Child Abuse Policy
Arise School of Dance is committed to creating a place for our students to receive excellent dance instruction in a safe environment. In order to do so, we have put in place a Plan to Protect policy to protect our students. Arise considers all forms of abuse to be a serious matter; if and when Arise is made aware of it, we will take immediate and appropriate action. Arise maintains a zero-tolerance policy for abuse, neglect and harassment. All staff are required to read and abide by the guidelines and procedures as outlined in this document.
Duty to Report
In accordance with section 125 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA), it is the responsibility of every person in Ontario, including a person who performs professional or official duties with respect to children, to immediately report to Children’s Aid Society if s/he has reasonable grounds to suspect that child abuse has occurred or if a child is at risk of abuse.
It is not necessary for you to be certain a child is or may be in need of protection to make a report to the Child’s Aid Society. “Reasonable grounds” refers to the information that an average person, using normal and honest judgment, would need in order to decide to report.
An individual’s responsibility to report cannot be delegated to anyone else. Arise Directors should be notified of the intent to report, but it is the responsibility of the person suspecting abuse to file the report.
No staff/student/volunteer will advise someone not to report suspicions of child abuse, or to try to stop the person from reposting or consulting with the Children’s Aid Society.
There will be no sanctions or reprimands for anyone who consults/reports suspicions of child abuse; however, disciplinary action will result if there is an attempt to stop someone from following through on the legal duty to report.
If a staff/student/volunteer has any further suspicions of abuse or new information with respect to a child, s/he must immediately make another report to the appropriate Children’s Aid Society, regardless of any previous reports.
Information considered confidential cannot be kept in confidence, if it is related to a suspicion of child abuse.
The “duty to report” applies to suspected abuse for any child who is, or appears to be, under the age of 16. If there is concern that a 16 or 17-year-old may need protection from abuse, a report can also be filed (but it is not mandatory.) If a report is filed, it is mandatory for CYFSA to investigate the report.
Who Do I Contact to File a Report?
In Ottawa, reporting can be done by contacting The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa (casott.on.ca) at 613-747-7800.
The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa covers the following areas: Cumberland, Gloucester, Goulbourn, Kanata, Nepean, Osgoode, Ottawa, Ottawa-Carleton, Rideau, Rockcliffe Park, Vanier, and West Carleton.
Information regarding all of Ontario’s societies can be found at: http://www.oacas.org/childrens-aid-child-protection/
Failure to Report
It is an offence under the Child and Family Services Act for a professional to fail to observe one’s reporting responsibilities. Fines of up to $5000 may occur with failure to report a suspected child abuse situation.
On-Going Duty to Report
Even if you know a report has already been made about a child who is under 16, you must make a further report to the Child’s Aid Society if there are additional reasonable grounds to suspect that the child is or may be in need of protection.
Confidentiality
The duty to report suspicions of child abuse overrides the provisions of confidentiality in any other statute, specifically, those provisions that would otherwise prohibit disclosure by a professional or official.
Protection from Liability
All persons making a report of suspected child abuse are protected against civil action unless that person is proven to have acted “….maliciously or without reasonable grounds for the belief or suspicion…”
Submitting a Report
A report to all Children’s Aid Societies can be made any day, at any hour; however, if reporting after regular business hours, you will likely be required to leave a message, including your name and return telephone number, with an answering service. Indicate if your call is urgent. You will then need to wait for a return call from an after-hours protection worker. Leaving a message with an answering service is not considered a report. You must speak directly to a Children’s Aid worker. If the staff/student/volunteer thinks the child is in immediate danger, do not wait to be called back. Instead, call 911.
In the event of a staff/student/volunteer suspecting child abuse, a ‘Suspected Child Abuse Reporting Form” must be completed as soon as possible in the individual’s handwriting, using a pen.
If applicable, this includes circling bruises/injuries on the body chart attached to the reporting form. Document only the facts. Do not include how you are feeling about the incident or any personal thoughts about what might have happened.
Include the name(s) and phone number(s) of the individual(s) you spoke with at a Children’s Aid Society and/or police service and any direction you were given.
Do not make a rough copy and then rewrite the final documentation. The original recording of the facts is your documentation. If you make a mistake, do not use white-out. Instead, cross out any initial errors and then continue on.
Sign and date the form.
This form is to be completed every time a staff/student/volunteer has reason to suspect that child abuse has occurred.
All documentation is to be forwarded to the Arise Directors and to be kept in a locked and secure location, separate from the child’s general file.
What is Abuse?
Physical abuse is any deliberate physical force or action by a parent or caregiver, which results in, or could result in, injury to a child. It can include bruising, cuts, punching, slapping, beating, shaking, burning, biting or throwing a child. Using belts, sticks, or other objects to punish a child can cause serious harm and is also considered abuse.
Neglect occurs when a caregiver fails to provide basic needs such as adequate food, sleep, safety, education, clothing, or medical treatment. It also includes leaving a child alone or failing to provide adequate supervision. If the caregiver is unable to provide the child with basic needs due to financial inability, it is not considered neglect unless relief has been offered and refused.
Emotional abuse is a pattern of behaviour that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self-worth. It includes excessive, aggressive or unreasonable demands that place expectations on a child beyond his or her capacity. Emotional abuse includes constantly criticizing, teasing, belittling, insulting, rejecting, ignoring, or isolating the child. It may also include exposure to domestic violence.
Sexual abuse occurs when a child is used for the sexual gratification of an adult or an older child. The child may cooperate out of fear, or because he or she wants to please the adult or older child. It includes sexual intercourse, exposing a child’s private areas, indecent phone calls, fondling for sexual purposes, watching a child undress for sexual pleasure, and allowing/forcing a child to look at or perform in pornographic pictures or videos, or engage in prostitution.
Signs of Abuse
The following characteristics may be indicators of abuse, although they are not necessarily proof. One sign alone does not constitute abuse and may simply be indicative of other issues. Discernment and wisdom are needed as you watch for patterns or a combination of these warning signs.
Neglect
Poor hygiene
Unattended physical or medical needs (eg: glasses or dental work)
Consistent lack of supervision
Pale, listless, unkempt
Frequent, unexplained absences
Inappropriate clothing for the weather, or continually dirty clothing
Physical Abuse
Injuries that don’t fit the explanation
Presence of several injuries at different stages
Facial injuries in preschool children
If a child cannot recall how injuries occurred or offers an explanation that doesn’t make sense
Wary of adults
May cringe or flinch if touched unexpectedly
Extremely aggressive or extremely withdrawn
Emotional Abuse
Frequent psychosomatic complaints: headaches, nausea, abdominal pains
Child fails to thrive
Severe depression
Extreme withdrawal or aggressiveness
Overly compliant, too well-mannered
Too neat or clean
Extreme attention seeking
Extreme inhibition in play
Sexual Abuse
Unusual or excessive itching in the genital or anal area
Torn, stained, or bloody underwear
Pregnancy
Injuries to the genital or anal areas (eg: bruising, swelling, or infection)
Signs of an STD
Age-inappropriate play with toys, self, or others, or displaying explicit sexual acts
Age-inappropriate sexually explicit descriptions or unusual/bizarre sexual knowledge
Seductive behaviours
If a Staff/Volunteer is Suspected of Child Abuse
1. If an Arise staff/volunteer is suspected of abuse, the reporter should inform a director of their intention to call Children’s Aid Society. If the allegations are made by a parent and they notify an Arise staff member, the Arise staff member must inform the parent of his/her duty to report to a Children’s Aid Society and the Arise director’s obligation to also speak with a child protection worker. The staff member with whom the parent spoke will immediately inform the director of the parent’s allegation. If the staff person suspected of abuse is an Arise director, then the staff member shall inform the other Arise director.
2. The individual making the allegation will follow the reporting procedure outlined above and will complete the necessary documentation.
3. The person suspected of abuse will not be told by anyone about the suspicion, the intention to report, or that a report has been made until after the Arise director has consulted with a Children’s Aid worker for directions.
4. The Arise director will consult with a child protection worker as to what, if anything should be done to protect a child(ren) at Arise from further contact from the alleged abuser.
5. Legal counsel should be made to determine what action, if any, will be taken with respect to the suspected person’s job responsibilities.
7. The director should immediately contact the studio’s insurance company when abuse by a staff member/volunteer is suspected.
8. The Arise director will meet with the suspected person to discuss any procedures for change in duties, responsibilities, etc. The Arise director will follow up with a written confirmation of any decisions and the reasons for such, a copy of which is given to the suspected person, and a copy retained on file in a locked and secure location.
Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information to Others
Any information related to suspicion or report of child abuse is confidential between the person directly involved, the person making the report, and the Children’s Aid Society. The Arise director, in consultation with a Children’s Aid Society, will give direction regarding the appropriate sharing of information with staff/students/volunteers.
Discussing any information with others related to a situation of suspected child abuse outside the designated individuals is a breach of confidentiality, and may leave you liable for slander.
In a case where a child has been apprehended by a Children’s Aid Society, the Arise director will speak to a worker to determine the best way to advise the staff, and to determine the best way to explain the child’s situation to the other children. This will be done in such a way as to balance the child’s/family’s right to confidentiality with the concerns of others at Arise.
All documentation is to be kept in a locked and secure location, separate from the child’s general file.
Page 2 of 7
Information sourced and, at times, directly quoted from: http://www.oacas.org/childrens-aid-child-protection/ http://www.casott.on.ca/ https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/17c14 http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/childrensaid/reportingabuse/abuseandneglect.aspx,http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/documents/childrensaid/reportingchildabuseandneglect_EN.pdf