Suspected Abuse

Suspected Abuse Policy

Per the CA State of Education, Child Abuse and/or Child Neglect definitions of such may be any of the following:

  1. A physical injury inflicted on a child by another person other than by accidental means.

  2. The sexual abuse, assault, or exploitation of a child. 

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

If you have reason to believe that one of your students is involved in any of the above situations, please follow the steps below:

  1. Gather as much information as possible from the student.  Do this in private and only push the student as far as he/she is comfortable. 

    1. Your approach should be one that is very caring and not inquisitive. The student will shut down if he/she feels you are asking too many questions. 

    2. If you are unsure of the line of questioning, ask your manager. If the Manager is not available, contact the Director. 

  2. Once you have as much information as you can gather (which may not be a lot) inform the Manager immediately of exactly what was said to you, and/or what you visually observed. 

    1. Student safety is our number one priority. However, we do not want to call Social Services until we have concrete evidence of neglect or abuse. 

  3. If you feel the student is currently in danger, contact your manager or Director immediately, before the student returns to his/her parent. 

    1. If students do seem to be in imminent danger, the Manager will consult with the Director to determine the next steps. 

Getting information is imperative, as what may seem like an abusive situation, such as bruising, may actually be a skin condition. Another example is a student may say at first that he/she was “hit,” but after further investigation he/she was actually tapped on the leg.  These examples are actual Drawn2Art situations that have occurred in the past.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to speak to your manager or Studio Director.