Mandated reporter

In many parts of the world, mandated reporters are people who have regular contact with vulnerable people and are therefore legally required to ensure a report is made when abuse is observed or suspected. Specific details vary across jurisdictions—the abuse that must be reported may include neglect, or financial, physical, sexual, or other types of abuse. Mandated reporters may include paid or unpaid people who have assumed full or intermittent responsibility for the care of a child, dependent adult, or elder.

Vulnerable groups

Following are links for more information:

Children

• Mandatory reporting in the United States
• Mandatory reporting around the world

Disabled persons

• Disability abuse (reporting issues discussed)

Senior citizens/elderly

• Elder abuse (reporting issues discussed)

Criticism

Law and policy (over the past several decades) concerning the detection and reporting of, and the responses to, abuse and neglect is theoretically and practically complex, and exists alongside political, economic, social and cultural forces in each society. Mandatory child abuse reporting laws differ in significant ways, both within and between nations, with the differences tending to broaden or narrow the scope of cases required to be reported, and by whom. Laws, media, lobbying and research have brought about a gradual change in societal expectations on reporting in the United States and, at different rates, in other western nations. Originally created to respond to physical abuse, reporting systems in various countries began to expand to address sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic abuse. This expansion was accompanied by broader requirements for reporting abuse: previously reports were only submitted when an incident caused serious physical injury, but as the definitions changed, more minor physical injuries and developmental and psychological trauma began to be included as well.

Media coverage

There has been a huge increase of reporting over the decades with enormous numbers of unsubstantiated cases. Referrals increase each year, but the actual substantiated cases remain low and are approximately the same or decline each year.

Media and commentators often take the number of referrals to be synonymous with the number of cases of actual child maltreatment, which makes the problem appear larger than it actually is.

See also

• Child protection
• Child abuse