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Employees » Suspected Child Abuse Reporting

Suspected Child Abuse Reporting

Culver City Unified School District
 
Procedures for Reporting Child Abuse
Child Abuse is defined as physical, sexual and mental abuse, and neglect, perpetrated by
an adult or an older child. Sibling rivalry is not considered as child abuse.
 
All District employees are mandated by law to report orally and to file a written report within 36 hours when the staff member has suspicion or knowledge of such abuse. Employees are not required to prove suspicions nor are they to conduct an investigation regarding their suspicions. Reporting is an individual responsibility. Employees are required to report even if the suspected victim is not under their jurisdiction. All reports are kept confidential and may be disclosed only to persons or agencies to whom
disclosure of the identity of the reporting party is permitted under PC 11166(a). All persons reporting suspected child abuse are immune to liability PC 11172(a). Any person who has suspicion or knowledge of abuse and does not report it is liable to a fine of $1000 fine and/or six months in jail confinement.
 
The Culver City Unified School District procedures are listed below and must be followed when there is suspicion or knowledge of any abuse or neglect:
  • First, complete a Suspected Child Abuse Report Form (558572) (11169PC).
  • Forms are available from: CCUSD website “Employee Links”, site principal, assistant principal, counselor, nurse or secretary. School employees are required to give their name on the form and the school address should be used. (Do not use your home address.)
  • Next, call the Child Abuse Hotline at 1 (800) 540-4000 and give all the information from your form to the person or recording. Write the reference number on the form before directly submitting the form. Note on the form the home language if known. Mail or fax the form directly to the address provided by the Hotline. Keep one copy of the form as the reporting party. Additionally, make a copy and send the report copy to Pupil Personnel Services, District Office, attention Edith Fernandez. (If for some reason the agency’s mailing address is not provided to you, bring the report to the Pupil Personnel Services Department.) 
  • If an Investigating Officer visits the site and wishes to take the report with him/her, make a copy of the report. As stated above, send a copy to Pupil Personnel Services and allow the Investigation Officer to take the copy needed.
  • Notify the site principal and/or supervisor if you are an employee of the Office of Child Development, Operations and Maintenance, Special Ed Pre School Teacher.
  • Do not discuss the reporting with others unless they are involved in making the report.
  • If the child is in immediate danger of physical or sexual abuse or the perpetrator is in the proximity, then call the Juvenile Division of the Police Department (310) 837-1221 as well. Please do not call in anonymous reports or follow-up on a report with the Police Department.
  • DO NOT put a copy of the suspected child abuse report in the cumulative record file.
If any person suspects or has knowledge that the abuse is continuing, then another report
needs to be completed. It is not unusual to notify the police and file a report more than
once on the same child. The important factor is that we help to curtail all forms of child
abuse.