Safety in the Workplace

(cont’d…)
Safety in the Worplace…
Let’s begin tonight’s lecture
with a quote…

What does this mean to you?

Child Abuse Effects
Physical child abuse effects varies from child to child,
depending on 6 factors:

1) Severity of the physical abuse

2) Frequency of the physical abuse
3) The age of the child when physical abuse began
4) The child's relationship to the abuser
5) The availability of support
6) The child's ability to cope
A Child's Ability to Cope…

A child will find a way to cope

with the abuse. The methods a
child uses can add to the
effects.
 4 Coping Skills that
many children use:
• 1) Being Physical:

This can include rage or

becoming the "comedian" or
"class clown". While being
"funny" is generally
considered an attribute, there
are children who use humor
to cover up the fact that they
are suffering. What’s really going on
behind that silly face?
 4 Coping Skills
(cont’d…)
• 2) Being Emotional:

This may include the child

refusing to try anything new
for fear of failure, and
therefore avoids receiving
even more negative
messages about themselves.
 4 Coping Skills
(cont’d…)
• 3) Turning Inward:

The child may turn against

him/herself, either physically
(ex: self-harming in the form
of cutting or burning) or
emotionally (ex: internal self-
blame).
 4 Coping Skills
(cont’d…)
• 4) Turning Outward:

The child may act out against

someone else. Children and
youth suffer physical pain,
trauma, and emotional scars
when they are victims of child
abuse. The physical child
abuse effects also vary
depending on the age of the
child.
 Class Discussion:
Now that you are familiar with the 4 coping skills
that children may use, how can you help
children to make their coping skills more positive
and constructive rather than negative and
destructive?
Neglect:
• Definition: A child less than 18
years of age whose physical,
mental, and emotional condition
has been impaired because of the
child's legal guardian.

• Neglect occurs when the minor’s

legal guardian fails to exercise a
minimum degree of care in
supplying the child with adequate
food, clothing, shelter, education
or medical care.
Neglect:
(cont’d…)
• Neglect also occurs when the
legal guardian fails to provide
the child with proper
supervision, which may cause
the child to be harmed.
Neglect:
(cont’d…)
- Understanding basic human
needs is the key to recognizing
the signs of child neglect.

- Basic human needs are split

into two categories:

1. Emotional needs
2. Physical needs
Chart of Basic Human
Needs
Emotional Needs
 7 Emotional Needs:
1) Love and Care

- A caregiver shows love and care for a child through

different means of affection such as hugs, kisses, praise,
compliments, positive reinforcement, and spending time
with the child.

- Every child needs to feel important. A caregiver may

love a child, but if the child doesn't feel loved, then
neglect is inevitable.
 7 Emotional Needs:
(cont’d…)
2) Hugs and Kisses

- Hugs and kisses meet both

the physical and emotional
fundamentals of basic
human needs.

- Children feel loved when

there is human contact.
 Class Discussion:
A child in your class hugs and kisses you all the time.
You later find out that this child has been seriously
neglected. You want to be kind to this child, but you do
not want your other students to feel uncomfortable or
resentful. How might you handle this?
 7 Emotional Needs:
(cont’d…)
3) Respect

- Respecting a child means

listening and speaking in a
way that demonstrates
respect for his/her emotional
and physical well-being.

- A child who is constantly put

down and feeling as though
they do not matter, is a child
suffering from neglect.
 7 Emotional Needs:
(cont’d…)
4) Moral Guidance and
Discipline

- Moral guidance means teaching

a child right from wrong.

- Discipline means following

through to ensure that the child is
learning the lesson. It does not
mean that a parent is a tyrant – it
means that they are parenting!
Another Discussion…
The issue of right versus wrong can be extremely
subjective due to personal preferences. Cultural and
religious beliefs might also influence opinions about what
is right or wrong.

For example: Sexual preferences, talking while eating,

talking back, etc… are all examples of what some people
might consider to be “wrong”.

How might you handle a situation where a parent’s rules

and/or beliefs are severe in your opinion and clash with
your views of a child’s emotional needs?
 7 Emotional Needs:
(cont’d…)
5) Encouragement, Reassurance,
Praise, Support and Attention

- A child needs to feel valued. Phrases

such as "Well done!", "Good job!", etc…
are clear examples of encouragement,
reassurance, praise, support, and
attention.

- Reassurance is the act of making

a child feel a sense of self-worth.
This is particularly important when a child
makes mistakes.
 7 Emotional Needs:
(cont’d…)
5) Encouragement, Reassurance,
Praise, Support and Attention
(cont’d…)

• If a child is berated (criticized) for mistakes,

his/her self-esteem is negatively affected.

• Low self-esteem is one of the signs of

child neglect.

• Focusing on the positive instead of dwelling

on the negative is a powerful
way to ensure a healthy self-worth.
 7 Emotional Needs:
6) “Listening Ears”

- Of all the basic human needs,

“listening ears” is as simple as it
sounds: paying attention and
hearing what a child has to say,
without judgment.

(Remember active listening in

the course Interpersonal
Communication!!)
 7 Emotional Needs:
(cont’d…)
7) Education
- An education falls under basic
needs because a child must learn to
read, write, add, subtract, multiply,
and divide in order to effectively
contribute to society as an adult.

- An education is mandatory in North

America. It is the responsibility of
parents or caregivers to send their
child to school (kindergarten to
grade 11) or to home school their
child.
Physical Needs
 7 Physical Needs:
1) Food

- Food must be nutritious and

should follow the basic nutritional
guidelines and include fruit,
vegetables, proteins, grains,
and cereals.

- An adequate quantity of food is

just as important as quality.
Poor nutrition is one of the top
signs of child neglect.
 7 Physical Needs:
(cont’d…)
2) Clothing

- Clothing must be clean and appropriate for the

different weather conditions (ex: warm coat and
boots for winter, and adequate clothing to
protect from other outdoor elements).

- Dirty or unsuitable clothing (ex: tank tops in the

winter or a sweater that is several sizes too
small) are one of the signs of child neglect that
is most often noticed.
Class Discussion:
In your ECE classroom you have begun to
notice that some of your students come to
daycare without weather-appropriate clothing.
How might you handle this?
 7 Physical Needs:
(cont’d…)
3) Shelter

- The criteria for appropriate shelter is

that it be warm, dry, clean, and safe.

- Housing can be an apartment,

basement suite, house, or any
lodgings that fit the above criteria.

- Unsuitable housing is another of the

most determinable signs of child
neglect.
 7 Physical Needs:
(cont’d…)
4) Safe Environment

- A safe environment includes

surroundings in, around, and
outside the home and takes into
account the age of the child.

- A safe environment also

includes ensuring that young
children are not left unattended
around hot stoves, ovens,
furnaces, hot water, etc…
 7 Physical Needs:
(cont’d…)
5) Supervision
- For small children in particular,
supervision means never leaving
them unattended.

- Supervision is required daily and during

potentially dangerous activities, such
as swimming and driving.

- With adolescents, supervision means

asking where the teen is going, who
s/he is going with, what time s/he will
be back, and yes…. even imposing
curfews!
 7 Physical Needs:
(cont’d…)
6) Good Hygiene/Medical
Care/ Dental Care

- Good hygiene is as simple as

making sure the child is bathed
regularly and that their hair is clean.

- In terms of signs of child neglect,

your sense of smell is usually the
best indicator.
 7 Physical Needs:
(cont’d…)
6) Good Hygiene / Medical Care/
Dental Care (cont’d…)

- Medical care means getting a child to

the doctor in a timely manner when
the child is sick or requires a check-up.

- Dental care requires that a parent

provides a toothbrush, toothpaste, and
dental floss for the child to keep their
teeth clean. Rotting teeth, coupled with
ongoing bad breath can be another sign
of child neglect.
 7 Physical Needs:
(cont’d…)
7) Adequate Rest / Exercise and Fresh Air
- Adequate rest is crucial for children
to function properly.

- Bedtimes must be set and adhered to.

- A mattress, clean sheets, and a warm

blanket are necessary to provide a comfortable
setting for the child to get adequate rest.

- If a child is constantly too tired to perform daily

activities, or if the child is frequently dozing off,
these may also be signs of child neglect.
 7 Physical Needs:
(cont’d…)
7) Adequate Rest / Exercise
and Fresh Air (cont’d…)

- Exercise and fresh air are two of

the basic human needs that
Canadian schools have taken
into account with our mandated
physical education program.

- Experts suggest that children should

receive at least 3 hours of exercise
per week, and up to 1 hour of fresh
air on a daily basis.