With big smiles on their faces, and brains untouched by negativity and corruption, children are that part of the population that beautifies the whole world. Children make up for that one beautiful and carefree section of the society that we all should be thankful for, for making this world a better place to live in. Moreover, in a society, children have great power over a society’s future. In other words, one can say, children are the assets of our society. Here, let’s know about the Police Child Protection Officer Job.
As valuable they are, they are equally delicate. They are open to love and care, and on the other side of the coin, to abuse. Protection of such a valuable section of our population is very important for each society.
WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE?
No matter how much we deny it, we cannot change the reality. Among the harsh and most evil realities is the reality of “child abuse”. Every individual has a different view about what exactly child abuse is, so does each state. However, in most states, any nonaccidental physical injury to a child is considered to be physical abuse. In addition, any psychological or emotional injury to the child that may have resulted in the child having depression, anxiety, or aggressive behavior is said to be emotional abuse. Moreover, each state’s laws shall always meet the standards set by the federal government defined by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, or in short CAPTA.
According to an official website, in the united states alone, an average of four to seven children becomes the victim of child abuse and neglect. In fact, the United States holds the worst record of child abuse among all the industrialized nations. And to add to this misery, the pandemic isn’t going any easier on children and this data.
CHILD PROTECTION UNIT
With such abuse, one needs a protection unit working only for the children. Even though the protection of children is the “moral duty” of all the citizens and members of a country and society, the institutions have come up with special “child protection services” solely working for the welfare of the children.
Such child protection systems, according to the UNICEF, help the children in accessing “vital social services and fair justice systems”.
The child protection services, or in short, the CPS, in the United States is a branch responsible for the “assessment, investigation and intervention regarding cases of child abuse, neglect, including sexual abuse”. The government agency can be found in every state within the “social services department”.
Anybody can inform the child protection unit if they find some suspicious activities towards children around them. The United States child care agency is provided with its own helpline number that is active 24 hours all around the week and an official website that works for every state.
CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER
A child protection officer is a well-trained serviceman who solely works for managing child protection in their respective regions, usually among different districts.
JOB DESCRIPTION OF A CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER
Anybody with suitable academic qualifications and an additional degree in social work can apply to be a child protection officer.
A very brief job description of an officer under the child protection unit can be that they are required to report to their superiors, and to the child protection section or any child protection specialist for supervision. The officer is expected to provide professional assistance in terms of technical, operational, and administrative concerns.
The officer works along with the child protection unit that works for the safeguarding of children from any kind of violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Time and again, the officer, along with the help of social services and their unit work in raising awareness about the supporting of families that can consequently reduce the social exclusion of children and lower the risk of separation, violence, and exploitation towards children.
In addition, they are to promote the well-being of a child and protect them from any kind of harm or abuse. The duties of the officers vary from place to place, however, some common day-to-day duties and responsibilities are mentioned below.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES OF A CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER
- Communication skills
It is well known, children are not easy to communicate with. Hence, it is very important for a child protection officer to have the ability to effectively meet the psychological level of a child and communicate with them.
The process becomes even more challenging when the child is alarmed, or going through the side effects of trauma. Thus, it becomes the duty of an officer to calm the child and talk to them about the events, to soothe them, or to get information from them.
- Consistent reporting
Since any sort of unhappy event in association with a child is not a simple matter, it is essential for an officer to consistently report to their seniors.
When caught up with various events at hand, it becomes challenging for an officer to report simultaneously. However, if not through official documents, an officer is at least required to verbally inform the superiors about the ongoing events or investigations.
- Supervising over the team of the social workers
Along with a government agency, a team of social workers of a specific social institution may also be working for the protection of children.
With that being said, it is also a duty of a government officer to supervise these social workers. In serious cases, they can ask for the cooperation of the social workers and even conduct management meetings with the workers. In addition, they can ask for their advice and recommendations and work towards a better environment.
- The ability to make decisions
As mentioned earlier, during a lot of happenings, it becomes difficult for an office to report to their superiors, and at the same time to wait for their decisions or ask for their advice. At times like these, an officer shall be able to make decisions, for the betterment of the victim.
In such cases, the ability of the officer to make fast decisions, without being too rash and managing to stay collected can be proved useful. Or the consequences are to be paid by the victim as well as the officer.
- Promoting child protection training and awareness
One of the duties of a child protection office is to raise awareness about the unit. It is important for the officer to be able to conduct consistent meetings, programs and to raise awareness about child protection in their local neighborhood.
The officer shall also advise the public or neighbors on how they can be more helpful and play an active role in protecting children.
- Being vigilant about suspicious actions and reports
One of the main duties and responsibilities of a child protection officer is to remain vigilant. It is very likely that a crime against a child can be happening right under the nose of an officer. Hence, they shall always be aware of the surroundings and keep in check all the reports reported to them.
- Planning and arranging for supports
One of the unsaid duties of an officer is to have an arrangement and plans in regards to the help and support to cater to the basic needs of the victim. The officer shall have at least one or two sources through which the victim can be helped. These they manage by maintaining contacts with different people following different professions such as lawyers, or different social institutions or NGOs.
SALARY OF A CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER
One can be pursuing such a profession out of their love towards children, while others, maybe less in number but still existing, might be pursuing this profession to make a livelihood. And to make a livelihood, salaries are essential.
For somebody working as a child protection officer in the United States, an average annual salary is approximately $48,415. That means, on average, a child protection officer receives a good amount of at least $4,034 on a monthly basis.
In addition, with high ranks and works, the top earner among the officers working for child protection may receive an annual salary of $83,000, making it a monthly payment of $6,916.
However, these salaries may differ by a small range in different regions.
CONCLUSION:
To sum up, the duties and jobs of a police child protection officer range from working for the welfare of the children by protecting them and providing security and support to them, to spreading awareness across the neighborhood about the ills of child abuse and the work of the child protection unit. This can help the officers in seeking help and advice from the local members of the society whenever needed.
However, based on the data presented above, we believe the work towards the welfare of the children and their protection should not be limited to the officers alone. The officers and children do not make up the whole of society. Hence, help and awareness from the other members of the society can be proved to be very helpful in improving the state of children and saving them from future abuses while securing the future of the country.
