Students may come home from school with unexplained injuries. Sometimes a bruise is not suspicious—children fall, bump into things, and have accidents on the playground.

Sometimes, a bruise or injury is a sign of something more—seclusion, restraint or abuse. How can you respond to unexplained injuries?

Ask your student about the injury

Document the injury

  • Take pictures
  • Draw an outline of a human body on a piece of paper and indicate where the injury is located
  • Describe the size, shape, color or other characteristics

Meet with your student’s teacher

  • Talk about the class’s activities that day. Could your student have been injured during recess or Physical Education? Did the student bump into furniture?
  • Talk about your student’s relationship with others in the classroom. Could another student have caused the injury?
  • Ask if the teacher noticed the bruise or cut on your student. Did the teacher document the injury? Did the teacher tell anyone about the injury? What does the teacher think caused the injury?
  • Ask if other teachers or school staff mentioned the injury to the teacher. What information did they share?
  • Ask for a copy of any incident reports or notes the teacher made about the injury.

Follow the school student/parent grievance procedure

Every school system has a grievance procedure. Your student’s school handbook should explain the procedure. You can also find it on your school system’s website or by asking the school principal.

In general, the process is to:

  • Contact the principal to discuss your concerns.
  • If you are not satisfied with the principal’s response, you can contact the superintendent of the school system.
  • If you are not satisfied with the superintendent’s response, you can contact the board of education.

Ask for a formal investigation of the injury

Be strategic in requesting a formal investigation! Carefully consider the information you have learned about your student’s injury. Consider whether an investigation might uncover new or different information. If not, it may not help to request an investigation into this particular situation.

  • If you suspect that a student or staff member caused the injury, ask the school principal to investigate the matter.
  • If you suspect that a special education staff member caused the injury, ask the school system’s Exceptional Children Program director to investigate the matter.
  • If you suspect that the injury is a result of the use of seclusion or restraint, ask the school system’s Exceptional Children Program director to investigate the matter.
  • The school system should share the findings of the investigation with you. But, you do not have the right to know if the school took personnel action against a staff member (i.e. whether a staff member was disciplined). But, you do not have the right to know if another student was disciplined as a result of the investigation.

View sample letter for requesting an investigation

Use the IEP or 504 Plan process to advocate for your student’s safety

IEP Dispute Resolution

Is the cause of the injury still unknown?

  • Incorporate close adult supervision into the IEP or 504 Plan.
  • Incorporate daily checks for injury into the IEP or 504 Plan. Make this part of your daily routine at home, too.

Was your student injured by another student?

  • Ask your school system’s bullying coordinator to attend the meeting.
  • Incorporate close adult supervision into the IEP or 504 Plan.
  • Incorporate social skills or self-advocacy training into the IEP or 504 Plan.

Was your student injured by a piece of equipment or Assistive Technology?

  • Ask your school’s physical therapist or occupational therapist to attend the meeting.
  • Incorporate periodic equipment checks and adjustments by a therapist into the IEP or 504 Plan.

Was your student injured during seclusion or restraint?

  • Improve your student’s Behavior Intervention Plan by adding more strategies and Positive Behavior Supports.
  • Incorporate related services, such as counseling, into the IEP.
  • Incorporate social skills training into the IEP.
  • Ask that all staff members involved with your student become certified in a de-escalation and restraint curriculum.
  • Ask that all staff members involved with your student learn about the student’s BIP.