Intro
Reporting Requirements
Types
Talking to
a Youth
Making the
Report
Conclusion
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Types of Child Maltreatment
Fact:
Every year, between 4,000 and 5,000 children are substantiated as abused or neglected in Wisconsin.
What is identified as child maltreatment in Wisconsin?
There are five basic types of maltreatment recognized in Wisconsin’s laws:
- Physical abuse
- Neglect
- Sexual abuse, including sex trafficking
- Emotional abuse
- Threatened abuse or neglect
Things to Know
Activity
Key terms to understand
Before we start talking about these types of maltreatment, let’s discuss two of the terms that we are going to be using throughout the following sections.
- First, we are going to use the terms YOUTH and CHILDREN interchangeably in these sections to refer to anyone under the age of 18.
- Second, we are going to use the term FACILITY throughout these sections to refer to any facility that houses youth. This category includes group homes, shelters, residential care centers (including secured residential care centers and qualified residential treatment programs), and juvenile correctional or detention facilities.
In a facility setting, you may suspect maltreatment, including the threat of abuse or neglect, through two different avenues:
- A youth may describe maltreatment that occurred prior to when she or he entered the facility, either in their home or in another location; or
- You may learn of maltreatment that has occurred in the facility.
Either way, as a mandated reporters, you must report the maltreatment.
A note about internal procedures
Keep in mind as you are completing this training that, if you work in a facility, the facility likely has internal procedures for reporting, and even investigating, allegations of child abuse and neglect. This training does not address these procedures – it only addresses your obligation as a mandated reporter to report suspected child abuse and neglect under state law.