CSSM MB Summer Missionary Manual - Reporting
Reporting Procedures
A. Obligation to Report
Any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that a child is in need of protection is legally required to report the matter to a social worker in the local office of the local provincial child protection office. A person who knowingly fails to report in these circumstances is in violation of the law and may be found to have committed an offence. Should you have questions regarding the specific incident you are facing, an anonymous call can be placed to the local provincial child protection office to clarify whether or not this situation constitutes a reportable offence.
Social workers who receive reports are trained to assess and investigate the need for intervention. Other professionals or any other individual must not assume this function. A professional or any other individual who does so and fails to report commits an offence. Provincial child protection legislation protects an individual when a report is made. No action would be taken against a person making a report unless this is made maliciously or without reasonable grounds for the belief.
1. Who Must Report
Any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that a child (or children) is in need of protection is legally required to report the matter to a social worker in the local provincial child protection office. A person who knowingly fails to report in these circumstances is in violation of the law and may be found to have committed an offence.
2. What To Report
All volunteers and paid staff need to report any matters relating to child abuse or neglect of which they have knowledge or have observed within the scope of their duties. It is not the responsibility of the reporting person or the paid staff to substantiate any allegations or suspicions. A child is in need of protection under the Child and Family Services Act if he or she is:
a. abused or neglected so that his or her safety or well-being is endangered,
b. abandoned,
c. deprived of necessary care through the death, absence or disability of his or her parent,
d. deprived of necessary medical attention,
e. absent from his or her home in circumstances that endanger his or her safety or well-being.
Additional signs of abuse to watch for are as follows:
a. has an unexplained injury - a patch of hair missing, a burn, a limp, or bruises,
b. has an inordinate number of 'explained' injuries such as bruises on his/her arms and legs over a period of time,
c. gives verbal testimony,
d. makes drawings in conjunction with verbal testimony,
e. through writing, prayer requests or play situations may allude to incidents,
f. exhibits, an injury that is not adequately explained,
g. complains about numerous beatings,
h. complains about others 'doing things to them when others are not at home',
i. wears long-sleeved tops during the summer to cover bruises on the arms,
j. is consistently dirty and smells or has bad teeth or hair falling out,
k. is regularly inadequately dressed for inclement weather.
Abuse or neglect need not have already occurred for a child to be in need of protection; it is not necessary to wait until a child has been harmed to intervene. When abuse or neglect can be reasonably anticipated and there are reasonable grounds to believe a child is in need of protection, the legal obligation to report applies.
Historical abuse or neglect, that is, abuse or neglect which occurred in the not very recent past must be reported wherever there are reasonable grounds to believe that a child may be in need of protection. If the alleged offender is in regular contact with a child or children, irrespective of whether it is the same child or children abused in the past there may well be grounds to believe that the child or children are at risk based on the offender's past behaviour. It is particularly vital to report these cases where the alleged abuser is in a position of trust.