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Watch this video to refresh your memory on mandatory reporting for child abuse.

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One sign of abuse could be the child who is fearful of going home. They will often arrive early and stay late.
A second sign of abuse could be when a child ask indirect questions like: what would happen if someone told you this.
In either case the pay attention and listen to the child and report any suspicion of abuse.

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Less obvious signs of physical abuse include injuries considered to be "soft tissue" injuries such as to the buttocks; child behavior could be a child complaining about sitting, or frequent complaining of pain when moving.
Another less obvious sign a child suffers from physical abuse could be how he/she may overreact and get anxious when someone else cries.
If you suspect abuse and are trying to get information out of a child, it is important not to press the child beyond what they are willing to provide.

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One sign of child abuse is if the child attempts to cover or hide parts of their body that are injured.  They might pull at the edges of their clothing in order to make sure that bruising or scars are not shown.  Children also might react if you are close to them and seem anxious.
SOme students who might feel comfortable talking to you might say that they have something to share with you, but want to keep it a secret.  It is always important to tell the child that if it is something dangerous that you must tell another adult in order to keep that child safe.

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One sign of child abuse that is often overlooked is when a child wears clothing that is too big in order to hide physical signs of abuse, such as bruises and burns. Look for clothing that is baggy and/or too loose. These children may also be reluctant to change in front of others, such as in a gym locker room. Another sign of child abuse that must be carefully considered is when a child gives an explanation to their injuries that are inconsistent with the nature of the injuries. For example, if the caregiver says that the child fell off their bike, but the injury is on the stomach or buttocks as opposed to outside areas of the body, such as elbows and knees. Furthermore, if multiple injuries occur frequently, it's less likely to be an accident.

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One sign of child abuse is when a child is afraid to tell anyone about the abuse.  They may make up excuses or disguise their questions in a way to keep their abuse a secret.  They may also act afraid of the person who is abusing them. If a child confides in you but doesn't want you to tell anyone, it is important that you listen and make them comfortable, but don't prod the child for more information. It is also important that you do not promise them that you will keep their secret.
A sign of physical abuse is when bruises or injuries happen on parts of the body that aren't easily hurt like the knees or elbows. They would be on softer fleshier parts of the body that normally don't get much impact from accidents. You will also see injuries in different stages of healing.

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Sometimes it's difficult to know whether potential signs of abuse are actually just normal injuries and whether one should report or not. He clearly states that it is always better to err on the side on protecting the child. As a non-classroom teacher, I am not always sure who I should report concerns to - the classroom teacher, the school nurse, the guidance counselor, or the principal? Or if, having reported an incident of suspicious behavior, if I should report subsequent behaviors. In my role as librarian, I am sometimes concerned by students requesting specific books that have to do with sexual content or the human body, especially very young students. I also get concerned with students who ask for books having to do with violence or murder. In both cases I have discussed my concern with the classroom teachers regardless of the rule that librarians should not reveal what their patrons search for or read.

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Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm, or risk of serious harm to a child. There are many forms of child maltreatment, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation abuse etc.
For emotional abuse, for example, when a parent or caregiver harms a child’s mental and social development or causes severe emotional harm, it is considered emotional abuse. While a single incident may be abuse, most often emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior that causes damage over time.
The first step in helping children who have been abused or neglected is learning to recognize the signs of maltreatment.
Watch more helpful information in the following video.

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Reaching Out: Child abuse, the different types and who's at risk.

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Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm, or risk of serious harm to a child. There are many forms of child maltreatment, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, and emotional abuse. For emotional abuse, for example, when a parent or caregiver harms a child’s mental and social development or causes severe emotional harm, it is considered emotional abuse. While a single incident may be abuse, most often emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior that causes damage over time. The first step in helping children who have been abused or neglected is learning to recognize the signs of maltreatment.

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Child abuse is when a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm, or risk of serious harm to a child. There are many forms of child maltreatment, including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, and emotional abuse. For emotional abuse, for example, when a parent or caregiver harms a child’s mental and social development or causes severe emotional harm, it is considered emotional abuse. While a single incident may be abuse, most often emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior that causes damage over time. The first step in helping children who have been abused or neglected is learning to recognize the signs of maltreatment.

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As members of a school system we are considered to be mandated reporters. This means if we suspect any form of child abuse; neglect, sexual or emotional, we have a duty to report it. It is important as educators to recognize the signs of abuse such as making up excuses or disguising their questions in way that keeps their abuse a secret. It's important to support the child by listening and making them feel comfortable. Something to pay attention to is the child that is afraid to go home.

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Teachers, coaches, anybody working with children need to be on the lookout for certain signs of abuse or neglect. The video indicates that if you see different colored bruises on the child's face, back and arms or legs, cuts or welts, or any injuries that seem out of the ordinary that you need to report it. Another common sign is if a child acts very secretive over an injury an dis afraid of the parent finding out about it or being questioned.

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Child abuse can occur in so many forms. I was really surprised by the numbers 80% neglect 18% physical and 9% sexual abuse. I guess that I had never thought about how the numbers broke down. I am not really surprised that the percentage of neglect is so high because there are so many families that have adult trauma in them and adults trying to hold on to normalcy that neglect of students would occur. Some of our most needed students show sign of food and comfort neglect. Those that struggle with poverty are very much at risk of this type of neglect, but others who come from what we might think of as good homes may also struggle with emotional neglect. It is our job to not only provide students support but also help students by being mandatory reporters and help students.

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The most predominant type of child abuse is neglect. Neglect is when a caregiver fails to give a child what they need (food, water, shelter, clothes) despite available resources. Signs to look for are: the child being hungry, lethargic, having poor hygiene or a pattern of minor injuries. I like the distinction that the video made between discipline and physical abuse. Discipline is a learning process. Abuse is intending to harm and is often a result of an adult's loss of control. Signs to be aware of: loose clothing, bruises in uncommon places (buttocks, stomach). Also, sometimes students who have been abused demonstrate severe emotional swings or attachment issues. Sexual abuse is difficult to detect and children are often silent or afraid to share this information. Signs- anxiety, depression, mood swings, sexualized behavior. Children are likely to disclose information in an indirect way. Disguise disclosure- "what would happen if...?" Important not to promise the child that you can't tell anyone else....you may need to get help from the School Counselor, Principal or Nurse.