The vulnerability of children is one of the factors that expose them to such threats as sexual abuse. Mental health professionals have an obligation to shield children against abuse. When they learn that an abuse has occurred, the professionals are required to report the case immediately and to refer the child for appropriate care. In the case of the 11-year old girl who has disclosed that her mother’s boyfriend has abused her sexually, the counselor needs to assure her that all is well. In most cases, child victims of sexual abuse refuse to speak out of fear that they will suffer further abuse (O’Grady & Matthews-Creech, n.d). Therefore, it is critical for the counselor to assure her about her safety and the confidentiality of her disclosure.
After issuing assurance of safety, the school counselor should proceed to report the case. The first step is to contact the local social service agency. In most cases, the Child Protection Services receives reports of sexual abuse (Sikes, n.d). While reporting the case, the counselor should provide all relevant information that will facilitate the delivery of services to the child. With the case reported, the counselor should then refer the child to an organization that is equipped to offer help. For example, the counselor could contact a local agency that offers support to child victims of sexual abuse.
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It is true that reporting the case of the child is the right decision. However, it has been observed that many school counselors are reluctant to report such cases (McKenna, 2011). The reluctance is mostly driven by the fear that the child may suffer further abuse. After reporting the case, it is indeed possible that the child’s mom’s boyfriend may become more aggressive and escalate the abuse. It is also likely that the child’s mother will support the boyfriend instead of defending her child. There have been cases where parents of children who have suffered abuse refuse to believe their children and instead side with the perpetrator of the abuse. It is therefore important for the counselor to proceed with caution and prioritize the child’s wellbeing while reporting her case.
Reporting the girl’s case will undoubtedly have an impact on her relationship with the counselor. It is possible that the girl’s confidence and trust in the counselor will grow. As he reports the case, the counselor will be demonstrating his deep commitment to the girl’s wellbeing. Another possibility is that the trust between the girl and the counselor will collapse. This is because the girl may fear that by reporting the case, the counselor has violated her privacy and exposed her to greater harm. Personally, I am confident that reporting the case is a wise decision. By reporting the case, the counselor involves other actors that are better placed to intervene. For example, law enforcement agents could move and arrest the perpetrator while the child protection services delivers essential care to the girl.
References
McKenna, A. (2011). Reluctant to report: the mandated reporting practices of child care
Providers. Retrieved June 5, 2018 from
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1439&context=dissertations
O’Grady, & Matthews-Creech, N. (n.d). Why children don’t tell. Lacasa Center. Retrieved
June 5, 2018 from
https://lacasacenter.org/why-child-abuse-victims-dont-tell/
Sikes, A. (n.d). A School counselor’s guide to reporting child abuse and neglect. Retrieved
June 5, 2018 from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ894796.pdf
