Mandatory Reporting: What You Should Know

Every year, there are over 3.6 million reports of child abuse, and on average, five children a day die from abuse. Abuse is a serious issue that must be reported as soon as you learn about it. It is a mandatory reporter’s job to look out for these individuals, and if you suspect someone is being abused, you must take the necessary steps to ensure their safety.

What’s a Mandatory Reporter?

Mandatory reporters are designated professionals that tend to have frequent contact with children. The more common professions that are usually mandatory reporters are social workers, teachers, physicians, therapists, and law enforcement officers. Mandatory reporters must report when they suspect or have reason to suspect a child has been abused. They are required to include why they suspect, but they do not need to provide proof.

Five Categories for Abuse Physical

Physical abuse is reckless physical contact with another person or rough handling of a person who needs assistance. Some examples are grabbing, shoving, dragging, choking, pinching, biting, and kicking.

Signs of physical abuse include (but are not limited to) bruising, welts, broken bones, burns, developmental delays, depression, anxiety, thinning hair or balding, and violence towards others.

Mental & Verbal

This is the use of verbal, nonverbal expressions, or other actions that subject individuals to ridicule, contempt, scorn, harassment, dehumanization, wrongful manipulation, and threatened punishment.

Some signs of verbal abuse are significant weight loss or gain not attributed to other causes, depression, cowering in the presence of an abuser, excessively teasing others, being easily frustrated, and being overly quiet or withdrawn.

In children, signs of mental abuse can manifest differently between boys and girls. Boys will tend to have more aggressive behavior, lie, throw temper tantrums, and display destructive and impulsive behaviors. Girls are more likely to be passive, approval-seeking, clingy with adults, stubborn, and complain frequently of illnesses. This does not mean boys will not exhibit the signs a girl typically would and vice versa.

Sexual

Sexual abuse is any act that involves molestation or exploitation of a child by a parent, caregiver, or any household family member. Some examples are incest, rape, sodomy, or any sexual offense in any degree. Oftentimes, a victim will not say outright that they were sexually abused for fear of retribution.

Some behaviors you may see in sexually abused children or adolescents include sudden changes in eating habits; trouble swallowing; developing new or unusual fears of certain people or places; refusing to talk about a secret shared with an adult or older child; thinking of themselves or their body as repulsive, dirty, or bad; and exhibiting adult-like sexual behaviors, language, and knowledge.

Neglect

There are two types of neglect: active and passive. Active neglect is when a caregiver intentionally withholds care or necessities from an individual such as leaving a child unattended.

Passive neglect is when a caregiver is unable to give care or fulfill responsibilities. This is usually caused by caregiver overload or lack of proper information. Either type of neglect can result in harm to a child’s welfare. Many of these situations can be easily avoided by a caregiver taking the time to give proper attention to a child.

Some signs of neglect are constant hunger; difficulty concentrating; difficulty learning; frequent absences from school; rotting teeth; body odor; and stealing, hoarding, or rummaging for food.

Exploitation

Financial and material exploitation is the illegal or improper use of an individual’s funds, properties, or assets for one’s own benefit or gain. This includes coercing or manipulating an individual to spend personal money on things that don’t benefit them. Essentially, exploitation is an abuse of power.

Some examples of this are cashing an individual’s check without permission; forging a signature; stealing money or possessions; or deceiving a person into signing legal documents.

Reporting

Any evidence showing that physical abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse has occurred that can’t be disproven should be treated as abuse. As soon as it’s suspected, a mandatory reporter must notify the local law enforcement and a report must be made to Child Protective Services (CPS). You do not have to be a mandatory reporter to file a report.

It’s important to note that an individual may exhibit some of these signs and not be a victim of abuse. However, it’s imperative to recognize the signs in conjunction with other factors. You do not need proof before reporting, as waiting for proof may subject the individual to further risk and may delay needed services.

It is an unfortunate reality that over 1,500 children die each year from abuse. If you suspect child abuse, report it.