CHILDREN IN NEED OF PROTECTION: REPORTING POLICIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA SCHOOL BOARDS

Authors

  • Samantha Shewchuk

Abstract

High profile sexual assault cases by British Columbia elementary school teachers in 2010 revealed BC school boards had “disturbingly inconsistent” child protection policies. As a result of the intense media scrutiny, the BC Ministry of Education required all school boards to reassess and update their policies on reporting suspected child abuse. This article presents an analysis of (N = 50) current school board child protection policies and procedures in British Columbia and an exploration of what training, resources, and support school boards state they provide to help teachers recognize and report cases where a child needs protection. The review revealed that most boards had documentation. However, the amount of information provided by each board varied greatly. An analysis of the documents revealed some school board procedures need to be updated to reflect current legislation and expectations regarding child welfare. Policy recommendations are proposed based on the results of the study. 

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Published

2017-07-25

Issue

No. 177 (2016)

Section

Articles

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