How educators can respond to child neglect in an academic setting

Task 4:Professional Response

Identify your chosen scenario, and describe two issues the student in that scenario is encountering.

The first issue is related to proper parental supervision from his mother. As she is working two full-time jobs, she often does not have adequate time to supervise her six children. Exacerbating this issue is her drug and alcohol addiction which sets a bad example for Anthony to follow. Second, Anthony does not have a proper father figures to guide his behavior and provide a proper example for him to follow. Likewise, his five other siblings also lack a father figure. As a result of their lack of parental supervision, Anthony has not been exposing to proper supervision or corrective behavior. As a result, he tends to lash out.

Discuss how you would appropriately respond to the issues identified in part A by doing the following. Describe how, as a teacher, you could respond to and address the issues in a sensitive, culturally responsive way.

To address this issue, as a teacher I would look to first leverage school resources. Here, I would like to involve the school principle, guidance counselor, and other professions who deal with adverse living situation. As a teacher, I would secondly look to provide a welcoming and productive environment for Anthony. This may include personal one-on-one time to outline his feelings and why he is behaving the way he is. This would also be an appropriate time to help set academic expectations for Anthony to prepare him for success (Kenny, 2001).

Explain one relevant legal obligation and one relevant privacy concern that must be considered as you respond to the identified issues.

As Anthony is currently experiencing neglect, The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-36) teachers must report acts on the part of caretakers that result in serious physical and emotional harm. The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 (P.L. 93-380) also provides provision in which teachers must use as it relates to the release of appropriate school information. These two-provision outline when and how educators can report neglect to the local department of social services. Some states also require educators to report neglect to local child neglect department. However, the educator must be careful to maintain the standards of confidentiality mentioned in detail above.

Describe relevant strategies for collaborating with the student’s caregivers to address the identified issues. Justify your chosen strategies and why they would be effective.

One strategy would simply request a conference to discuss the observations recorded in the classroom setting. Research has shown this is the worst strategy as it can possibly lead to further abuse, and further maltreatment of the child. As a result, most exports advocate for not communicating with caregivers.

Instead I would report my finding to child protective services so that they can conduct a proper investigation. I would then contact the parents to help maintain the relationship with the school while also keeping channels of communication open. Here, I would be careful not to communicate with the parent directly but instead refer her to the appropriate professionals within the school (Crosson-Tower, 2002).

Identify additional stakeholders, and explain why they should be involved in addressing the identified issues.