Question

Carefully read the following case study!!!

Mary is a single parent with three children: Sam, 6, John, 4, and Susan, 2. She works a ten-hour shift in a
factory that has had recent layoffs and there are rumors of more layoffs soon. The two younger children
are in day care and Sam is in the first grade. Sam is responsible for feeding and dressing the younger
children in the morning. This particular morning Mary is running late and upon coming into the kitchen
she sees Susan dropping cereal on the floor and Sam and John fighting over whether John will eat. A
bowl of cereal crashes to the floor and Mary grabs Sam, yells at him and slaps him across the face
several times. When Sam arrives at school, the teacher notices red marks and notes that this is the third
time she has seen slap-like marks in the last two months. Sam relays the story and “confirms” that mom
slapped him.

Using the above scenario, answer the following questions:

1. What type of abuse/neglect this might be?

2. What are the effects of this situation? How do each of the characters feel?

a. Sam (his feelings about the situation)

b. Mary (her feelings about the situation, the teacher, and a possible report)

c. Teacher (the teacher’s feelings about the situation, Sam, Mary and a possible report)3. List the indicators and risk factors that you see in this case.

4. Thinking through some of the disclosure dos and don’ts in the reading materials, list some appropriate questions that you would utilize to talk with Sam.

5. If you were in this situation, what actions would you take?

Answer 1

The case study involves physical abuse of a child by an overwhelmed single parent. Each character would feel a range of emotions from fear to stress to concern, and the teacher has a duty to report such incidents. Proper disclosure handling and reporting to the authorities are essential steps.

Step-by-step explanation:

The case study describes a situation where Mary, a single parent, is overwhelmed and physically abuses her son, Sam. Physical abuse is apparent here, as Sam arrives at school with slap marks on his face that the teacher notices. The effects on each character would likely be substantial. Sam may feel terrified and distrustful, especially since the violence has been ongoing. Mary, the mother, could be feeling immense stress and fear about the repercussions of her actions, considering the teacher might report her. The teacher is likely feeling concerned for Sam's well-being and conflicted about the need to report the abuse to authorities. In terms of indicators and risk factors, the family's situation with financial stress, uncertainty about job security, and a single parent juggling work with child care responsibilities are significant. Some appropriate questions to engage with Sam about the situation might include asking how he feels about what happened, whether this has occurred before, and if he feels safe at home.

Thinking through the handling of this disclosure, one would need to be sensitive, ensuring that Sam feels supported and listened to. It's crucial to ask open-ended questions, avoiding leading or suggestive questions that might influence his responses. Lastly, if faced with this situation, one should follow the appropriate local regulations and procedures, which usually involve reporting the incident to child protective services (CPS) or the appropriate authority to ensure the safety of the child. It is also necessary to provide support to the child and connect them with the necessary resources for help and guidance.

Answer 2

I don't know what this answer could be