Mandated Reporting

Reporting suspected child abuse is difficult. There are always nagging doubts about how the parents will react, what the outcome will be, and whether the report will put the child at greater risk.

The best way to minimize the difficulty of reporting is to be fully prepared for the experience and to understand the reporting requirements and the process that is triggered by making a report.

Children’s Services only investigates allegations of child abuse or neglect perpetrated or allowed by the child’s parent, caretaker or guardian. Allegations involving other perpetrators are referred to law enforcement.

If you are a mandated reporter, you are required to report if you suspect abuse.

What is the standard for reporting child abuse? “Reasonable suspicion” is the standard for reporting child abuse and neglect. This means that, based on your training and experience, you have reason to suspect that a child is being abused or neglected. Ask yourself, “Do I have serious concern for the child’s safety and wellbeing?” Use the following information as a guideline for recognizing indicators of abuse and neglect:

Physical Abuse: Any act that results in non-accidental injury.

• INDICATORS: Abrasions, bruises, fractures, lacerations, bites, burns, head Injuries

Neglect: Neglectful treatment or maltreatment of a child by parents or caregiver under circumstances indicating harm or threatening harm to the child’s health or welfare.

Severe Neglect: Failure of parent or caregiver to protect a child from severe malnutrition or a medically diagnosed failure to thrive. Failure to provide adequate food, clothing or medical care.

• INDICATORS: Child appears malnourished, child often dirty or inadequately dressed for weather, home conditions are unsafe or unsanitary, child is often sleepy or hungry, evidence of poor supervision, lacking medical and dental care.

Sexual Abuse: Any activity between an adult, or older child, and a child that results in sexual arousal or satisfaction of the adult or older child.

• INDICATORS: Age inappropriate sexual behavior, disclosure, eating disorders, injury/trauma unusual for age, sexually transmitted disease, stained/soiled/bloody underclothing, compulsive masturbation, drastic behavior changes, enuresis/encopresis, pregnancy, sleeping disorders

Emotional Abuse: Emotional maltreatment consists of emotional abuse and deprivation or neglect.

• INDICATORS: Belittling, constant family discord, deprivation, excessive verbal assaults, parent/caregiver does not offer experiences providing feelings of being loved, wanted, secure, and worthy, screaming, unpredictability, blaming, constant negative moods, double message communication, inconsistency, sarcasm, threats