Pennsylvania, U.S.A. — If a child has spent the summer in an abusive or neglectful home, it may be in the first few days back at school that the tell-tale signs of abuse are most likely to emerge and be recognized, the director of training for the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA) says.

“It may be easier for teachers and other school employees to recognize that something was or is amiss because of the time lapse,” Tina Phillips said. “A child who has been abused or neglected over the summer may look or act dramatically different from when school ended a few months earlier. A returning child also may see school or a teacher as a safe haven and feel comfortable enough to open up.”

Teachers and other school employees are considered “mandated reporters,” which means they have a legal duty to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

“The first few weeks back at school are when teachers need to be attuned to looking for signs of abuse or neglect,” Phillips said. “They may notice behavior or physical signs that suggest abuse. Most kids are coming back from a happy, fun-filled summer, and it shows. Kids that have had a tough time will present a contrast. Teachers need to be alert.”

• Among the suggestive signs are such things as:
• Unexplained bruises, burns, broken bones, or other injuries, or obviously unaddressed medical or dental needs.
• Showing up at school early or staying late and not wanting to go home, or a fearful reaction to parents.
• Behavior that seems overly compliant, withdrawn, or passive, or aggressive behavior towards oneself or others.
• Poor hygiene or clothing that’s dirty or poorly fitted.
• Lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities such as sports, clubs, or playing an instrument.
• Demonstrating sexual knowledge or behavior not typical for the child’s age.

Phillips said the behavior of parents at parent-teacher conferences or school open house nights also can signal problems at home—such indicators as showing little or no concern for the child’s welfare, blaming the child for problems at home or school, requesting harsh discipline, conveying that a child is worthless or burdensome, making demands on a child beyond his or her developmental abilities, or rejecting offers of help for a child’s problems.

“These are some of the signs that something could be wrong—but they are by no means all inclusive,” Phillips said.

Phillips stressed that the law does not require certainty when it comes to reporting suspected child abuse or neglect. She said, “The operative word is ‘suspected.’ It’s not necessary to be absolutely sure. The only threshold is reasonable suspicion.”

She said it’s better to make a report and let Children and Youth Services conduct an investigation than it is to hold back.

Anyone can report suspected child abuse or neglect by calling ChildLine at 800-932-0313.
PFSA is a nonprofit agency that annually trains more than 8,000 professionals, including teachers, in how to recognize and report suspected child abuse.

It supported and helped win passage and enactment of Senate Bill 449, which now requires teachers and other school personnel to receive training on recognizing and reporting child abuse.

PFSA also is the Pennsylvania sponsor of The Front Porch Project, a community-based training initiative that educates the general public about how to protect children from abuse and works with more than 50 affiliate agencies across Pennsylvania to provide information, educational materials, and programs that teach and support good parenting practices.

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Harrisburg, U.S.A. — The enactment of Senate Bill 449 into law, which now requires teachers and other school personnel to be trained to recognize and report child abuse, is the culmination of nearly five years of effort by the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA)—an effort that began well before the Jerry Sandusky case thrust child abuse into the national spotlight.

PFSA is a statewide nonprofit agency that annually trains more than 8,000 “mandated reporters” in how to recognize and report suspected child abuse. Mandated reporters are professionals who have regular contact with children by virtue of their jobs.

“Pennsylvanians should be grateful to everyone who had a hand in bringing this to fruition—including the members of the House and Senate; Gov. Tom Corbett, who last week signed the legislation into law; and in particular state Sen. Pat Vance of Cumberland County, who got behind this measure from the very beginning,” said PFSA Executive Director Angela Liddle.

PFSA began working with Vance on legislation for required training of school personnel in November 2009.

Final passage came shortly after a series of guilty verdicts in the child sex abuse trial of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

“Obviously we are very gratified that we have finally achieved what we regard as an important milestone in protecting the children of Pennsylvania,” Liddle said, “but we also recognize that there is much more to be done.”

She said PFSA would now work to require training as part of initial and ongoing certification and licensure requirements for professions that regularly come into contact with children.

“It is sad that it took something like the Sandusky case to finally bring the needed attention to the issue of child abuse,” Liddle said. “It is now up to all of us not to let this slip back into the shadows.”

Liddle has repeatedly emphasized that training is key in making sure that vigilance against child abuse is effective. She said school personnel and other mandated reporters, such as physicians and members of the clergy, need to understand how abuse manifests itself and how to make proper reports to the authorities.

The new training law applies to personnel at public schools, charter schools, cyber schools, private schools, nonpublic schools, intermediate units and area vocational-technical schools.

It allows school employees to receive credits toward their continuing profession education requirements for taking the training. A minimum of three hours of training is required every five years.

Statistics compiled by the state Department of Public Welfare (DPW) confirm that schools are by far the largest single source of child abuse reports from mandated reporters. More than 24,000 reports of suspected child abuse were filed in Pennsylvania in 2011, according to DPW, and of those more than 3,400 were substantiated. DPW said 34 children died from abuse in Pennsylvania in 2011.

In addition to providing training for mandated reporters, PFSA is the Pennsylvania sponsor of The Front Porch Project, a community-based training initiative that educates the general public about how to protect children from abuse.

PFSA also works with more than 50 affiliate agencies across Pennsylvania to provide information, educational materials, and programs that teach and support good parenting practices.

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Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Regina Brett says child abuse is “always the saddest story you’re going to write.”

Brett, author of The New York Times best‐seller “God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours” and the recent “Be the Miracle: 50 Lessons for Making the Impossible Possible,” will be the keynote speaker at the “Protecting PA Kids, Preventing Abuse” annual breakfast on April 3 at 8 a.m. at the Harrisburg Hilton.

The event is the kickoff for the observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month in Pennsylvania and is sponsored by the nonprofit Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA).

Brett said one of the lessons in her recent book is to “get busy on the possible.” A problem like child abuse can look so big that people wonder how they can do anything to make a difference. “We stop it one child at a time, one house at a time,” she said.

In her years as a reporter, Brett wrote many stories about child abuse. “We have to do more to protect our children – and they are all our children,” she said.

Brett has written several columns about the child sex abuse allegations involving former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. “What broke my heart is that nobody ever reached out to that boy in the shower,” she said.

What allows child abuse to continue, she observed, is “the silence of those who can do something.” Those who witness or suspect child abuse shouldn’t be reticent about speaking up, she said. “Err on the side of helping the child. Err on the side of reporting. We all have the power to do something.”

A friend, a single mom, once confided to Brett that her boyfriend had punched her 10-year-old son in the face. Brett reported it and Children’s Services intervened. The boyfriend moved out. Brett said it was a difficult decision, but, “how could I not do anything?”

PFSA Executive Director Angela Liddle said, “Brett’s words about always choosing the side of helping the child get to the heart of what we preach in our training and in our programs. We look forward to hearing more of what she has to say on April 3.”

Tickets for the breakfast are available online at http://www.pa-fsa.org/ or by calling (717) 238‐0937.

PFSA is Pennsylvania’s leader in training mandated reporters to recognize and properly report suspected child abuse. Mandated reporters are professionals such as doctors, teachers, and police officers who come into frequent contact with children and are legally required to report suspected abuse.

PFSA also works with more than 50 affiliate agencies across the state to provide information, educational materials, and programs that teach and support good parenting practices. In addition, PFSA serves as thePennsylvania sponsor of The Front Porch Project, a community-based training initiative that educates the general public about how to protect children from abuse.

For more information, visit the PFSA website at www.pa-fsa.org.

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