Student Services Department

Identification of Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse is more than bruises or broken bones. While physical abuse often leaves visible scars, not all child abuse is as obvious, but can do just as much harm. It is important that individuals working with and around children be able to know what constitutes child abuse or child neglect and know how to identify potential signs.

Child Abuse and/or Child Neglect Can Be Any of the Following:

• A physical injury inflicted on a child by another person other than by accidental means.
• The sexual abuse, assault, or exploitation of a child.
• The negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child by a person responsible for the child’s welfare under circumstances indicating harm or threatened harm to the child’s health or welfare. This is whether the harm or threatened harm is from acts or omissions on the part of the responsible person.
• The willful harming or endangerment of the person or health of a child, any cruel or inhumane corporal punishment or any injury resulting in a traumatic condition.

One does not have to be physically present or witness the abuse to identify suspected cases of abuse, or even have definite proof that a child may be subject to child abuse or neglect. Rather, the law requires that a person have a “reasonable suspicion” that a child has been the subject of child abuse or neglect. Under the law, this means that it is reasonable for a person to entertain a suspicion of child abuse or neglect, based upon facts that could cause a reasonable person, in a like position, drawing, when appropriate, on his or her training and experience, to suspect child abuse or neglect. 

Red flags for abuse and neglect are often identified by observing a child’s behavior at school, recognizing physical signs, and observations of dynamics during routine interactions with certain adults. While the following signs are not proof that a child is the subject of abuse or neglect, they should prompt one to look further.

Warning Signs of Emotional Abuse in Children

• Excessively withdrawn, fearful, or anxious about doing something wrong.
• Shows extremes in behavior (extremely compliant or extremely demanding; extremely passive or extremely aggressive).
• Doesn’t seem to be attached to the parent or caregiver.
• Acts either inappropriately adult-like (taking care of other children) or inappropriately infantile (rocking, thumb-sucking, throwing tantrums).

Warning Signs of Physical Abuse in Children

• Frequent injuries or unexplained bruises, welts, or cuts.
• Is always watchful and “on alert” as if waiting for something bad to happen.
• Injuries appear to have a pattern such as marks from a hand or belt.
• Shies away from touch, flinches at sudden movements, or seems afraid to go home.
• Wears inappropriate clothing to cover up injuries, such as long-sleeved shirts on hot days.

Warning Signs of Neglect in Children

• Clothes are ill-fitting, filthy, or inappropriate for the weather.
• Hygiene is consistently bad (unbathed, matted and unwashed hair, noticeable body odor).
• Untreated illnesses and physical injuries.
• Is frequently unsupervised or left alone or allowed to play in unsafe situations and environments.
• Is frequently late or missing from school.

Warning Signs of Sexual Abuse in Children

• Trouble walking or sitting.
• Displays knowledge or interest in sexual acts inappropriate to his or her age, or even seductive behavior.
• Makes strong efforts to avoid a specific person, without an obvious reason.
• Doesn’t want to change clothes in front of others or participate in physical activities.
• A sexually transmitted disease (STD) or pregnancy, especially under the age of fourteen.
• Runs away from home.

Reporting Child Abuse or Neglect

Community members have an important role in protecting children from abuse and neglect. While not mandated by law to do so, if child abuse or neglect is suspected, a report should be filed with qualified and experienced agencies that will investigate the situation. Examples of these agencies are listed below. Parents and guardians of pupils have the right to file a complaint against anyone they suspect has engaged in abuse or neglect of a child. Community members do not need to provide their name when making a report of child abuse or neglect. Telephone numbers for each county's emergency response for child abuse reporting are located at California Emergency Response Child Abuse Reporting Telephone Numbers  (PDF).

School volunteers, while not mandated reporters, should also be encouraged to report any suspected cases of abuse and neglect. Additionally, school volunteers are highly encouraged by the law to have training in the identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect. The training offered online to mandated reporters, is equally available to school volunteers.

Obligations of Mandated Reporters

A list of persons whose profession qualifies them as “mandated reporters” of child abuse or neglect is found in California Penal Code Section 11165.7. The list is extensive and continues to grow. It includes all school/district employees, administrators, and athletic coaches. All persons hired into positions included on the list of mandated reporters are required, upon employment, to be provided with a statement, informing them that they are a mandated reporter and their obligations to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect pursuant to California Penal Code Section 11166.5.

All persons who are mandated reporters are required, by law, to report all known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. It is not the job of the mandated reporter to determine whether the allegations are valid. If child abuse or neglect is reasonably suspected or if a pupil shares information with a mandated reporter leading him/her to believe abuse or neglect has taken place, the report must be made. No supervisor or administrator can impede or inhibit a report or subject the reporting person to any sanction.

To make a report, an employee must contact an appropriate local law enforcement or county child welfare agency, listed below. This legal obligation is not satisfied by making a report of the incident to a supervisor or to the school. An appropriate law enforcement agency may be one of the following:

• A Police or Sheriff’s Department (not including a school district police department or school security department).
• A County Probation Department, if designated by the county to receive child abuse reports.
• A County Welfare Department/County Child Protective Services.

The report should be made immediately over the telephone and should be followed up in writing. The law enforcement agency has special forms for this purpose that they will ask you to complete. If a report cannot be made immediately over the telephone, then an initial report may be made via e-mail or fax. A report may also be filed at the same time with your school district or county office of education (COE). School districts and COEs, however, do not investigate child abuse allegations, nor do they attempt to contact the person suspected of child abuse or neglect.

School districts and COEs may have additional policies adopted at the local level relating to the duties of mandated reporters. School staff should consult with their district to determine if there are additional steps that must be taken.

These policies do not take the place of reporting to an appropriate local law enforcement or county child welfare agency.

Rights to Confidentiality and Immunity

Mandated reporters are required to give their names when making a report. However, the reporter’s identity is kept confidential. Reports of suspected child abuse are also confidential. Mandated reporters have immunity from state criminal or civil liability for reporting as required. This is true even if the mandated reporter acquired the knowledge, or suspicion of the abuse or neglect, outside his/her professional capacity or scope of employment.

Consequences of Failing to Report

A person who fails to make a required report is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine (California Penal Code Section 11166[c]).

After the Report is Made

The local law enforcement agency is required to investigate all reports. Cases may also be investigated by Child Welfare Services when allegations involve abuse or neglect within families.

Child Protective Services

The Child Protective Services (CPS) is the major organization to intervene in child abuse and neglect cases in California. Existing law provides for services to abused and neglected children and their families. More information can be found at Child Protective Services.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

Sycamore Academy of Science and Cultural Arts (SASCA) is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from sexual harassment. SASCA prohibits sexual harassment of or by employees, students, or persons doing business with or for SASCA on the basis of actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or gender expression.  Failure to follow this policy is a violation of state and federal law.

Sexual harassment is defined by California Education Code §212.5 as any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature made by someone from or in the work or educational setting, under any of the following conditions:

• Submission to the conduct is explicitly or implicitly made a term or a condition of an individual’s employment, academic status, or progress.
• Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct by the individual is used as the basis of employment or academic decisions affecting the individual.
• The conduct has the purpose or effect of having a negative impact upon the individual’s work or academic performance, or of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment.
• Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct by the individual is used as the basis for any decision affecting the individual regarding benefits and services, honors, programs, or activities available at or through the educational institution.

Upon witnessing an act of discrimination, harassment, intimidation and/or bullying based on actual or perceived characteristics of a protected category (as enumerated above), school personnel are required to take immediate steps to intervene when it is safe to do so. Reporting such conduct to an administrator or Title IX Coordinator can be an appropriate intervention. Once a school or office has notice of discriminatory, harassing, intimidating or bullying conduct, whether carried out by employees, students, or third parties, it should take immediate and appropriate steps to investigate or otherwise determine what occurred. School personnel are to take prompt and effective steps reasonably calculated to end the conduct, eliminate a hostile environment, if one has been created, and prevent the conduct from occurring again. These steps should be taken whether or not an individual makes a complaint or asks the school or office to take action. This policy applies to all acts related to school activity or school attendance within any school or office under the jurisdiction of SASCA.

Any student or employee of SASCA who believes that she or he has been a victim of sexual harassment should bring the problem to the attention of the school-site administrator or the school’s Title IX Coordinator so that appropriate action may be taken to resolve the problem. SASCA prohibits retaliatory behavior against anyone who files a sexual harassment complaint or any participant in the complaint investigation process. Complaints must be promptly investigated in a way that respects the privacy of the parties concerned.

For inquiries about SASCA policies and procedures related to sexual harassment, including how to file a sexual harassment complaint contact:

For inquiries or complaints related to employee-to-employee, student-to-employee, or work/employment related discrimination or harassment, contact:

Name: Barbara Hale, Executive Director

Phone: (951) 678-5217

Mailing Address: Box 1400, Wildomar, CA  92595

Email: b.[email protected]

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

Sycamore Academy of Science and Cultural Arts (SASCA) is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying. SASCA prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying based on the actual or perceived characteristics set forth in Penal Code § 422.5, Education Code § 220 and actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race or ethnicity, ethnic group identification, ancestry, nationality, national origin, religion, color, mental or physical disability, age, or on the basis of a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, in any program or activity it conducts or to which it provides significant assistance.

Discrimination is different treatment on the basis of a protected category in the context of an educational program or activity without a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason and interferes with or limits the individual’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by SASCA.

Harassment occurs when: (1) the target is subjected to unwelcome conduct related to a protected category; (2) the harassment is both subjectively offensive to the target and would be offensive to a reasonable person of the same age and characteristics under the same circumstances; and (3) the harassment is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent so as to interfere with or limit an individual’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or opportunities offered by SASCA.

Upon witnessing an act of discrimination, harassment, intimidation and/or bullying based on actual or perceived characteristics of a protected category (as enumerated above), school personnel are required to take immediate steps to intervene when it is safe to do so. Once a school or office has notice of discriminatory, harassing, intimidating or bullying conduct, whether carried out by employees, students, or third parties, it should take immediate and appropriate steps to investigate or otherwise determine what occurred and take prompt and effective steps reasonably calculated to end the conduct, eliminate a hostile environment, if one has been created and prevent the conduct from occurring again. These steps should be taken whether or not an individual makes a complaint or asks the school or office to take action.

This nondiscrimination policy applies to all acts related to school activity or school attendance within any school or office under the jurisdiction of SASCA.

For inquiries or complaints related to discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying of students based on the actual or perceived characteristics listed above, contact your school’s administrator or the school’s Title IX Coordinator:

Name: Executive Director, Title IX Coordinator

Phone: (951) 473-5370

Mailing Address: Box 1400, Wildomar, CA  92595

Email: [email protected]

For inquiries or complaints related to employee-to-employee, student-to-employee, or work/employment related discrimination, harassment, or intimidation, contact your school administrator or the school’s Title IX Coordinator:

Name: Barbara Hale, Executive Director

Phone: (951) 473-5370

Mailing Address: Box 1400, Wildomar, CA  92595

Email: b.[email protected]

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT