LegalWays: Child Abuse and Neglect
By Jennifer Bloom and Sally Revak
This lesson from LegalWays curriculum defines types of abuse, neglect, and endangerment and discusses mandated reporters and what happens when a report is made. Students use guiding questions and a matching activity to apply the law presented in a short student reading. The “You Decide” activity asks them to decide if a situation is neglect, endangerment, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or an accident. Many of the cases are actual stories. This lesson uses Minnesota law but can be easily adapted.
Objectives
- Understand the function of the people involved in the juvenile protection area.
- Become familiar with the laws of abuse and neglect.
- Learn about the legal rights and responsibilities of parents and children.
- Understand the various ways in which the juvenile system attempts to take of care of juveniles and their families.
- Learn where to go for help.
Time to Complete
One class period
Materials Needed
- LegalWays Curriculum Overview
- Juvenile Protection Teaching Guide
- Student Handout Child Abuse and Neglect
Procedure
See Juvenile Protection Teaching Guide
Source
LegalWays curriculum was funded by Grant No. 95-JS-FX-0300 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice.