This is a really important subject as according to statistics most safe guarding issues affect new teachers in their first 5 years of teaching. Its not a laughing matter and something that needs to be grasped as important as it affects the obvious child that needs to be protected but also I need to be protected also.
There are a small proportion of children that are being abused but safeguarding is not just about those actually being abused but actually all children so there is a distinction between safeguarding and child protection..
We are looking at the Stay safe of the every child matters agenda
Child abuse is from someone inflicting harm or failing to prevent that abuse on a child.
Child abuse…
- Neglect
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Sexual abuse
Drivers of Change
This tends to be due to deaths after it is too late.
Key deaths have been
Victoria Climbie 2000
Lauren Wright 2000
Holly Wells and Jesica Chapman 2002
Peter Connolly 2007
Khyra Ishaq 2008
Lauren is a key case for us as teachers.
It sickens me to hear of all the horrible murders that have happened to date and i think that its terrible that people can do these sort of things to children. The question is would it have happened any way even if there was the best possible scheme in place to stop this from happening.
Some children are more likely to be abused more..
These include
Special needs
cultural issues
children who are privately fostered
children missing from education
Looked after children
Children in armed forces
Its not our responsibility to deal with and act on the issues of child protection but just to report and pass on concerns and worries that come to our protection.
Final thought
Nationally 10% of children live with abuse this means that 1 in 10 children in my school might be living with abuse.
Who are they?
Personally speaking I am not sure how much the current schemes and policies are being efective and in actual fact it is creating a culture or fear amongst teachers and parents.
