Child Protection Policy

Child Safe Environments
 

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Your Legal Responsibilities as a Volunteer

What is child abuse?

There are four types of child abuse:

(1) Physical abuse is characterised by physical injury resulting from practices such as: hitting, punching, kicking, shaking (particularly young babies), burning, biting, pulling hair, alcohol or other drug administration.

(2) Sexual abuse occurs when someone in a position of power uses their power to involve the child in sexual activity.

(3) Emotional abuse tends to be a chronic behaviour directed at a child whereby a child’s self-esteem and social competence is undermined or eroded over time. This may include: devaluing, ignoring, rejecting, corrupting, isolating, terrorising, domestic violence in a child’s presence.

(4) Neglect is characterised by the ongoing failure to provide a child with their basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, hygiene, education, adequate supervision, medical, dental care, forcing a child to leave home, or allowing chronic truancy.

Child abuse can occur through someone doing something hurtful or by someone not doing something to provide for or protect a child.

What does the Law say?

Under the Children’s Protection Act, 1993 (Part 4, Section 11), it is a legal requirement for clergy, religious, employees and volunteers in the Catholic Church in South Australia to report all suspected cases of abuse and/or neglect to Families SA through the Child Abuse Report Line (CARL) on 131478.

This legal requirement means that you must make a report if you are a volunteer and you suspect that child abuse and/or neglect is taking place, and you form that suspicion because:

·        a child/young person tells you he or she has been abused;

·        your own observation of a particular child/young person’s behaviour and/or injuries, or your knowledge of children/young people generally leads you to suspect that abuse is occurring;

·        a child/young person tells you he or she knows someone who has been abused (a child/young person could possibly be referring to himself or herself); or

·        someone else (perhaps a relative, friend, neighbour or sibling of the child/young person) who is in a position to provide reliable information, tells you.

Where you form this suspicion, your legal obligation is to phone the

Child Abuse Report Line (CARL) on 13 14 78

Child abuse and/or neglect can be prevented. Identification and reporting may be the beginning of the intervention and prevention process. Protecting children and helping their families can reduce abuse and/or neglect.

The Catholic Church in South Australia is committed to creating child-safe environments where children and young people feel respected, safe and protected.