As a professional we need to be educated in all areas of child abuse and neglect. We need to be aware of the warning signs of physical, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse, and neglect. We should know the state laws and procedures that we need to follow in order to protect children against abuse and neglect.
P-1.9—When we have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect, we shall report it to the appropriate community agency and follow up to ensure that appropriate action has been taken. When appropriate, parents or guardians will be informed that the referral will be or has been made.
As a professional, when we see that a child appears to have been involved in abuse or neglect, our voice needs to report it to social services, police, or director of our play school. It is up to us as a leader to protect our children, and remove them from a situation that they didn’t ask to be in, nor need to be in. I have reported a parent in the past, because the child has come to school with finger prints, on his arm, where he was grabbed. The mother has a history of abusing the children, and have had the children removed from her care. I confronted the mother in the beginning asking where the fingerprints had come from and she said I don’t know. It was up to me to report her and have her investigated.
We shall demonstrate our respect and concern for children, families, colleagues, and
others with whom we work, honoring their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture.
As professionals we come in contact with children, families, and colleagues that have different beliefs, values, customs, languages and come from different cultures. However, we as a professional need to understand and accept their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture. This is not only a educational experience for us as a professional but a time to see how other cultures demonstrate their way of doing things. We as humans should adhere to the ways others have, even if it is not what we have been taught.
