Continuum of Guidance: OK or Not OK?

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WWW.VIRTUALLABSCHOOL.ORG

ACTIVITY ID: 14606

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In a previous course, you learned about institutional abuse. You learned that abuse and neglect can occur in your program. For some people, it can be difficult to distinguish between practices that simply violate your program’s guidance policy and practices that could be abusive. In this activity, you will practice distinguishing between the two. Read each scenario and mark where you think it falls on the continuum. Discuss your answers and any questions on this activity with your trainer, coach, or administrator.

Scenarios	Acceptable Guidance	Violates Guidance and Touch Policy	Potential Abuse and Neglect
Donald throws away a child’s food as punishment for spilling food on the floor.		✔	If you see a pattern, this could be neglect.
Suki tells a toddler that his mom won’t come pick him up unless he’s good.		✔	Threatening a child is potentially abusive.
Charlize spanks a child with her hand when he won’t stop crying.		✔	✔ Corporal punishment is never ok.
A toddler walks away from group time. Marshall decides to end group time and begin free play a little bit early.	✔
Sarah tries to bite Trish. The caregiver steps in, separates the children, and says “Biting hurts. You can bite a teether.” She gives Sarah a teether and comforts Trish.	✔
Felicity tells a child he should be ashamed of himself for wetting his pants.		✔	If you see a pattern of behavior, this could be emotional abuse.
Dwanda shakes a baby to get him to stop crying.			✔ A baby should never be shaken.
Jaime got in trouble this morning. His teacher keeps him inside and makes him sit on a chair while other children play outside.		✔