CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT - It's Everyone's Problem

Teachers are usually the first non-family member to see children outside the home on a regular basis. This exposes them to children who are potential victims of child abuse and as such must be trained to recognize abuse and what to do if it is suspected.

Every 11 seconds a U.S. child is reported as abused or neglected. Child Abuse and Neglect has been sited by the Center for Disease Control as a priority health problem. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has called violence toward children a public health crisis. In the words of Dr. Bruce Perry, a nationally renowned researcher on child abuse, “If 20 million people were infected by a virus that caused anxiety, impulsivity, aggression, sleep problems, depression, respiratory and heart problems, vulnerability to substance abuse, antisocial and criminal behavior, retardation and school failure, we would consider it an urgent public health crisis. Yet, in the United States alone, there are more than 20 million abused, neglected and traumatized children vulnerable to these problems. Our society has yet to recognize this epidemic, let alone develop an immunization strategy.

Child abuse is a cyclical problem. Parents abused as children are more than six times as likely to abuse their children as parents who were not abused. Approximately 50% of these victims were pre-school age. Furthermore, approximately 93% of the children were abused by their own family, thereby increasing the need for training.

Program

Recognizing Child Abuse - Physical, Sexual, Emotional, & Neglect

• Types of Abuse - Physical, Sexual, Emotional, & Neglect
• Characteristics of Victims
• Characteristics of Perpetrators

Documenting Child Abuse/Neglect - How To Report Child Abuse And The Process Of Investigation

• Record Keeping - When Do You Report
• Protecting Yourself Against False Accusations
• How To Report Child Abuse And The Process Of Investigation
• Aftermath of Report

Preventing Child Abuse - What You Can Do - Community Resources

• What You Can Do
• Community Resources

Presentation Fees
$1000 per presentation
Travel, accommodations, and incidental expenses are at state rate addition to the above fee.
To schedule a speaker, call 512-250-8438 ext. 18

BULLYING

It is difficult for adults, including teachers and youth leaders, to know when bullying occurs, to say nothing of the difficulty in detecting its symptoms in a bullied child. According to recent studies, much bullying goes unnoticed by adults, yet many children report they are all too familiar with it as witness. Rather than speak up, many children sometimes side with the bully, or laugh at the victims, to protect themselves from possible harm.

Both Victims AND Bullies have low self-esteem. Arrogance should not be mistaken for a "high self-esteem." Someone who has a "good" self-esteem has no need to CONTROL.

It causes misery for the bully's victims, and leaves a lasting impression on all those who witness repeated bullying incidents.

Parents and teachers hold the power to work together to put an end to bullying and provide a safe learning environment for all children. In many cases, it will be the parent who must take charge of bringing the bullying incidents to the attention of school authorities. Parents should expect full cooperation from the school to resolve the problem. The result of reducing bullying in our schools is an improved school environment that is friendly and welcoming to all students. In schools where children feel protected from bullying, they are free to spend their days learning, building friendships, and dreaming about all the possibilities for their lives.

Bullying is one of the most underrated and enduring problems in schools today and is a reality in the lives of all children, whether they are bullies, victims or witnesses.

Program

• What is bullying? – Will identify the five types of bullying and discuss their use
• What are the characteristics of a bully? A victim? A bystander – Will describe a bully, a victim, and bystander and their tendencies
• What can a school do to intervene? Will examine what steps a school can do prevent or reduce bullying

Presentations are 2 – 4 hours in length

Presentation Fees
$1000 per presentation
Travel, accommodations, and incidental expenses are at state rate addition to the above fee.
To schedule a speaker, call 512-250-8438 ext. 18