Reference no: EM133557280
ASSIGNMENT:
The first article that I think that you should read comes from Center for Innovation in Child Maltreatment Policy, Research and Training. The article, "Child Abuse Prevention Month in the Context of COVID-19" describes current rates of reporting child abuse, and possible explanations. This article is educational in the current issues regarding child abuse and neglect. Authors, Melissa Jonson-Reid, PhD Brett Drake, PhD, Catherine Cobetto, Maria Gandarilla Ocampo, Washington University in St Louis, April 14, 2020
Teachers are mandated reporters, so have an obligation to report a suspicion of child abuse and neglect. This website helps clarify this process, and its intentions.
This article is a little old, but full of helpful information. I think that you will find that the information is about the same today, unfortunately.
Some statistics are contained, and are pretty alarming:
"• An estimated 2.7 million children were reported to child protection agencies in 1991 as victims of neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or emotional maltreatment; nationwide the number of children reported abused or neglected has tripled since 1980 (Children's Defense Fund, 1992).
Gun-related violence takes the life of an American child at least every three hours and the lives of at least 25 children- the equivalent of a classroomful-every three days. In 1990 alone, guns were used to kill 222 children under the age of 10 and 6,795 young people under the age of 25. Another 30 children are injured every day by guns (Edelman, 1993).
Every day 100,000 children carry guns to school."
It is important to have a vision how and what should be done about the problem. A vision statement can unify a response, as professionals. National Association of Young Children has provided goals by which all of us can strive. What follows these goals, when you continue reading the article, are more specific things that we can do to help mitigate this reality for young children. I hope that you do.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation's largest professional organization of early childhood educators, is committed to actions that address two major goals: 1. To decrease the extent of violence in all forms in children's lives by advocating for public policies and actions at the national level; and 2. To enhance the ability of educators to help children cope with violence, promote children's resilience, and assist families by improving professional practice in early childhood programs.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is the difference between discipline and punishment? What parenting practices do you consider abusive, regarding discipline and punishment?
2. It is believed that for abuse or neglect to take place, all three risk factors must be present: Characteristics of abusive adults, the presence of a "special kind of vulnerable child", and Family and Environmental stresses. What do you think of each?
3. What do you think the definition of child maltreatment should be? How should child maltreatment be handled at a community/governmental level? At a school level?