Answer

Case Study

Case Study 1

Question 1

Marcus’ tendency to persistently cry is an indication that he may be suffering abuse. His reaction to his uncle’s presence is telling of one who has fear built up over a time of abuse. In addition, his preference for solitude is another red flag that would suggest possible abuse. It is uncharacteristic that Marcus would be yelling at other kids to stay away. This is a telling sign.

Question 2

From his reaction, Marcus probably suffers both physical and emotional abuse.

Question 3

One can ask numerous non-leading questions to a child who supposedly suffers abuse. Some of these questions include; What happened? How did it happen? Who was with you there? How often does what happened happen? What do you feel as a result? What do you say to them then? How do they react?

Question 4

One of the factors that expose Marcus to possible abuse is that fact that he is brought up by a single parent who may be absent often. Indeed, his mother has taken to socializing lately, and the fact that he is often left with friends and relatives increases the likelihood that he would be abused by those who ought to be looking after him.

Question 5

Because Marcus is known usually as a happy and busy child, the fact that he could simply change overnight into the sad, sullen kid is a sign of abuse. The fact that he stops crying as as soon as his uncle leaves is a sign that he perceives that the threat he had earlier faced is now gone. In addition, his preference for solitude tells the story that he does not trust many now, possibly as a result of the abuse he has undergone.

Question 6

The reporting protocols involve first and foremost getting the details of the child in harm. It also entails having a clear description of the signs or indicators that the child has been abused or harmed (Woodman et al, 2018). The reason for reporting is the next one in the protocol. The safety assessment and whereabouts ought to be found out by the reporter to ascertain the immediate danger. While conveying information to the agency, it is also prudent to have family details and cultural characteristics. The organization charged with seeing into these child support services is Child Protection.

Question 7

The first way is by keeping the identity of those who report cases of abuse a secret and never divulging their identity unless required so by law. Secondly, confidentiality is maintained by protecting the identity of children under abuse from undue exposure which may further erode their confidence. The third way of maintaining confidentiality is by ensuring that the people that make up families are protected from private information that may eventually lead to the collapse of support systems for those who suffer abuse.

Case Study 2

Question 1

Response 2

Question 2

Response 1

Question 3

Response 1

I would be guided by the organization’s physical safety of the sleeping environment, the requirement and need to have supervisory eyes as the child sleeps, the ability of the child to access other essential parts of house among other policies

Question 4

Response 2

As one entrusted with the care of these children, it would be necessary that I help in creating a safe environment for the children regardless of whether I am physically present or responds to the needs of another child and take them outside (Skivenes & Sørsdal, 2018). This would entail delegating the role of supervision to the other staff to ensure that the children are safe and that they get whatever they may need while I am outside the picture momentarily.

Question 5

Response 1

The policy guiding me in this is the belief in the vital role that play has in learning and how the infusion of toys and other items help the children in developing both social and psychomotor skills.

Question 6

Response 2

Question 7

Response 1

Adequate supervision is essential in ensuring that the safety of the children is guaranteed. It is important that the ratio of staff to children is constantly reviewed with an intention of having a balance of those who can have supervisory roles at any given time.

Case Study 3

Question 1

Ronald should specifically make reference to they physical bruises and burns that he has observed in little Caleb. He should also report on Caleb’s reaction when asked about the same. In addition, Ronald should report the mother’s drinking habit that makes her be away from the child for long and may potentially exacerbate her violence. Besides, he should include the mother’s apparent disgust at the child and her subsequent yelling at little Caleb (Jenkins et al. 2018).

Question 2

Ronald does not yet have all the information he needs to for a holistic view of the situation. He has not yet found out whether or not there is anyone other than the mother who may be living with them and may further the abuse. He has not been told about what exactly caused the burns yet he is already certain the cigarettes caused them. In my view then, he is quite judgemental in the way he concludes that the woman should have never have had children because he lacks a lot of background information. Despite this fact, he is entitled as Caleb’s teacher to make a report that would be used as a foundation for any future legal action against Caleb’s mother.

Question 3

Ronald ought to ensure that he provides any additional signs of abuse and withdrawal that he sees in Caleb as soon as possible. He has to attempt to ask Caleb more questions and relay the same information to the legal authorities. In addition, he could facilitate a meeting between little Caleb with those looking into his case for any further assessment. Besides this, Ronald could seek for more information about the mother’s lifestyle, any people she lives with and any potential signs of abuse and use the same information to help investigative agencies find the truth about the problems faced by little Caleb.

Case Study 4

Question 1

This is an ethical dilemma in the sense that whereas there is no real abuse or mistreatment os children going on, there is an apparent unfairness at their treatment by one of the members of staff. The principle to be applied in this regard is the use of democratic, fair and inclusive practices. The application of this principle ensures that in the process of care for the young children involved, there is developed a strong sense of equity and an equally stronger sense of belonging.

Question 2

This staff member has breached the acceptable professional boundaries in two major ways. First of all, the member has gone against the acceptable practice of kindness, patience and overall good treatment of children under care (Tilbury et al. 2017). The children who ought to be approached with a lot of understanding, fairness and equity are not only shown harshness and hostility but also outright discriminated against. This selective treatment is against the professional boundaries that call for all children to be treated equally with little regard to personal relation, disability, physical appearance, culture or other superficial differences.

Question 3

The body to be informed should be the child protection authority within the jurisdiction.

Question 4

The statement that relates to this situation with regards to child protection is the need to promote democratic, fair and inclusive practices that promote equity and a strong sense of belonging (Woodman et al. 2018).

Question 5

One of the actions that I would take as a part of staff who is interested in the safety of children is to report to the supervisor about the pretence of my colleague. It may seem that the colleague is the one with a problem but my obligation to report the matter is a responsibility I would take very seriously. My plan to offer a solution to this problem also entails talking to my colleague to embrace the professional demands of child protection and abide by the code of ethics. I would tell him to not only have the child-centred approach as a show to the supervisor but make it part and parcel of the practice itself. I believe that reminding my colleague of the professional roles that he ought to play with regard to child protection would go a long way in ensuring that he at least begins to pay the children the attention they deserve.