School officials urged to report child abuse

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard (McMinnville, Tenn.)

CONTE

In Tennessee, anyone who suspects a child is being sexually or otherwise abused is required by state law to report their suspicions to the authorities. To do so is especially important for school personnel, who have a greater chance than most to spot this type of behavior, said abuse awareness advocate Andrea Conte.

Conte, the wife of former Nashville mayor and current gubernatorial candidate Phil Bredesen, is president of You Have the Power, a Nashville-based, non-profit agency dedicated to raising awareness about crime and justice issues. She spoke to nearly all of the school system’s personnel at yesterday’s system-wide in-service held at Warren County Middle School.

Her program centered around teaching the schools’ employees how to recognize and report child sexual abuse. While her organization also raises awareness of such issues as violent crime and elder abuse, Conte said the demand for child sexual abuse awareness programs has been at an all-time high over the past three years.

Signs a child has been sexually abused, she said, include that child having a greater knowledge of sex and sexual behavior than is normal for his or her age and dramatic changes in his or her academic performance. And while teachers often notice these signs, they are not the only ones who do.

“I’m glad to be able to speak today to all of the Warren County Schools’ employees (because) custodians, bus drivers and cafeteria workers are just as likely to notice the signs of abuse as teachers are,” she said.

Conte said it is everyone’s responsibility to report suspected child abuse, and added a person reporting harm is assumed to be acting in good faith and can therefore not be held criminally or civilly liable for any incurred or imposed actions. The law further states, she said, school employees cannot be disciplined for reporting child abuse.

“Silence allows abuse to continue, protects abusers and hurts children,” she said.

After Conte concluded her remarks, “A View From the Shadows: Exposing the Minds of Child Sex Offenders,” a video produced by You Have the Power, was shown. This was followed by a panel discussion on child sexual abuse which featured a former Davidson County prosecutor, a therapist for child sex abuse victims, a representative of the Department of Children’s Services and a child sexual abuse survivor.