, physical violence was highest at
64.2% or 3 in 5 children, in which males comprised 66.2%, females at 62.1%, and 4 in 5 of LGBT
children.

Second highest form of VAC was psychological violence at 61.9% or 3 in 5 children, wherein males
comprised 64.1%, females at 59.7%, and also 4 in 5 of LGBT children. Lowest was sexual violence at
22.4% or 1 in 5 children, in which males comprised 26.4%, females at 18.2%, and 3 in 10 of LGBT
children.
 

Violence against children (who.int).

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1. Identifying reasons why educators are concerned;

2. Recognizing child abuse and neglect;

3. Reporting child abuse and neglect;

4. Know the Referral Pathway/Case Management Protocol to

CVANE
 EDUCATORS HAVE CLOSE
AND CONSISTENT CONTACT
WITH CHILDREN
SCHOOL HAVE A UNIQUE
OPPORTUNITY TO
ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN,
WHY BE CONCERNED AS WELL AS PROVIDE
ABOUT CHILD ABUSE? PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
THAT CAN HELP CHILDREN
AND STRENGTHEN
FAMILIES.
EDUCATORS HAVE A
PROFESSIONAL AND LEGALLY
MANDATED RESPONSIBILITY
FOR REPORTING SUSPECTED
MALTREATMENT.

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Why be concerned about Child Abuse?
56.5% cases referred, assessed and investigated by Child
Protective Services were submitted;

16.2% education personnel as the most frequent source of

reports

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 RECOGNIZING CHILD ABUSE &
NEGLECT

“Knowledgeable educators can pick up indicators of possible

maltreatment by observing children’s behavior at school,
recognizing physical signs, and noticing family dynamics
during routine interactions with parents.”

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• Physical abuse is defined as the infliction of bodily injury that causes significant
or severe pain, leaves physical evidence, impairs physical functioning, or
significantly jeopardizes the child's safety. Individual states have varying
definitions of abuse that require a report to Child Welfare Services and law
enforcement agencies. Clinicians should become familiar with the statutes in their
own states.

• The severity of injuries caused by physical abuse ranges from isolated 

skin bruising to fatal head and abdominal trauma. It is well documented that
physical abuse tends to be repetitive and that the severity of attacks tends to
escalate over time; so does, correspondingly, the severity of injuries. Given this,
early recognition, reporting, and intervention are essential in prevention of
increased morbidity and mortality.

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 BEHAVIORAL CLUES
• Be aggressive, oppositional, or defiant;
• Cower or demonstrate fear of adults;
• Act out, displaying aggressive or disruptive behavior;
• Be destructive to self or others;
• Come to school too early or not want to leave school
—indicating a possible fear of going home;
• Show fearlessness or extreme risk taking

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 BEHAVIORAL CLUES
• Be described as “accident prone”;
• Cheat, steal, or lie (may be related to too high expectations at home);
• Be a low achiever (to learn, children must convert aggressive energy
into learning; children in conflict may not be able to do so);
• Be unable to form good peer relationships;
• Wear clothing that covers the body and that may be inappropriate in
warmer months (be aware that this may be a cultural issue as well);
• Show regressive or less mature behavior;
• Dislike or shrink from physical contact—may not tolerate physical
praise such as a pat on the back).

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NEGLECT is the most common type of maltreatment that children experience and
has consequences that are just as serious as physical abuse.

 It involves the caregiver’s inattention to the basic needs of a child, such as food,
clothing, shelter, medical care, and supervision.

 Neglectful families often appear to be multiproblem families, although families

with numerous problems are not always neglectful.

 Neglect often is chronic rather than episodic, these children may grow up
believing that this is a normal way life and will not seek assistance or confide
this information to anyone.

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 NEGLECT CLUES
When educators are considering the possibility of neglect, it is
important to look for consistencies. They should ask themselves the
following questions:
Does the child consistently demonstrate unattended material needs?
Is the child stealing or hoarding food consistently or only
occasionally?
Would looking at the family in the context of the community or the
culture provide any answers?
Is this culturally acceptable child-rearing, a different lifestyle, or true
neglect as defined by law?

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 NEGLECT CLUES
Does the child describe parental behavior that might indicate the
presence of substance abuse?

Does the child miss a lot of school?

 Is the child having difficulty staying awake in school?

Is the child inappropriately dressed for the weather?

Does the child exhibit poor hygiene consistently

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 EMOTIONAL MALTREATMENT
Includes blaming, belittling, or rejecting a child; constantly treating
siblings unequally; and a persistent lack of concern by the caretaker
for the child’s welfare.

Emotional maltreatment most often is observed through behavior, it is

possible for children to internalize it so sufficiently as to cause
developmental lags, psychosomatic symptoms, and other visible
effects, such as speech disorders.

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 BEHAVIORAL CLUES
Feeling unhappy, frightened and distressed;

Behave aggressively and anti socially or they act too mature for their
age;

Find it difficult to make friends; and

Experience incontinence and mysterious pains.

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 SEXUAL ABUSE
Sexual abuse is sexual behavior or a sexual act forced upon a woman,
man or child without their consent. Sexual abuse includes abuse of a
woman, man or child by a man, woman or child.
Sexual abuse is an act of violence which the attacker uses against
someone they perceive as weaker than them. It is a crime committed
deliberately with the goal of controlling and humiliating the victim.

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 BEHAVIORAL CLUES
Withdrawn, self-harm and suicidal behavior

Aggressive and violent behavior

Bedwetting, sleeping problems and nightmares

Eating problems

Mood Swings

Detachments

Sexual behavior, language or knowledge are too advance for their age.

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 BEHAVIORAL CLUES
Withdrawn, self-harm and suicidal behavior

Aggressive and violent behavior

Bedwetting, sleeping problems and nightmares

Eating problems

Mood Swings

Detachments

Sexual behavior, language or knowledge are too advance for their age.

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REPORTING & REFERRAL PATHWAY
FOR CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

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 REPORTING
Role of School
Teacher/Guidance Counselor
1. Coordinate the case with the
Barangay or the BCPC. For
rape and trafficking cases,
report immediately to the
LEA nearest the school.
2. Accompany the child to the
Barangay Hall or the
Barangay may fetch the
child from the school.
3. Make appropriate
arrangements and
preparations with the child’s
teacher to ensure continuity
of the child’s education
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Role of BCPC
1. Interview the person who
reported the case, or the child
victim-survivor and/or the elder
companion of the child. Only the
following information will be
requested by the barangay level
service providers and entered
into the barangay blotter:
2. Refer the case and accompany
the complainant to the local
police or the LSWDO.
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Role of LEA
1. Validate the reported CVANE
or OSAEC case
2. Conduct initial investigation in
order to validate the report
3. Blotter the case
4. Report the case
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5. Refer the case for medical
evaluation and medico-legal
examination
6. Hold a joint intake interview
with the social worker and
physician, if possible
Role of LSWDO
1. Assess what type of
intervention is needed (medical,
etc.)
2. Determine if safe with family
and community environment
3. Coordinate with school/
DepEd rep for monitoring
especially if the custody of the
child has to be taken by
MSWDO/ institution
4. Prepare case study and attach
documents like birth certificate,
police blotter
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 RESCUE
Role of LEA
Before the rescue:
1. Conduct an ocular survey of the target location of the child to be
rescued in a discreet way
2. Gather information about the specific target location secretly
3. Convene the rescue team to consolidate all gathered information
about the reported case and the specific target location
4. Develop a rescue plan with the rescue team
5. Prepare the logistics needed for the rescue operation
 
During the rescue:
1. Lead the rescue operation
2. Arrest the perpetrator/s
3. Confiscate all the evidences in the crime scene
4. Coordinate with Barangay Officials and LSWDO
 
After the rescue:
1. Ensure the safety of the rescued child
2. Ensure the safekeeping of the evidence/s
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Role of LSWDO
Before the rescue:
1. Gather information about the child to be rescued in a discreet
manner
2. Participate in the formulation of the rescue plan
3. Prepare a rescue kit for the child which includes clothes,
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footwear, bag for the child’s other clothes and personal stuff,
water and food, hygiene items, and cover (face mask and head
gear) to prevent facial exposure to the public
4. Arrange for a possible space in a facility for temporary
shelter
 
During the rescue:
1. Introduce self quickly to the child and inform child of what
was happening
2. Retrieve and removes the child immediately from the crime
scene, ensuring that the child is not recognizable, and bring her
quickly to the waiting service vehicle and away from the
location
3. Assure the child of her safety and informs the child of the
ongoing process – where she will be taken, what she will do
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JOINT INTERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT

In this phase, the child survivor will have a chance to disclose the experience of abuse in a safe
and secured setting. The child will not be forced or pushed to disclose if s/he is not ready yet to
do so. It is therefore important that the intake interview and assessment be conducted by trained
child-friendly and gender-sensitive case authorities from the LEA and the LSWDO. If it is also
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possible, the physician who will medically evaluate and examine the child and the PAO lawyer
who will assist in the legal aspects of the case, can be present during the interview. As an option
to avoid a repetition of the child’s disclosure, an audio or video tape recording of the interview
proceedings can be used, with the child’s informed consent. The intake interview, also called
forensic interview, must also be accomplished in one seating in order to avoid repetitive inquiry
in extracting the entire details about the case and about the child.

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PROTECTIVE CUSTODY OR INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT

Upon disclosure by the child or another reliable person that the life of the child will be in danger or that
imminent harm and suffering would possibly befall the child if the child returns to family home or the
community, the option for protective custody and involuntary commitment is prescribed. The paramount
concern in this phase is the safety and security of the beleaguered child.

ON PROTECTIVE CUSTODY INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT

1. Remove the child immediately from the life-
threatening place and situation
2. Place the child under protective custody
3. Issue a written document evidencing the taking of
protective custody by the LSWDO
4. Inform the police about the child who is under
protective custody if the child was rescued and placed in a
shelter facility without the participation of the LEA, and
vice-versa.
5. Conduct a case review or conference every three (3)
months by the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)
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1. File a Petition for Involuntary Commitment in the
following cases:
a. Continuing protection because of abusive environment
b. Inability of parents to protect the child
c. High risk of child to be harmed
2. Coordinate with school/DepEd rep for monitoring
especially if the custody of the child has to be taken by
MSWDO or a child-caring institution

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 MEDICAL EVALUATION AND MEDICO LEGAL
EXAMINATION

All cases of child abuse, neglect and exploitation shall be

referred to the Women and Children Protection Unit
(WCPU) immediately. The WCPU is composed of a Click icon to add picture
multidisciplinary team of one physician, one social
worker and one LEO. They are all trained in handling
CVANE and OSAEC cases in a child-friendly and gender-
sensitive manner.
 

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 INQUEST/PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

An inquest is an informal and summary investigation conducted by the public

prosecutor in a criminal case involving persons arrested and detained without the
benefit of a warrant of arrest issued by the court for the purpose of determining
whether said persons should remain under custody and correspondingly be charged
in court. (DOJ Circular 61, 1993)
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Preliminary investigation is an inquiry or proceeding to determine whether or not

there is sufficient ground to support a finding that a crime has been committed and
that the respondent is probably guilty thereof and should be held for trial in our
courts of law. (DOJ NPS Manual Part III Sec 1)

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 TRIAL

The trial is the moment to witness the wheels of justice roll to serve the interest of
the complainant. The trial of child abuse cases must take precedence over all other
cases except for elections and habeas corpus cases.
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The court permits the use of testimonial aids such as dolls, anatomically-correct
dolls, puppets, anatomical drawings, and other demonstrative devices to facilitate
the child’s testimony.

The trial can lead two ways: conviction of the perpetrator or dismissal of the case.
The child’s testimony, the witness, and the evidence matter greatly. Either way, the
child has been safely secured from danger and the threat of danger.

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 HEALING RECOVERY AND REINTEGRATION

Saving children’s lives from the horror of abuse, neglect and exploitation is
everyone’s shared social responsibility. The healing and recovery of the child
requires a multidisciplinary approach and multisectoral response. It may even
require special or nuanced procedures depending on the child’s psychological make-
up or cultural origin.
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Likewise, the family’s trauma must also be addressed. Interventions geared towards
this are undertaken in recognition of the holistic approach to healing and recovery.
They cannot be left behind.

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thank you
mirjam nilsson
mirjam@contoso.com
www.contoso.com