Welcome to the University of Washington’s Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect awareness
training program.
Thank you for registering.
By registering for this program, you acknowledge that you will complete this entire training module.
This program is approximately 35 minutes in length.
Before we get started, we want to note a few options participants have when utilizing this Tegrity
system training.
This program was built with Universal Design in mind. The program is a constant video and audio
stream and we verbally describe the content shown on each slide in the sound track to facilitate access
for those who may be using assistive technology. There is a link to Tegrity’s keyboard shortcuts on the
Safety of Minors training webpage.
First, if you wish to print or download a full copy of this program, there is a button on your screen shown
here.
Second, This program is closed captioned. The full script will appear onscreen as text as the program
progresses in the area shown by this arrow.
Third - there is a volume control to adjust the level of sound shown with this arrow.
Fourth - To pause or stop the video stream, there are buttons at the bottom of your screen shown by
this arrow.
Fifth - You can go back and forth to review content by sliding the progress bar to your left or right as
shown with this arrow.
Sixth – while Tegrity shows a button here to contact the instructor, this feature is not available as this
program is pre-recorded. If you have any questions or concerns about this program please send an
email to the address shown here. That’s safemnrs@uw.edu.
And finally, To make the slide image full screen, click on the button in the upper right in each window as
this arrow shows. To return to this multi-window view, just hit the escape button.
Now, let’s get started.
This program is titled “Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect” and was published in September of
2013.
The reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect is an important part of the University of Washington’s
Safety of Minors program and all UW employees and volunteers are required by UW policy to follow the
guidelines contained in this awareness training.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
Participants should be aware that the University of Washington reserves the right to modify, add and
delete content as necessary without notice.
Please refer to the UW’s Safety of Minors website for the most current information. This website will be
provided at the end of this training.
Here we see the University of Washington’s core values of:
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Integrity
Diversity
Excellence
Collaboration
Innovation and
Respect.
The four columns pictured here are a monument to the University’s first building and have been named
“loyalty, industry, faith and efficiency.”
As a public university we are deeply committed to serving all our citizens.
Creating a safe campus for all UW citizens, including minors, is a vital part of achieving our mission and
core values.
Today we want to demonstrate how compliance with applicable policies regarding the protection of
minors is essential to maintaining a safe and secure campus where all members of our community are
free to access the programs available at the University of Washington.
We have 5 learning targets for this program. This awareness program is designed to inform and guide
recipients to:
One - Support the University’s commitment to providing a safe environment for children.
Two - Acknowledge all University of Washington employees’ reporting responsibilities under
Washington State law and the University’s policy, APS 11.8: Reporting Suspected Child Abuse.
Three - Follow the steps to take for reporting.
Four - Recognize some of the behaviors in children to watch for which may indicate abuse or neglect.
And Five – to Access the University of Washington’s available resources and contacts.
UW academic personnel, staff, student employees, and volunteers may have interactions with minors in
many ways:
There are an estimated 100 programs for children offered by UW or held in UW facilities annually (with
an estimated 24,000 children),
There are enrolled students who are under 18 years of age,
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
We have minor patients in healthcare facilities,
Guests at events,
And our campuses and facilities are open to the public.
While you might not think about it, minors are a regular part of the UW community and the goal today is
to draw your attention to those minors, all of whom deserve a safe and secure UW experience.
Now we are going to briefly cover the Washington State law from which the University of Washington’s
Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect policy was developed.
The Abuse of Children Law, Revised Code of Washington (or RCW) Chapter 26.44, mandates reporting by
those who are in positions to identify when children are at risk of abuse or neglect or are victims of
abuse or neglect, and
In 2012, the law was amended to include employees of higher education as mandatory reporters of
suspected child abuse or neglect.
The law states that “child” means any person under the age of 18 years.
For the purposes of this program and the University of Washington’s policy, both minor and child mean
the same thing.
As these three pictures show, minors at the University of Washington could mean kids in a sports camp,
infants in a medical care environment or teenagers involved in any of our numerous outreach programs.
As a result of the amendment to the Abuse of Children law, all employees of the University of
Washington are mandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect.
For the next few slides we will highlight provisions of the Abuse of Children law which impact reporters.
Then, later in this program we will provide more information about the policy that the University
created to implement the requirements of the law and then cover the steps to take for reporting.
Under The Abuse of Children Law, a person who reports in good faith and without gross negligence or
who cooperates in an investigation shall not be subject to civil liability arising out of his or her
cooperation.
Public institutions are required to indemnify employees for good faith reports if their judgment
regarding reasonable cause to report is challenged.
Please note that the University of Washington does have a policy in place that provides indemnification
for University employees and volunteers.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
This means that the University of Washington will provide for a legal defense and protection from
exposure to claims against employees and volunteers related to the performance of their duties at the
University.
For more information on this, please refer to the University of Washington’s Safety of Minors website.
On the other hand those who make false reports may be prosecuted for a gross misdemeanor. which is
a criminal offense under the law.
Under the Abuse of Children law failure to report may result in a gross misdemeanor for the individual.
While the requirement to report may be a concern, when the legislature passed this law, they made a
decision that protecting children is so important, they mandated this responsibility and included a
consequence for those who do not follow the duty to report.
This means that someone who fails to report may be prosecuted for a crime.
In the next section we are going to review the University of Washington’s Administrative Policy
Statement 11.8, titled Reporting Suspected Child Abuse that was developed in response to the passing
of the Washington State law.
Please note this policy covers all University of Washington employees, including faculty, student
employees AND volunteers.
The Safety of Minors Committee was appointed by the Provost in 2012, with a charge to advance the
safety of minors at the UW by providing advice and guidance related to law, regulatory obligations and
contractual commitments through:
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developing policies, standards, and guidelines,
helping define roles and responsibilities,
implementing incident response protocols,
providing training and education.
In the next few slides, we will cover the University of Washington policy.
To implement the requirements of the state law, the University of Washington created Administrative
Policy Statement 11.8: Reporting Suspected Child Abuse, which includes four main parts:
One – a Policy statement prohibiting child abuse by University employees, volunteers, or students or in
University facilities and programs.
Two – Steps for University employees and volunteers to report suspected child abuse.
Three – A description of what to report. And,
Four – A prohibition against retaliation.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
It should be noted that when it created APS 11.8, The Committee for Safety of Minors felt that the duty
to report was so important, that in addition to employees being required to report, ALL volunteers in
University programs are required to report as well.
So, APS 11.8 applies to all UW employees including academic personnel, staff, temporary staff, academic
student employees and student employees at all university campuses and locations and to volunteers in
University programs.
One of the most important parts of the policy is the statement describing the University of Washington’s
position on Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect. It reads:
The University of Washington does not tolerate child abuse. Suspected perpetrators of child abuse,
including University employees, volunteers, or students, may be removed from the premises and may
be subject to arrest and criminal prosecution.
Further it states that employees, volunteers, or students who engage in child abuse in the workplace, or
who use University facilities, property, or resources to engage in child abuse are subject to disciplinary
action, including dismissal from employment, engagement as a volunteer, or from educational
programs.
Now we are going to present the basic steps all University of Washington employees and volunteers
should follow in reporting an instance of suspected child abuse or neglect.
Step 1: all University employees and volunteers who have reasonable cause to believe that a child has
suffered abuse or neglect must report the suspected abuse or neglect to the police or the Department
of Social and Health Services.
It’s important to note that you may have to make two reports, depending on the circumstances. The
first part of reporting is to report to either the Department of Social and Health Services (or DSHS) or to
the Police. We will review the second part of reporting later in this program.
What is reasonable cause?
The Abuse of Children Law has defined reasonable cause as meaning when a person witnesses or
receives a credible written or oral report alleging abuse, including sexual contact or neglect of a child.
Please note that healthcare providers at the University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview
Medical Center, and Hall Health Primary Care Center should follow their own policies and procedures.
In the first part of the reporting process, all employees have three options as to where to report.
The first option is to report directly to the University of Washington Police Department (or UWPD) at
206-685-UWPD, that’s 206-685-8973. This is a TTY accessible line.
If it is outside of UWPD’s jurisdiction, UWPD will report it to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Please note that the University of Washington Police on Seattle campus can accept reports from any UW
program or location – such as University of Washington Tacoma, University of Washington Bothell,
South Lake Union, or other programs.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
The second option is to report directly to the Department of Social and Health Services, or DSHS, at 1866-ENDHARM. That’s 1-866-363-4276. This is also a TTY accessible line.
And the third option is to report to an off-campus police department such as Seattle PD or Tacoma PD.
Keep in mind, a report only needs to be made to one of these entities.
If you do not believe that the abuse may be occurring in a University program or at a University facility,
then your reporting obligation is completed by reporting to one of the three entities shown on the
previous slide.
If you do believe that the abuse may be occurring in a University program or at a University facility,
there is a second step to reporting . . .
If the suspected child abuse may be occurring in a University program or at a University facility, then
University employees and volunteers must also notify their supervisor or departmental administrator.
Once a report of suspected abuse or neglect occurring in one of the University of Washington’s
programs or facilities is reported, the administration of University of Washington is required to take
action.
After employees or volunteers make their report, the supervisor or departmental administrator must
notify the administrative head of their organization that a report has been made.
Then, the administrative head is responsible for contacting UWPD and the appropriate Human
Resources office to coordinate other actions that may be necessary.
When University employees and volunteers report in good faith, or participate in an investigation, they
are protected by University policy should they experience retaliation.
University policy, APS 11.8, prohibits retaliation against any individual who makes a report in accordance
with this policy and/or the Abuse of Children Law or who cooperates with or participates in any
investigation of allegations of child abuse.
Retaliation is defined as meaning to take adverse action against an individual because he or she has
acted in accordance with the law or University policy.
Now that we have talked about how to report, let’s look at what to report.
The Abuse of Children Law focuses on three main areas to watch for and requires that you report if you
suspect that someone under the age of 18 years of age is or has been the victim of:
One - Abuse or neglect,
Two - Negligent treatment or maltreatment or
Three - Sexual exploitation.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
First, let’s look at abuse or neglect:
The Abuse of Children law defines this as sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or injury of a child by any
person when it may cause harm to the child's health, welfare, or safety, or the negligent treatment or
maltreatment of a child by a person responsible for or providing care to the child.
Please note that there is an exception written into the law which states that physical discipline of a child
is not unlawful when it is reasonable and moderate and is inflicted by a parent, teacher, or guardian for
purposes of restraining or correcting the child.
The second area to watch for is negligent treatment which is defined in the Abuse of Children Law, as
an act or a failure to act, or the cumulative effects of a pattern of conduct, behavior, or inaction, that
evidences a serious disregard of consequences of such magnitude as to constitute a clear and present
danger to a child’s health, welfare, or safety.
Negligent treatment can mean actions or inactions which place a child in danger.
The third major area to watch for is sexual exploitation. The Abuse of Children Law defines sexual
exploitation as including
first - allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution by any person;
or second - allowing, permitting, encouraging, or engaging in the obscene or pornographic
photographing, filming, or depicting of a child by any person.
So, to summarize,
Each employee or volunteer must use his or her best judgment when reporting.
And, it is very important to note that this awareness training is just that – a basic explanation of policy
and steps to take. It cannot provide a comprehensive list of the behaviors or conditions which may be
considered abuse or neglect.
Later we will provide some things to look for and some additional resources for employees and
volunteers to learn more.
This concludes the part of this training which covers the law and the University of Washington’s policy.
The following section responds to some common questions relating to your obligation to report
suspected child abuse or neglect.
In addition, this section points out some things to be aware of which may indicate there is child abuse or
neglect occurring.
This concludes the part of this training which covers the law and the University of Washington’s policy.
The following section responds to some common questions relating to your obligation to report
suspected child abuse or neglect.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
In addition, this section points out some things to be aware of which may indicate there is child abuse or
neglect occurring.
The next question asks - When you are making a report with the police or DSHS - what information do
they need?
The answer is any information you know may be useful.
Do not try to do your own investigation of the concern. Instead, when you report, you will be asked to
share what you know or have observed.
Next – what else might they ask?
You may be asked things like
the name, address, and age of the child;
the name and address of the child's parents, stepparents, guardians, or other persons having custody of
the child;
to describe the suspected injury or injuries;
to describe the suspected neglect or sexual abuse;
whether there is any evidence of previous injuries; and
any other information that may be helpful in establishing the cause and the identity of the alleged
perpetrator or perpetrators.
Another question is, can I report anonymously?
DSHS and the Police do not allow you to report anonymously. You will be asked to provide your name
when making a report.
There are a couple of reasons for this:
one - this will satisfy the reporting requirement (under the law) and
two - so that DSHS can contact you if more information is needed
Please note that reporting anonymously does not meet the mandated reporting requirements.
Remember, a report does not necessarily make it a fact, but merely raises a question about the
condition or state of a particular child.
Reasonable suspicion based on objective evidence is all that is needed to report. That evidence may be
direct observation or statements made by a parent or child.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
Will my name be kept confidential?
According to DSHS, although in most cases the reporter’s name remains confidential, there are limits to
this confidentiality.
Another question you may have is what will happen when I report to the DSHS or the Police?
When you report, DSHS or the police will evaluate whether what you have told them could potentially
be child abuse or neglect.
If yes, then they will initiate an investigation.
If no, then DSHS will typically make a record of the report in case future reports are received about the
same situation.
In any case, you are not making a determination of abuse or neglect by reporting, you are allowing the
appropriate agency to do so.
The next question is what will happen when I report to the University of Washington?
If the report is about child abuse or neglect that may be occurring within a UW program or facility, the
University may also need to take action.
Once a report is made, other appropriate offices, such as UWPD or Human Resources, will determine
how to best respond, which includes evaluating how to protect the child or other children in the
program.
The following information is provided to assist you in determining when a child may be the victim of
abuse or neglect.
The following may be signs that a child has been the victim of abuse or neglect:
A child shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance.
A child has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents' attention.
A child has learning problems (or difficulty concentrating) that cannot be explained by other physical or
psychological causes.
A child is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen.
These signs are from the DSHS Guidance for Mandated Reporters publication and are just examples.
What other signs might you watch for?
Other signs may include:
The child lacks adult supervision.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
The child is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn or,
the child comes to school or other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home.
Please remember that the presence of a single sign does not prove child abuse is occurring; however,
when these signs appear repeatedly or in combination you should consider the possibility of child abuse
or neglect.
This information is From DSHS Guidance for Mandated Reporters as well.
What are signs of sexual abuse?
Children who are being sexually abused may show unique signs, like:
Sexual aggression or acting out,
knowledge of sexual acts that are beyond what might be expected for the age of the child,
the child reports nightmares or bedwetting.
This information is from the US Dept. of Health and Human Services Child Welfare Information Gateway.
What are signs of physical abuse?
Children who are being physically abused may show unique signs, like:
having unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones or black eyes,
having fading bruises or other marks after a noticeable absence from school or activities,
the child protests or cries when it is time to go home.
This information, is also from the US Dept. of Health and Human Services Child Welfare Information
Gateway.
Next, what are signs of neglect?
Children who are being neglected may show unique signs, like:
frequent absences,
begging or stealing food or money,
being consistently dirty or having strong body odor,
or, lacking sufficient clothing for the weather.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
Another question you may have is, what if the child tells me something that makes me suspect that
abuse or neglect is occurring?
Although you may not have witnessed it, when you receive a credible report of potential abuse, you
must report it.
That means that you should consider if what the child is telling you might be true to decide whether to
report it.
Again, we ask that employees and volunteers use their best judgment.
One more note, avoid questioning the child about it. Instead, make a report if you are concerned about
what you have been told.
What if you learn of abuse or neglect that may have happened long ago?
This might arise when a student discloses something personal in a class assignment or when an adult
colleague shares something from their past.
Under the Abuse of Children Law you do not have to report if the suspected abuse was discovered after
the child has become an adult (18 years or older).
However, if there is reasonable cause to believe other children are or may be at risk of abuse or neglect
by the same individual, the reporting requirement does apply and a report must be made.
Should you report if you suspect a teenager or enrolled student under 18 years of age is the victim of
abuse or neglect?
The purpose of the reporting law is to provide all children with an environment free from abuse and
neglect, which includes all those who are under 18 years old.
Potential signs of child abuse and neglect must not be discounted because of a child’s age or because
you think older children can protect themselves.
The bottom line is that this covers all persons under the age of 18.
What if I’m not sure that abuse or neglect of a child is occurring?
If you are in doubt about what should be reported, it is better to make your concerns known than to
remain silent and possibly allow a child to remain unprotected.
You can discuss it with your supervisor if you are concerned about the actions of someone in a
University of Washington program or facility. It may need to be addressed regardless of whether you
decide to report to DSHS or the police.
Our resources slide shows the University of Washington’s Safety of Minors Website at
f2.washington.edu/treasury/riskmgmt/compliance/minors.
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Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington
This UW website also contains links to the Department of Social and Health Services EndHarm website,
including a video for mandatory reporters.
The DSHS EndHarm logo is also shown here with the toll free phone number of 1-866-363-4276.
And, if you have any questions about the University of Washington’s policy, you can email
safemnrs@uw.edu, that’s safemnrs at uw.edu.
We are now at the end of this awareness training program regarding the reporting of Suspected Child
Abuse or Neglect.
In review, we have
One - asked for your support to the University’s commitment to providing a safe environment for
children.
Two – covered all UW employees reporting responsibilities under Washington State law and the
University’s policy, APS 11.8: Reporting Suspected Child Abuse.
Three - covered the steps to take for reporting.
Four – provided information to help recognize some of the behaviors in children to watch for which may
indicate abuse or neglect.
And five – we provided access to the UW’s available resources and contacts on the previous slide.
In closing, your takeaways from this training are
First – the University of Washington seeks to provide a safe and welcoming environment to all students,
faculty, employees and visitors.
Second - it is our goal to foster a safe and secure UW campus community and,
third - we need everyone’s help to support the University of Washington’s efforts to create a safe
community.
It’s not just every UW employee’s (and volunteer’s) responsibility to report suspected child abuse or
neglect, it’s the right thing to do.
Thank you for your attention.
This ends our program on the Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect.
12
Script for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Training Video
From Compliance Support, Office of Risk Management, University of Washington