Updated April 22, 2014.

In all of the case examples, school personnel became aware of physical or behavioral symptoms and family patterns that, in a composite, pointed to either abuse or the exposure to abuse (such as observing, hearing, or intervening in domestic violence or dealing with the subsequent fears and behaviors, which some States define as child maltreatment).

It also is important for those working with children to be sensitive to comments about severe physical fights between the parents that might indicate the presence of domestic violence.

A child who speaks of caretakers who sleep a great deal during normally wakeful hours may be living with substance abusers or individuals suffering from clinical depression. Extremely erratic behavior described by the child on the part of the parent might suggest other types of mental illness. Educators must learn to listen "between the lines" as children make comments about their homes. Sometimes this will give vital clues about the conflict with which they are dealing.

While symptoms do not necessarily indicate abuse, any suspected child abuse legally must be reported to child protective services (CPS) to be assessed or investigated. Directly communicating with CPS or using the school's protocol, in combination with the educator's common sense and concern for the students, will help identify what information will be needed to file a report. See Appendix F - Sample Report of Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect, for an example of a school reporting protocol.

^{reproduced from the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information}