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My guest speaker on neglected children is Sarah Wippich who is a Principal at Trinity First Lutheran School in Minneapolis. She was been involved in the teaching ministry for over 20 years and her family has been close to mine for about the same time frame. She is a actively involved at Trinity as well as at Concordia Academy and its affiliates. She is more than happy to provide some unique insight in regarding the issue of neglected kids in our schools. Please feel free to ask her questions via the comment section at the bottom of this page.
Here is my independent research topic regarding Neglected Children in our schools. Feel free to add in the discussion!
Neglected Children
I decided to do my research on neglected kids. Not only did I learn that neglected kids cover almost every student demographic, but it is almost always involuntarily done by the parents of the child. The information and tips I learned were from interviews with social workers and teachers that work in our schools. People like Shannon Keil and Mary Kay Benson were very helpful in identifying tips and guidelines that we as teachers can use to help these students. Furthermore, this information must be conveyed to parents of these kids in a positive light and not in a negative manner.
My conversations with Ms. Benson and Ms. Keil gave me new insights as to how neglected children are identified and how they live their lives with added family responsibilities that take away from their free time. This results in students who are very self-determined and can be very stubborn when asked to complete tasks for projects in school. Shannon Keil, who is a social worker at Stonebrook Charter School in Minneapolis, has been working there for over six years and was quick to tell me that neglected kids are one of the hardest groups to identify. “In the schools teachers need to be alert for certain signs.” She explained to me. “These signs can range from not having clean clothes, combed hair or are consistently tardy.” She pointed out as I took notes. The saddest part of seeing these signs is that in 95% of the cases documented at her school, the parents are fully aware of the issue but are not getting any positive feedback to fix the problem. Many parents refuse to even talk to the teacher due to prior unpleasant experiences. Keil believes the issue is parent/teacher/student time management and keeping a positive relationship with the parents. She believes parents are constantly bombarded with negative experiences in our schools and are reluctant to heed the advice from teachers and even the social workers that occasionally have to step in. By having a teacher keep a positive attitude during conversations with parents, the teacher/parent/student relationship can be helped tremendously.
As I did my research I learned that the trends that Ms. Keil said were in evidence in her class are occurring in several other schools in the state as well as the country. In an article published by the National Foundation for Abused and Neglected children, it was determined that, “We have learned that a child of any age, sex, race, religion, and socioeconomic background can fall victim to child abuse and neglect (Foundation for Abused and Neglected Children, 2011). So if this issue is so widespread, then how can communities work to fix the issue? If communities and the schools they serve cannot work with parents to address this issue how will these kids build the necessary skills to make solid life choices? Neglected children are 11 times more likely to be arrested for criminal behavior and 2.7 times more likely to be arrested for violent and criminal behavior as adults (Gray, 2011). Kids in these types of environments can lose their focus to the point where they will question anyone or everyone in regards to what they feel is the right path to take in their lives. As a result these kids get a feeling of isolation and frustration and end up feeling lost. Building trust is a monumental task for teachers in this type of situation. So what do teachers need to know about neglected children?
Here are some key notes about neglected kids and their families
Kids can be heavily depended upon by their parents to help raise their siblings, house chores and other duties around the house that other kids their age would not normally be expected to do.
Neglected kids can come from all demographic groups. From rural white children to urban blacks to wealthy suburban Asian families, this issue impacts everyone.
Many parents are reluctant and/or hesititant to listen to advice that teachers give them because of how the messages have been conveyed to them in the past.
As a teacher, staying positive is crucial to addressing this issue. According to Mary Kay Benson, who teaches 9th Grade Science at Coon Rapids High School, students absolutely dread having a teacher call or visit their home to talk about their performance. These kids even go as far as to erase emails, voicemails or lie to their teacher about their parents not being home (Benson, 2010). So what are some ideas that teachers can use to make these interactions more pleasant for everyone involved? Some may include:
When contacting a parent or guardian, make sure to have all available contact methods to use to contact the parent. Email addresses, internet homepages and alternate phone numbers can go a long way to overcome communication issues.
Be flexible with your time! Many parents may not have the same timetable as a teacher has and being able to adjust your schedule to meet with these parents can build the rapport needed to have parents and students adhere to a teacher’s feedback. (Keil, 2011)
Keep your comments positive. Even when the point of the conversation is about a negative situation. Always start the conversation with something that the student is doing well. Doing this will balance out the conversation and not seem like you are consistently complaining about the child.
In the end, the focus should be on establishing the communication links vital to a student’s success in the classroom. Identifying the characteristics of neglected children is the first step for a teacher to take in addressing the issue. The biggest advantage a teacher can have in this situation is to have good rapport with the parents of the child. Having them be receptive to comments and expressing concerns and ideas in a positive manner can help teachers establish the trust that can prevent the issue of neglect from being addressed.
References
Benson, Mary Kay. (2010) Coon Rapids High School
Coon Rapids, MN.
Gray, Chris. (2011). The Romeo Observer.
Keil, Shannon. (2011). Stonebrook Community School
Minneapolis, MN.
National Foundation for Abused and Neglected Children. Retrieved from
This song is open to intrpretation but from what I have taken from it is that is about miscommunication and the depression that results. I felt this is a good choice to show because the performer, Aaron Lewis, had a long history of verbal and physical abuse as a child and he uses alot of his experiences in his songs.
This song sounds like it was written by the lead singer of Blind Melon, who suffered from major depression from what I have heard. The lyrics and tone of a lot of their songs really conveys this.
Many people may feel the need to communicate other than using their voice. I think, as we discussed earlier, that art is a powerful way of expressing or communicating our ideas. Also, by using physical means of expressing ourselves is also a option. The phrase actions speak louder than words fits well here.
During my first year of teaching, I had a female student that had really bad hygiene; she always smelled and had greasy hair, and she always wore the same clothes throughout the school week. When I brought this up to the dean of students and the school's social worker, they told me that it is unfortunate, but she has a less-than-desirable home life and every time they contact social services, her mom 'cleans up her act' long enough to get them off her back.. What should teachers do in these situations?
Does neglected always mean poor families. And let me turn that around, do poor families tend to have more neglected children? I know of some kids who are in well to do families whose parents care for the kids, but for some reason, the child's hygiene is terrible. I know with one of my daughters, it is a struggle to get her to wash herself and keep herself looking like she doesn't live in a barn. She just gets lazy or says she took a shower and really hasn't. Or has just rune water over herself and didn't use soap.
That is a great question! In actuality neglected kids are from rich communities as well as poor families. Students that come from lower income families are a bit more recognizable based on the criteria Erin mentioned. Kids from richer families sometimes have the run of the mill and are not given the proper supervision, attention or discipline that is needed. As a result kids will try and get that attention at school by any means necessary. Some kids will even act up on purpose just to get that feeling of attention that is missing at home.
So in the more well to do kids, do you see more misbehavior and risky behavior. I would imagine drug abuse would be more prevalent because the funds are more readily available
My worries as a special education teacher is approaching a child's parent, even in a positive manner, who I think may be neglected and not making their home life harder by bringing it to light. This question is for Sarah is, if done in the right way, do you see results when approaching the parents? Do you find that when you talk with parents they have some of the same issues and this is part of the problem, they are repeating their childhood?
I currently work in a SpEd room that we have to toilet students. Often times we'll see bruises or scratches which are most likely from regular play or day to day activity. What should we do in this situation? Document it? Call home and make them aware?
Back in 2009, after the death of 11-year-old Kara Neumann in Weston, Wisconsin, from TOTALLY TREATABLE DIABETES, I whipped up an essay on the "kid killer loophole" in Wisconsin state statutes, that lets parents off the hook for child abuse and neglect if they rely exclusively on prayer to “treat”, “heal”, or “cure” one of their children and the child subsequently dies, goes blind, becomes crippled, etc.
Copy of the paper available on request to me at RichardSRussell@tds.net.
Hi, Richard - I thought you were on the other wiki - really making the rounds, Ay? Good show. Anyway, I remember in high school, our band director's son(who was my age) had cancer and eventually died from it. The director's wife was a Christian Scientists and didn't believe in treatment, only prayer. I remember a lot of stink going around about this, but I do not remember any legal action being taken. That was back in the late 70's. I don't know if there has been any change in the interpretation of laws regarding this type of medical treatment and religious freedom. When I heard the concerns about this, it was more about the stupidity of the situation, but nobody mentioned child neglect. This part of neglect is a really tough area to figure out. We read "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" and the big debate in that book centered around neglect.
Sorry I'm late to the 'party!' I currently have a student with diabetes whose mother sometimes steps over the line into neglect regarding poor care of her daughter. It continues to be a long road, one I'm working on building - strenghthening relationships with mom so I can be heard. I have found that parents who neglect frequently 'walk the line' between secretly acknowledging their neglect and total denial. Besides reporting (which often does no good) I think building a presense of trust so that our voice can be heard is best.
I've also had a student found dead on the streets in Minneapolis at the age of 11. Neglect? You bet! But even with all the press and agencies involved - no case was made and society was blamed.
How do teachers handle neglect? Isn't it a form of abuse? If children are not taken care of and parents are involved, then isn't it time to contact proper services to intervene on behalf of the child? Isn't that something that should be reported?
Sarah is having issue with adding her comments she did mention this in reference to your question.
Educational neglect is reportable - excessive absences or tardy attendance - IF they are over 7 and often under the age of 12. Over age 12 and it involves a different reporting agency.
Neglect can very much be abuse but Child Protection is unlikely to get involved unless there are marks on the child.
However, we can't be discouraged from trying to get involved and pay attention. It is really important to document what you notice - trying to keep your notes as clinical as possible. Don't write things like 'it seems' or 'feels' try to be objective. For instance, you can note unwashed body, clothes, homework not completed, sleeping in class, etc.
The most common neglect issues regarding basic love, care, attention, educational and emotional support are beyond your ability to change.
Yet - you can have great impact!!! You can show all the love, care, attention, etc. when you are with them. You can also model it for the parents.
This is where working on building home-school communication can have the best impact. Share notes about all the good things you notice in the child, your concerns and how you are helping and asking for ideas from the parent.
One of the hardest parts of dealing with neglect - powerlessness.
The child, the parents, the teachers - all can feel the effects of this. I have found some success in focusing on empowering those involved. Parents and teachers need to see that they can have positive (and negative) influences on the child. It’s amazing how often the parents feels that they are not really causing harm. They might think they are 'toughening' up their child - most ABSOLUTELY are not intending to cause harm - they are often too wrapped up in themselves.
The child really needs to feel empowered, valued and important.
I'm rambling - so much to say and too many interruptions!
Your topic is a large and general topic. You do a reasonable job discussing several important points. I see your guest made a valiant effort to post. You had too many personal conversations for your refs (look at APA for newspaper format refs) and turned up one short. You needed to participate in the discussions of your peers.
1. Research your topic. 5 refs-2 hard copy 20 points
2. Synthesize 200-400 words 25 points
3. Respond to peers. 15 points
4. Introductory statement from guest. Attend 25 points
You don't have permission to comment on this page.
Comments (20)
jon.weinhold@... said
at 10:22 pm on Mar 29, 2011
This song is open to intrpretation but from what I have taken from it is that is about miscommunication and the depression that results. I felt this is a good choice to show because the performer, Aaron Lewis, had a long history of verbal and physical abuse as a child and he uses alot of his experiences in his songs.
Dan Morrison said
at 9:06 pm on Apr 1, 2011
This song sounds like it was written by the lead singer of Blind Melon, who suffered from major depression from what I have heard. The lyrics and tone of a lot of their songs really conveys this.
David L Zuck said
at 8:41 pm on Apr 7, 2011
"Cause its always raining in my head" is a powerful visual for depression.
Joshua Voller said
at 6:10 pm on Apr 13, 2011
If the English language and terminology for things limits our expressions; what can we do to properly communicate our thoughts?
jon.weinhold@... said
at 6:48 pm on Apr 13, 2011
Many people may feel the need to communicate other than using their voice. I think, as we discussed earlier, that art is a powerful way of expressing or communicating our ideas. Also, by using physical means of expressing ourselves is also a option. The phrase actions speak louder than words fits well here.
Erika Westby said
at 7:16 pm on Apr 13, 2011
During my first year of teaching, I had a female student that had really bad hygiene; she always smelled and had greasy hair, and she always wore the same clothes throughout the school week. When I brought this up to the dean of students and the school's social worker, they told me that it is unfortunate, but she has a less-than-desirable home life and every time they contact social services, her mom 'cleans up her act' long enough to get them off her back.. What should teachers do in these situations?
Genevieve.Bennett@st.bemidjistate.edu said
at 8:02 pm on Apr 13, 2011
These situations are so tough. We only see the tip of the iceberg of so many of these kids.
Dan Morrison said
at 3:29 pm on Apr 15, 2011
Does neglected always mean poor families. And let me turn that around, do poor families tend to have more neglected children? I know of some kids who are in well to do families whose parents care for the kids, but for some reason, the child's hygiene is terrible. I know with one of my daughters, it is a struggle to get her to wash herself and keep herself looking like she doesn't live in a barn. She just gets lazy or says she took a shower and really hasn't. Or has just rune water over herself and didn't use soap.
jon.weinhold@... said
at 6:37 pm on Apr 15, 2011
That is a great question! In actuality neglected kids are from rich communities as well as poor families. Students that come from lower income families are a bit more recognizable based on the criteria Erin mentioned. Kids from richer families sometimes have the run of the mill and are not given the proper supervision, attention or discipline that is needed. As a result kids will try and get that attention at school by any means necessary. Some kids will even act up on purpose just to get that feeling of attention that is missing at home.
Dan Morrison said
at 10:00 pm on Apr 17, 2011
So in the more well to do kids, do you see more misbehavior and risky behavior. I would imagine drug abuse would be more prevalent because the funds are more readily available
Abby Larson said
at 12:14 pm on Apr 16, 2011
What is something we, as future teachers, could do to help neglected students in our classroom to make their school experience better?
Brenda Mattei said
at 12:22 pm on Apr 16, 2011
My worries as a special education teacher is approaching a child's parent, even in a positive manner, who I think may be neglected and not making their home life harder by bringing it to light. This question is for Sarah is, if done in the right way, do you see results when approaching the parents? Do you find that when you talk with parents they have some of the same issues and this is part of the problem, they are repeating their childhood?
Marissa said
at 11:28 pm on Apr 16, 2011
I currently work in a SpEd room that we have to toilet students. Often times we'll see bruises or scratches which are most likely from regular play or day to day activity. What should we do in this situation? Document it? Call home and make them aware?
Richard S. Russell said
at 2:06 am on Apr 17, 2011
Back in 2009, after the death of 11-year-old Kara Neumann in Weston, Wisconsin, from TOTALLY TREATABLE DIABETES, I whipped up an essay on the "kid killer loophole" in Wisconsin state statutes, that lets parents off the hook for child abuse and neglect if they rely exclusively on prayer to “treat”, “heal”, or “cure” one of their children and the child subsequently dies, goes blind, becomes crippled, etc.
Copy of the paper available on request to me at RichardSRussell@tds.net.
Dan Morrison said
at 10:08 pm on Apr 17, 2011
Hi, Richard - I thought you were on the other wiki - really making the rounds, Ay? Good show. Anyway, I remember in high school, our band director's son(who was my age) had cancer and eventually died from it. The director's wife was a Christian Scientists and didn't believe in treatment, only prayer. I remember a lot of stink going around about this, but I do not remember any legal action being taken. That was back in the late 70's. I don't know if there has been any change in the interpretation of laws regarding this type of medical treatment and religious freedom. When I heard the concerns about this, it was more about the stupidity of the situation, but nobody mentioned child neglect. This part of neglect is a really tough area to figure out. We read "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" and the big debate in that book centered around neglect.
Sarah Wippich said
at 9:15 am on Apr 19, 2011
Sorry I'm late to the 'party!' I currently have a student with diabetes whose mother sometimes steps over the line into neglect regarding poor care of her daughter. It continues to be a long road, one I'm working on building - strenghthening relationships with mom so I can be heard. I have found that parents who neglect frequently 'walk the line' between secretly acknowledging their neglect and total denial. Besides reporting (which often does no good) I think building a presense of trust so that our voice can be heard is best.
I've also had a student found dead on the streets in Minneapolis at the age of 11. Neglect? You bet! But even with all the press and agencies involved - no case was made and society was blamed.
Jaime Goulet said
at 3:20 pm on Apr 19, 2011
How do teachers handle neglect? Isn't it a form of abuse? If children are not taken care of and parents are involved, then isn't it time to contact proper services to intervene on behalf of the child? Isn't that something that should be reported?
jon.weinhold@... said
at 10:33 am on Apr 20, 2011
Sarah is having issue with adding her comments she did mention this in reference to your question.
Educational neglect is reportable - excessive absences or tardy attendance - IF they are over 7 and often under the age of 12. Over age 12 and it involves a different reporting agency.
Neglect can very much be abuse but Child Protection is unlikely to get involved unless there are marks on the child.
However, we can't be discouraged from trying to get involved and pay attention. It is really important to document what you notice - trying to keep your notes as clinical as possible. Don't write things like 'it seems' or 'feels' try to be objective. For instance, you can note unwashed body, clothes, homework not completed, sleeping in class, etc.
The most common neglect issues regarding basic love, care, attention, educational and emotional support are beyond your ability to change.
Yet - you can have great impact!!! You can show all the love, care, attention, etc. when you are with them. You can also model it for the parents.
This is where working on building home-school communication can have the best impact. Share notes about all the good things you notice in the child, your concerns and how you are helping and asking for ideas from the parent.
One of the hardest parts of dealing with neglect - powerlessness.
The child, the parents, the teachers - all can feel the effects of this. I have found some success in focusing on empowering those involved. Parents and teachers need to see that they can have positive (and negative) influences on the child. It’s amazing how often the parents feels that they are not really causing harm. They might think they are 'toughening' up their child - most ABSOLUTELY are not intending to cause harm - they are often too wrapped up in themselves.
The child really needs to feel empowered, valued and important.
I'm rambling - so much to say and too many interruptions!
Sarah Wippich said
at 10:42 am on Apr 20, 2011
testing
Barbara Bridges said
at 7:06 pm on Apr 28, 2011
Your topic is a large and general topic. You do a reasonable job discussing several important points. I see your guest made a valiant effort to post. You had too many personal conversations for your refs (look at APA for newspaper format refs) and turned up one short. You needed to participate in the discussions of your peers.
1. Research your topic. 5 refs-2 hard copy 20 points
2. Synthesize 200-400 words 25 points
3. Respond to peers. 15 points
4. Introductory statement from guest. Attend 25 points
You don't have permission to comment on this page.