51²č¹Żapp College strives to protect the welfare of children who are on campus or who are participating in an off-campus program sponsored by the College. For more information please see: Policy for the Protection of Minors (pdf)
In compliance with , the College will report all suspected child abuse and neglect involving minors, including sexual assault, to law enforcement and Campus Safety. College employees who, in the scope of their employment responsibilities, examine, attend, counsel, or treat a child must report physical or sexual child abuse to law enforcement and Campus Safety when they see, know about, or reasonably suspect the physical or sexual abuse of a child. This includes most College employees, including, but not limited to, faculty, coaches, student employees, administrators and staff. If an employee is not sure whether they are required to report, they are encouraged to err on the side of caution and report.
The College must act immediately in response to suspected sexual or physical abuse of a minor. It is not the responsibility of any employee, student, or volunteer to investigate suspected child abuse. This is the role of child protective services and law enforcement authorities. The source of abuse does not need to be known in order to file a report.
A report must be made as follows:
- In the event of an emergency, first call the police at 911.
- Suspected abuse must be reported within twenty-four (24) hours to both:
- 51²č¹Żapp Police Department Dispatch Center: 641-623-5679 and
- 51²č¹Żapp College Campus Safety: 641-269-4600
- Additionally, you may choose to report to:
- Iowa Department of Human Services: 800-362-2178
When reporting suspected child abuse, the community member will need to provide the following information to the best of their knowledge:
- Name of the alleged victim(s)
- Name of the alleged perpetrator(s)
- Time and date of the incident(s) being reported
- Location where the incident(s) occurred; and
- Any additional information supporting the suspicion that misconduct has occurred.
The College will attempt to protect the identity of any employee who makes a good faith report of suspected physical or sexual abuse of a child. If an employee or faculty member feels that they are being retaliated against for making a good faith report of suspected physical or sexual abuse of a minor or because they have aided and assisted in the assessment of a child abuse report, they must report this immediately to the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources.
The following video, , was produced by United Educators and explains the warnings signs of child abuse.