Mandated Reporters

Discovery

According to the Communication Policy, staff members must report the following situations to their supervisor:

• Abuse/harassment of another person, verbally, physically, or emotionally
• Cheating, lying, and stealing
• Disrespectful behavior toward an adult
• Disruptive classroom behavior
• Truancy or leaving school without permission.
• Possession or accessing of pornography.
• Possession, selling, giving away, or use any illegal or harmful substance such as drugs (including alcohol and tobacco)
• Possession of fireworks or weapons
• Property damage
• Serious health concerns such as eating disorders
• Sexual promiscuity
• Suicidal ideation
• Harassment/abuse issues within our community.

Reporting, (Staff)

The Child Protection Policy provides guidelines for reporting the situations listed above.

• At CAJ, all board-contracted parties are mandated reporters and must report suspected child abuse or neglect to the head of school or principals. A mandated reporter shall:
  1. Make a report whenever s/he has knowledge of, or observes, a child whom the mandated reporter knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or neglect
  2. Make a report to the head of school or principal as soon as is practically possible and within 24 hours
  3. Prepare and submit a signed, written report thereof within 36 hours of receiving the information concerning the incident.
• "Reasonable suspicion" means that it is objectively reasonable for a person to entertain a suspicion, based upon facts that could cause a reasonable person in a like position, drawing, when appropriate, on his or her training and experience, to suspect child abuse or neglect.
• The reporting duties under this section are individual and no supervisor, administrator, or board member may impede or inhibit the reporting duties, and no person making a report shall be subject to any sanction by CAJ for making a reasonable report.
• Reporting the information regarding a case of possible child abuse or neglect to another board-contracted staff member, co-worker, or person other than the head of school or principals shall not be a substitute for making a mandated report to the head of school or principals.

Reporting, (Student)

The Child Protection Policy provides guidelines for reporting student reports of the situations listed above

• Student reports of child abuse—Any CAJ student who suffers abuse from a CAJ board-contracted staff member, volunteer, or student, or knows of a situation where it has occurred, is to report to a CAJ mandated reporter, who will call in another mandated reporter to witness the student's information. Having received information, the mandated reporters will then make a report and sign it.
• The guidance counselor provides yearly training to middle school and high school students relative to child protection issues. See also Child Protection Policy, Student Training in

Other Considerations

• When in doubt, it is better to promptly report a situation to your supervisor rather than to withhold information.
• Do not promise total confidentiality. Students should be aware that staff members are obligated to report situations that maybe harmful to themselves and/or others, or that may be illegal.

See also Child Protection Policy, Japanese , Sexual Harassment Policy, and Self-harm or Suicidal Ideation, Child Protection Policy, Student Training in.