Need for child abuse policy

Press, 26 January 1988, Page 4

Need for child abuse policy

PA Wellington Schools need to work out a procedure for dealing with child abuse cases, says an expert in the field of child abuse prevention. Mrs Joy Hay, of Waikato Hospital’s Child Development Centre, said her research in Hamilton schools revealed that teachers tended not to report suspected cases because they had little education on the subject. - Those who did report cases to the school principal often complained that nothing further came of it. They felt isolated and

as a result might not report cases in the future. Mrs Hay said Staff should get together with visiting teachers, education psychologists and local Social Welfare Department people at the beginning of each year to work out a policy on child abuse prevention. It was important that teachers knew a reporting procedure existed before they encountered individual cases. It was such an emotional subject that many found it difficult to know what to do if suddenly faced with the problem.