There is a lack of public information about child abuse and neglect. Articles and books on the risks, factors and signs of child abuse seem to be aimed at academics and people within the social services profession, and hardly ever at the general public.
People in various helping professions, such as teachers, doctors and social workers are named “mandated reporters,” meaning, they are obligated by law to report suspected abuse. It would be extremely beneficial to educate the public on child abuse and neglect, and make those that are in contact with children and have access to people’s homes on a regular basis “informed reporters”—people who feel obligated to report suspected child abuse and neglect because they have the training and information to recognize it.
Babysitters work with children and see families’ homes on a regular basis. They bathe the children, feed them, clothe them, and essentially live in the child’s home when the caregivers are away. Babysitters would very easily be able to see bruises on a child’s body, a child shoveling food in their mouth at dinner time because they haven’t been fed in days, a child wearing old, dirty clothes, or a house that is unacceptable and isn’t safe or healthy for a child to live in. Many babysitters go through “training” with various organizations to make themselves more desirable to families in need of part-time child care. However, theses courses barely, if at all, address the issue of child abuse. The unique and consistent access that babysitters have into families’ homes is extremely valuable. This training pamphlet is sure to give babysitters—and other “informed reporters”—the information they need to become a key part in the fight against child abuse and neglect!
Download this Training Pamphlet (PDF Format)!
