Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect : Where to Report, How to Report

by Child Welfare Information Gateway

(Page 2 of 4)

Where to Report

Every school should have identified, current, and accessible contact information for the appropriate agency for reporting suspected child maltreatment. State law specifies the agency that will receive reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. Usually this agency is a State's department of social services, human resources, family and children's services, CPS, or department of children and youth services. Other agencies mandated to receive reports may include law enforcement, the health department, the county or district attorney's office, and the juvenile or district court.

The local department of social services or other receiving agency may maintain a special child abuse and neglect unit, usually CPS. If there is no special unit, the local department itself will have CPS responsibility. The CPS unit receives and investigates all reports of suspected child maltreatment (that meet the State's statutory definitions) and may be involved in treatment and rehabilitation of affected families, by either performing such services or referring families to other agencies.

It is important to understand who receives reports of suspected child abuse and neglect in a particular jurisdiction. Requirements of confidentiality should be observed so that reports are made only to authorized persons. The State reporting statute will provide this information. An attorney should be consulted if questions arise.

How to Report

Educators should follow local school system policies and procedures for reporting suspected abuse. These build upon State statutes, which vary regarding the form and content of reports of suspected maltreatment. All States require that an oral or written report (or both) be made to the agency or agencies responsible for child abuse and neglect. When two reports are required, the oral report is usually required immediately, with the written report often following within 24 to 48 hours.

Some State statutes will specify the type of information to submit in a report of suspected child maltreatment. Usually this includes:

• Child's name, age, gender, and address;
• Parent's name and address;
• Nature and extent of the injury or condition observed;
• Prior injuries and when observed;
• Actions taken by the reporter (e.g., talking with the child);
• Where the act occurred;
• Reporter's name, location, and contact information (sometimes not required, but extremely valuable to CPS staff).

In some States, additional information is required. This may include any previous injury observed by the reporter to the child or to a sibling; any information that would aid in establishing the cause of the injury; information that would aid in identifying the person responsible for the injury; if a previous report has been made to CPS; and other information about the child and family that will help CPS in their assessment of the risk of maltreatment to the child.

To assist citizens making oral reports of suspected child abuse and neglect, some States maintain a tollfree, 24-hour telephone hotline just for receiving reports of suspected maltreatment. Anyone may use hotlines to report an incident of suspected child abuse and neglect anywhere in their State.

To facilitate written reports, most States and some local school districts provide a reporting form. Schools should keep a supply of these forms for more efficient reporting. An educator would not be excused for failing to report a suspected case of maltreatment because a reporting form was unavailable. The reporter may submit a report using any form, so long as the required information is provided.

Local Policies and Procedures Regarding Reporting

Since the early 1980s, school systems and local boards of education across the country have enacted school policies and procedures on child abuse and neglect. The policies and procedures support State reporting laws and often provide internal mechanisms to follow when a case is reported.

Developing Local Policies and Procedures

Enacting local policies is a good first step for a school system beginning a child abuse and neglect prevention program. As an example of one effort, several years ago the Children's Trust Fund of Massachusetts offered to review reporting protocols for any Massachusetts school that wished to improve them. The Children's Trust Fund published a guide, Designing and Implementing a School Reporting Protocol: A How-to Manual for Massachusetts Educators, to help schools develop effective protocols and consider the development of a Child Protection Team. A protocol clearly delineates duties and responsibilities for all staff. Equally important, it provides administrative backup for educators who do most of the reporting.

Educators are encouraged to learn whether their school system has a board policy or an administrative procedure for reporting suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. If no such policy or procedure exists, one should be developed.

There are several important questions to consider when designing a school protocol, such as:

1. Does the protocol reference the State law that requires educators who have "reasonable cause to believe" that a child is being abused or neglected to report such suspicion to the local CPS?

2. Who within the school does the educator notify if they have suspicions? Who does the classroom teacher notify? A nurse? The principal? A school social worker?

3. What specific information does the reporter need to know in order to report?

4. What other school personnel should be involved?

5. Who makes the report to CPS? How? Who is responsible for monitoring or receiving feedback from CPS once the report is filed?

6. What information should be included in the report? (This is dictated by State law and CPS policy.)

7. Does the protocol indicate that all reports must be kept confidential and in a separate file from the students' regular school file?

8. What follow-up is expected on reported cases?

9. Does the protocol state that all school staff will receive notification of the protocol?

10. What role will the school play in possible community or Child Protection Teams?

11. What commitment does the school have to inservice training or community programs?

Policies should be reviewed periodically with school staff (possibly during inservice training) so that everyone is reminded of the local school protocol, system procedures and policies, and State statutes.

Making the Report

Once an educator suspects that a child is being maltreated, he or she must waste no time in reporting. Making such a report sometimes feels risky and confusing to educators. The following checklist can be used to prepare information for a report:

1. Does the educator know the procedure outlined in the reporting policy of the school? Does he or she have the necessary information required for a report? Does the school have the necessary report forms?

2. Has the information been documented? Has it been written down to help organize it in the educator's mind?

3. Has the information been analyzed? The educator should consider what causes him or her to suspect abuse or neglect in this particular case. The educator should list the symptoms - physical and behavioral.

4. Has the reporter witnessed any parent-child interaction that may suggest possible abuse, such as belittling or threatening comments? Does the parent see the child as worthwhile, different from "normal" children, or hard to handle?

5. Has the educator spoken with other professionals within the school? Do they have reason to suspect abuse or neglect? Why?

6. Does the educator (or school) have the exact and current contact information of the agency where the reports should be made?

If the educator cannot answer all these questions affirmatively, he or she still needs to report immediately. However, organizing one's thoughts will help in simplifying the process. Additionally, there are some other questions the reporter may want to ask himself or herself in preparation for this process:

1. Has the educator talked with his or her administrator about the support available once the report is made? Has the educator considered what will happen if the parents try to remove the child from the class?

2. Has the educator set up a support system for him- or herself with other educators, professionals, or friends?

Teamwork within a school cannot be overemphasized. For example, a classroom teacher concerned about bruises on a student might consult the school nurse. If a staff member notices unexplained behavior, a referral to the school social worker or psychologist might be in order. While it is important to respect a child's right to confidentiality, such a referral may be made in a confidential manner. The effectiveness of teamwork is another reason why many schools are adopting the Child Protection Team approach. Child protection team members play a variety of roles within the school, and they may shed light on the child's situation from a perspective that was not known or obvious to the reporter.

About the Author

www.childwelfare.gov
Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.