○ Anxiety : Children may display unusual anxiety or panic behaviors. ○ Generalized physical symptoms : Children may frequently complain about vague symptoms such as stomachaches and headaches. ○ Isolation : Children may tend to spend more time alone and may attempt to isolate themselves from family and friends.
○ Clingy behaviors : Children become more dependent and cling to certain people. ○ Harm : Children may express thoughts about hurting themselves or other people. ○ Risk-taking behaviors : Children may show less regard for their own safety or
engage in more risk-taking behaviors. Examples include running in the street or climbing excessively high equipment on playgrounds. RECOGNIZING ABUSE AND MALTREATMENT IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT With the increase in telehealth and virtual technology, mandated reporters may
the professional in assessing for the safety of the child: ● Be alert to attempts by the child to communicate something without someone in the room noticing. ● Be alert to nonverbal cues or changes in the child’s demeanor when someone else is present. ● Listen for statements by the child that may be concerning. ● Observe the child for any suspicious physical injuries or emotional issues such as depression or anxiety. ● Be alert to hesitancy by the child to turn the webcam on or if they turn it off suddenly. ● Look at the environment of the child: Does it appear unsafe? Is there supervision? Are younger children supervised by older children rather than an adult? ● If you notice anything questionable, openly discuss it with the family to evaluate their perspective on the situation. When interacting through a virtual platform, stressful or difficult communications or altercations between children and adults may be observed. Assess whether the severity warrants a mandated report, and if not, use it as an opportunity to discuss safety and to provide strategies for improving communication and managing stress. Caregiver risk factors ● Alcohol abuse: The compulsive use of alcohol that is not of a temporary nature. ● Drug abuse: The compulsive use of drugs that is not of a temporary nature.
have interactions with children in a virtual environment. Your responsibilities as a mandated reporter remain the same when you are interacting with a child in your professional role even when the interaction is in a virtual space. The signs of abuse, neglect, and maltreatment that are evaluated during in-person contacts are the same for virtual contacts. Identifying those signs, however, may be more difficult due to the limited physical interaction with the child. This makes it imperative that the professional be keenly alert to even subtle signs. Virtual contact requires reliable technology with adequate sound and light, and there must be adequate privacy to be able to discuss sensitive matters. At the beginning of a virtual session, first introduce everyone who is present, confirm the child’s physical location in the event of an emergency, ensure that the child is present for at least part of the session, and provide your follow-up contact information including email, phone, text, or online as applicable. During virtual contact with the child, the following recommendations outlined by New York State Mandated Reporter (n.d.a) will assist Risk factors Risk factors for children ● Younger than 4 years of age. ● Special needs: Physical or emotional needs that may increase caregiver burden. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019)
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