Nile Sisters Hosts Mandated Reporter Workshops
Because parenting strategies differ across cultures, child abuse can be difficult to measure. Individuals may parent well, but in different ways as influenced by their culture. It is important to acknowledge differing cultural values and motives among refugee and immigrant populations, who often experience overwhelming need for support to reduce parental stress, increase family-member assistance, and provide access to culturally sensitive education regarding child abuse regulations in California.
Refugee and immigrant parents face many risk factors that can lead to Child Protective Services intervention. Factors include migration and acculturation stressors and socio-economic and cultural barriers. Upon resettlement, children often learn the new language and assimilate faster than their parents. A common source of tension between resettled parents and offspring is the differing value of privacy that emerges after children become more quickly immersed in American culture.
Nationally, April is recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. During the month of April 2017, NSDI (Nile Sisters Development Initiative) hosted two workshops with child-care-provider trainees and CNA (certified nursing assistant) trainees. As mandated reporters, these individuals will be required by law to report suspicions of child abuse. Shlyn Guarian, a community outreach liaison from Child Welfare Services, led the two workshops. Mrs. Guarian informed more than 40 participants of the services offered by her department, the mandated reporting laws, and the forms required for reporting child abuse. Law enforcement officer Homayoun Nabizadeh also informed the workshop participants about the resources and support that law enforcement is able to provide to community members.
Overall, the workshop goals were to analyze the possible risk factors for child abuse among the refugee population in San Diego, to educate participants about child abuse law, and to introduce the participants to the importance of and guidelines for mandated reporting.
The audience also benefitted from a discussion of changes to the California car seat law, recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The amendment requires all children under the age of two traveling in a motor vehicle to be positioned in a rear-facing car seat.
