The Child Care Act, 1991 which was fully implemented in December 1996 and the UN convention on the Rights of the Child 1992, enshrine in law the paramount principal of the welfare of children.

The school will endeavour to protect pupils from abuse or risk of abuse. The best interests of the child must at all times be the paramount consideration. All members of staff are expected to be vigilant and report concerns immediately to the Principal, Deputy Principal or Guidance Counsellor (DLP or DDLP).

When child abuse is suspected, it is essential to have a record of all the information available. Staff should note down carefully what they have observed and when they observed it. Any comment by the child concerned, or by any other person who might be the abuser, should be written down as soon as possible, preferable quoting the words actually used with times and dates noted. (Do not ask investigate; report only. Do not ask leading questions. Keep questions general; e.g. “When did it happen? Where did it happen? Who was there? What happened?”)

If a decision is made to report a case of suspected abuse, the Principal, Deputy Principal and /or Guidance Counsellor shall make personal contact with the Welfare Officer (details where etc.). In the event of an emergency, or the non-availability of Health Board staff, the report will be made to An Garda Siochana.

Where an allegation is made against a teacher or other member of staff, it is the responsibility of the School Principal to ensure that any complaint is thoroughly investigated, (protecting the rights of both the child and the employee.) Where the complaint is against the Principal the BOM had this responsibility.

The student’s parents will be informed by the Principal, Deputy Principal or Guidance Counsellor if a report is to be made to the Welfare Officer, unless doing so is likely to endanger the student.

Confidentiality can become an issue when dealing with children experiencing difficulties or who may be suffering abuse. The degree of confidentiality should be governed by the need to protect the child. It should be made clear to a child that it may not be possible to maintain confidentiality, if this would prejudice her welfare.

Recognising Abuse

Abuse may take a number of forms including:

1. Neglect
2. Physical Injury
3. Emotional Abuse
4. Sexual abuse

The following would merit further investigation:

1. A student reports the abuse
2. Another person may report seeing a student being abused
3. Obvious evidence of physical injuries inconsistent with an accident
4. A student showing signs of being emotionally distressed

Staff must at all times behave in an appropriate manner when dealing with students. Corporal punishment must never be used. Physical contact should be avoided. It is unwise to touch a child even in jest. When dealing with a child on a one-to-one basis, it is safer to leave the door open, or to conduct the interview in a general purpose area where witnesses can observe what is going on.