Child Abuse, Neglect, and Sex Trafficking
Child Abuse and Neglect
Wisconsin law requires all employees of Wisconsin public school districts to report suspected child abuse and neglect/child maltreatment (mandated reporting), Wis. Stat. sec. 48.981(2)(a)16m. There are several different forms of child maltreatment:
- Physical abuse: non-accidental physical injury inflicted on a child
- Emotional damage: harm to a child's psychological or intellectual functioning for which the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian has neglected, refused, or been unable to for reasons other than poverty to obtain necessary treatment or take steps to ameliorate the symptoms
- Sexual Abuse: inappropriate sexual behavior with a child; sex trafficking and sexual exploitation (see below)
- Methamphetamine manufacture in a child's home, on the premises of a child's home, in a motor vehicle on the premises of a child's home, or where a reasonable person should have known that the manufacture would be seen, smelled, or heard by a child is considered child abuse
- Neglect: failure, refusal or inability on the part of a caregiver, for reasons other than poverty, to provide necessary care, food, clothing, medical or dental care or shelter so as to seriously endanger the physical health of the child. 'Seriously endanger' includes potential as well as actual harm to the child
If you suspect child abuse/neglect please call 261-KIDS. The following resources can assist you with making a report to Child Protective Services (CPS).
MMSD Resources:
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Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Phone Numbers and Procedures 2019-2020
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Child abuse/neglect data collection Google form: mmsd.org/mandatedreporting (ALL STAFF fill out everytime after making a report to CPS)
- Reporting Child Abuse or Neglect MMSD Board Policy 4222
Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Resources:
- DPI Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Resources (All new district employees within six months of initial hiring and at least every 5 years thereafter need to take this training, Wis. Stat. sec. 118.07(5).)
Sex Trafficking
Sex trafficking and sexual exploitation are both forms of child abuse, even if the perpetrator is unrelated to the child.
- Sex Trafficking of a child involves another person benefiting from forcing, defrauding, or coercing a child into a commercial sex act with another person Wis. Stat. s.948.051.
- Sexual Exploitation of a child involves forcing, defrauding, or coercing a child to engage in a sexually explicit way for the purposes of recording, displaying, and/or distributing the recording Wis. Stat. s. 948.05
If you suspect that a student is being groomed for or involved in sex trafficking of child follow the steps outlined in the MMSD Human Trafficking Response and Indicator Guide.