Child Abuse Reporting

Purpose: 

The purpose of this policy is to protect the welfare of minors on Nebraska Wesleyan University (NWU) campus, educational site, and/or participating in NWU sponsored off- campus activity.
This policy requires all employees, volunteers, and faculty who in the scope of their employment responsibilities examine, attend, counsel, or treat a child, to report suspected physical or sexual abuse.

Definitions of the responsibilities and words used in the policy:

Examines: To observe, test, or investigate a body or any part of it), in order to evaluate general health or determine a medical condition.

Attends: To care for; to look after; to take charge of; to watch over.

Counsels: To advise, instruct, or teach.

Treats: To deal with (a medical condition, patient, etc.) in order to relieve or cure.

Child: Any person under the age of 18 years.

Suspected: To believe to be the case or to be likely or probable.

Physical Abuse: Physical abuse is defined as any non-accidental physical injury, or injury which is at variance with the history given of it, suffered by a child as the result of the acts or omissions of a person responsible for the care of the child.

Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse is defined as the commission of a sexual offense with or to a child as a result of the acts or omissions of the person responsible for the care of a child. The commission of a sexual offense includes any sexual offense with or to a person under the age of 18 years.

Reporting:

An employee, volunteer, or faculty member must report any case of suspected, actual or directly witnessed child abuse to local law enforcement and Campus Security within 24 hours, Campus Security will immediately notify the Human Resource Director and/or the Vice President of Administration and Finance. When making a report of child abuse under this policy, it is necessary to provide the following information, if possible:

• Name of alleged victim(s)
• Name of alleged perpetrator(s)
• Time and date of the incidents being reported
• Location where the incidents occurred
• Any additional information known about the abuse

Some employees, volunteers and faculty are also considered mandatory reporters under state law and, therefore, may have additional duties and obligations for reporting and training under certain statutes and regulations. This policy does not affect any duties or obligations that any mandatory reporter may have in reporting in reporting abuse or undertaking required training under any other applicable statute or regulation.

Retaliation:

Retaliatory action against an employee, volunteer or faculty for participation in making a good faith report of child abuse or aiding and assisting in an assessment of a child abuse report is prohibited.