Family Resource Council
 Resource and Referral for






families
Parenting, Foster & Adoptive
Parents Education
S.O. S.
Re-Direct
Child Abuse & Neglect
Prevention Council (Family
Wellness Council)
Mandated Reporter Training
Coordinate trainings & events
for community & professionals
California Mandated Reporter
General Training
FUNDED BY MERCED COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY
PREPARED BY MERCED COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION – FAMILY
RESOURCE COUNCIL
THE CHADWICK CENTER AT RADY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL SAN DIEGO
MERCED COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY
Agenda/ Objectives
 Pre-Test
 How the law defines child
 Objectives

 Post-Test

 Evaluation/ Certificates



abuse and neglect
What is required of you as a
mandated reporter
What protections the law
provides for you as a mandated
reporter
How to spot signs of child
abuse
How to report child abuse
What happens after a report is
filed
Pre-test
GAGE YOUR CURRENT KNOWLEDGE
TRIVIA
Where are the codes for
child abuse and neglect located?
A. Education Codes
B. Penal Codes
C. Welfare & Institution Codes
Caution
 The following presentation contains graphic
photos of general neglect, severe neglect,
physical abuse, substance abuse, and failure
to thrive incidents.
 This training may anger you.
 This training is not making a moral
statement- we are covering the law.
Introduction
Child Maltreatment 2010*
 Numbers
are for Merced County
 Approximately 4,461 reports of suspected abuse
or neglect
 17% were substantiated, meaning approximately
763 children were found to be victims of child
abuse or neglect in 2010
* Center for Social Services Research, University of CA Berkeley
Introduction
 California passed it’s first child abuse reporting
law in 1963
 Stated
that physicians must report physical abuse of
children
 CANRA was passed in 1974 in California
 “Child Abuse Neglect and Reporting Act”
 Has been amended over the years
 Expanded list of who is mandated to report
Who are Mandated Reporters?
 Complete list includes 40 categories, refer to penal
code 11165.7
 Generally includes anyone who works or comes
into contact with children in their job
 Does not include volunteers
 Can
report, but not mandated
 UNLESS: CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special
Advocates) = mandated reporters
What must be reported?
 Under CANRA, suspicions of the following must be reported
in California




Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional abuse/ damage
Neglect
 When the victim is under the age of 18, and the perpetrator is
any age
 Remember that reporting child abuse does not mean physical
intervention or snooping.
 It simply means not ignoring the obvious.
What is Child Abuse and Neglect?
Welfare & Institutions Code section 300, subdivisions (a) – (j)
a. Physical abuse
f.
sibling
b. Neglect
c.
Emotional damage
d. Sexual abuse
e.
Parent caused death of a
g. Parent’s failure to support
h. Legal orphan
Severe physical abuse of
i.
Cruelty
children under five
j.
Other siblings neglected,
child at risk
Definition of child abuse
Identifying Child Abuse
 Requires first the understanding that child abuse
can occur in any family, regardless of socioeconomic status, religion, education, ethnic
background, or other factors.
 Cultural
beliefs may affect our perception of this
 Secondly, the professional must be aware of and
alert to the signs of child abuse.
Culture
 A set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and behavior that is
passed down from generation to generation
 Shaped by many factors including race, religion, and
ethnicity
 Influences attitudes and ideas about acceptable child
behavior and discipline
 Also affects perceptions of stress, trauma, abuse and
reactions to all of those
Cultural Sensitivity
 It is natural to see one’s own culture as the normal or
correct culture
 We must be aware of our own values, beliefs and
biases, and how those influence our expectations of
others so that we

are best able to understand differences in parenting

avoid unnecessary reports

meet the needs of all children in a sensitive manner
Physical Abuse
DEFINITION
WHAT TO REPORT
What to Report - Physical Abuse
 CANRA defines physical abuse as a physical injury
inflicted by other than accidental means on a child
 Also includes unlawful corporal punishment or injury,
willfully inflicted, resulting in a traumatic condition
 Spanking
or corporal punishment is not necessarily illegal,
it should be “reasonable and age-appropriate”
PC 11165.6
Physical Abuse
 A physical injury or action of harming a child

Bruises, bites, burns, fractures, abusive head trauma
 Although the injury is not an accident, the parent or
caretaker may not have intended to hurt the child
 May result from excessive discipline or inappropriate
physical punishment
 The injury may be the result of a single episode or of
repeated episodes and can range in severity from
minor bruising to death
Physical Abuse
 Type, location, and pattern of skin injuries may help
distinguish accidental injuries from suspected
physical abuse
 However, any injury, even a small bruise in a very
young infant is concerning

Young infants are not mobile

Completely dependent on their caregivers

Any injury in this age group should raise concern for the possibility of
inflicted injury
Child Motor Development
 Developmental abilities of a child should be considered when
evaluating injuries
 If a child is unable to roll over or crawl, they are unlikely to
have sustained an injury on their own
Age
Milestones
2 months
Lifts head
4 months
Rolls over front to back
6 months
Rolls over both directions and sits up
9 months
Crawls, cruises
12 months
Walks
18 months
Runs
24 Months
Walks upstairs
Physical Abuse
 Once children are toddlers, and capable of crawling or
walking, bruises are very common
 Location and pattern of the injury needs to be
considered

Common locations for accidental bruises in toddlers and children
include bony areas such as shins, elbows, knees, forehead, and chin,
among others

Common locations of abusive injuries include the back, buttocks, ears,
face (particularly the soft tissues of the cheek), neck, and genitalia
Location of Bruises
Normal or
Accidental Bruising
Abnormal or Suspicious Bruising
Forehead
Cheeks of the face
Head
Buttocks
Chin
Ears
Knees
Neck
Elbows
Back
Outer arms
Genitals
Shins
***This is not a complete list or a perfect rule, it is a guide
Physical Abuse
 Abusive bruises and burns may also be patterned, or
have a distinct outline
 Accidental bruises usually do not leave a clear pattern
or outline
 While an outline or pattern should raise concern,
abusive injuries are not always patterned, and may
look very similar to accidental bruises
 Some common patterns of INFLICTED bruises are
shown next
Physical Abuse?
Physical Abuse?
Physical Abuse?
Physical Abuse?
Physical Abuse?
Physical Abuse
Other types of injuries that may signal child abuse
include but are not limited to:
 Broken
bones
 Lacerations
 Burns
(hot water scald, iron)
 Abusive
 Any
head trauma
injury with a delay in seeking treatment
Intimate Partner Violence
 California is one of the few states that mandates
reports of intimate partner abuse between adolescents
/ teenagers
 “Intimate
relationship” not dependent on age
 Can be reported to either local child welfare services
or law enforcement agency
 Unfortunately, responses to reports of intimate
partner violence affecting minors vary enormously
from jurisdiction to jurisdiction
Red Flags – Parent Behaviors
 Parental depression or other mental illness
 Parent tells you of use of objects to discipline the child
 belts, whips, clothes hanger
 Parent has unrealistic expectation of child
 toilet-training a 6-month-old
 Parent is unduly harsh and rigid about childrearing
 Parent singles out one child as "bad," "evil," or "beyond control"
 Parent berates, humiliates, or belittles child
 Parent misinterprets child's normal behavior
 a parent interprets an infant's crying as evidence that child hates the
parent
 Parent is indifferent to child
Red Flags – Child Behaviors
 Hostile, aggressive, or verbally abusive toward others
 Fearful or withdrawn behavior
 Self-destructive
 self-mutilates, bangs head, etc.
 Destructive
 breaks windows, sets fires, etc.
 Frightened of going home, frightened of parents/caretakers
 Attempts to hide injuries
 Frequent absence from school
 Clingy, forms indiscriminate attachments
What is NOT Physical Abuse
 A "mutual affray between minors"
 "Reasonable and necessary force" used by a peace officer
 "Reasonable and necessary force" used by a person employed
in a public school to quell a disturbance threatening physical
injury to person or damage to property, for purposes of selfdefense, or to obtain possession of weapons or other
dangerous objects within the control of the pupil
 Spanking that is reasonable and age-appropriate and does not
expose the child to risk of serious injury
Practice Question
You are an employee at a school. A 7 year old child comes to
school with linear red bruises on his cheeks. He was absent
the day prior. When you ask him what happened to his
cheek, he replies that he fell while riding his bike. Do you
report this injury?
A. No, because falling off a bike is an accidental injury
B. Yes, because he missed school the day prior
C. No, it is a very minor injury
D. Yes, because the injury is concerning for a slap mark
Practice Question
In the course of your work, you observe a mother spanking a 2
year old child twice on the buttocks with her hand for eating
food off the ground. What should you do as a mandated
reporter?
A. Confront the mother
B. Nothing, the spanking seems reasonable and age-
appropriate
C. Report this as physical abuse for excessive discipline
D. Any of the above
Vignette 1
12-year-old Colin, a student in your class, has recently begun
exhibiting a variety of concerning behaviors. He has engaged in
recurrent fights with other students resulting in chronic
probationary status. He uses verbally abusive language, is
frequently truant, and has been suspended once for drinking at
school. Over the past year, his grades have declined significantly
and he has withdrawn from all sports.
Colin has been absent for a few days, and when he returns to
school, you notice that he has a bruise on his cheek. When you
ask about his injury, he tells you that his father hit him when he
came home late from a friend’s house. Confront the mother
Do you make a report? Why?
Sexual Abuse
DEFINITION
WHAT TO REPORT
What to Report - Sexual Abuse
 Per CANRA, child sexual abuse includes both sexual assault
and sexual exploitation
 Sexual
 Sex
assault includes
acts with children
 Child
molestation
 Intentional
 Sexual
masturbation in the presence of a child
exploitation includes
 Preparing,
selling, or distributing pornographic materials involving children
 Performances
 Child
involving obscene sexual conduct
prostitution
PC 11165.1
Sexual Assault
CANRA cites following sections
of CA penal code: 261, section
d of 261.5, 264.1, 285, 286,
288, 288a, 289, 647.6
 Includes
 Forcible Rape
 Statutory rape (section 261.5)
 Incest
 Sodomy
 Lewd or lascivious (indecent, or of a sexual nature) acts upon a child
 Oral sex
 Sexual penetration
 Child molestation
 Intentional touching or fondling of the genitals or intimate parts
(including the breasts, genital area, groin, inner thighs, and buttocks) or
the clothing covering them, for purposes of sexual arousal or gratification
 Masturbating in the presence of a child
Sexual Abuse
Age of Victim
Report Required if:
Under 18
(14-17 years)
Rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse
Any sexual intercourse with a partner 21 years
or older (one form of statutory rape)
Under 16
(14-15)
Under 14
Any sexual activity of any kind with a partner
10 or more years older
Any sexual activity of any kind with a partner
14 or older
Reporting Consensual Sexual Intercourse
M = mandated, must be reported based on age difference
CJ = Clinical Judgment, the report is not mandated solely by age, but other factors may
warrant reporting
From “Understanding Confidentiality and Minor Consent in California”
http://www.californiateenhealth.org/download/toolkit-rri-Web.pdf
Sexual Abuse
 The following situations do not require reporting:
 Unforced
sexual activity between minors under 14 years
who are "of like age"
 Unforced
sexual activity between minors aged 14-17 and
partners aged 14-20
 Note: There is no law that requires health providers or
other professionals who work with adolescents to ask
the age of a patient's sexual partner(s)
Sexual Exploitation
 Depicting a minor engaged in obscene acts
 Preparing, selling, or distributing obscene matter that depicts
minors
 Employment of minor to perform obscene acts
 Any person who knowingly promotes, assists, employs, uses,
persuades, induces, or coerces a child to engage in prostitution
or a live performance involving obscene sexual conduct, or to
either pose or model in child pornographic material
 Any person who depicts a child in, or who knowingly develops,
duplicates, prints, or exchanges, any film, photograph, video
tape, negative, or slide involving child pornography
PC 11165.1 (c)
Sexual Abuse – Risk Factors
 Identified risk factors include:

Being female

Living in a single parent household

Having a mother who is unavailable

Perceiving family life as unhappy

Having psychological or mental delays
 Sexual abuse often occurs in the absence of any risk
factors and without any obvious signs
Red Flags – Child Behaviors
 Inappropriate sexual knowledge for age
 Demonstrating sexual acts on other children or toys
 Molesting other children
 Post-traumatic stress disorder
 Emotional and behavioral problems
 Sexually transmitted infections
Sexual Abuse - Disclosure
 Most victims of sexual abuse report the crime(s)
months or even years after they have occurred
 Many victims never report at all
 It is very common for children to recant a disclosure
of sexual abuse

They disclose the abuse and then change their story, denying that it ever
happened

This happens for a variety of reasons including fear, guilt, shame,
embarrassment, or even a desire not to hurt the perpetrator or family
unit
Vignette 3
You become concerned because 8-year-old Sara, a student in your class, is
caught exposing herself to other children on the playground and telling
them to touch her. You talk with her about this behavior, and she
informs you that her 14-year-old brother always wants to see her “pee
pee” and likes to touch it. What should you do?
A.
Call Sara’s parents to tell them what she said and to find out more
about her brother.
B.
Nothing, Sara does not seem upset and you do not want to over-react.
C.
Make a child abuse report for possible sexual abuse.
D.
Tell the principal of your concerns and hope that s/he will take the
appropriate action.
Neglect
DEFINITION
WHAT TO REPORT
Neglect
 Under CANRA neglect of a child, whether "severe" or
"general," must be reported if the perpetrator is a
person responsible for the child's welfare
 Includes:
 Acts
(i.e. locking a toddler in a hot car)
 Omissions
(i.e. not providing food)
 The
neglect may cause harm to the child or just threaten to
harm the child's health or welfare
 Must
still report even if no injury
PC 11165.2
Neglect
 General neglect
 Failure
of a caregiver to provide adequate food, clothing,
shelter, medical care, or supervision, where no physical
injury to the child has occurred
 Severe neglect
 The
intentional failure of a caregiver to provide adequate
food, clothing, shelter, or medical care
 Or caregiver willfully causes or permits the child to be
placed in a situation such that his or her person or health is
endangered
PC 11165.2
Neglect
 Can be further divided into different types - the following
examples do not constitute a complete list




General or physical neglect - not providing adequate food, clothing, or a
safe home environment
Medical neglect - not providing appropriate medical care, dental care, or
immunizations
Emotional neglect - not interacting with an infant or child
Educational neglect - not enrolling a child in school or providing proper
home-schooling
 Note: It is very important to distinguish between neglect and
failure to provide necessities of life because of poverty or
cultural norms
Drug-exposed Infants
 A positive toxicology screen at the time of the delivery
of an infant is alone not a sufficient reason for
reporting child abuse or neglect
 However,
any indication of maternal substance abuse shall
lead to an assessment of the needs of the mother and child
 If
other factors are present that indicate risk to a child, then
a report shall be made
A
report based on the parent's inability to provide care because of
substance abuse shall be made only to county welfare departments
and not to a law enforcement agency
Neglect- Religious Considerations
 Refusing medical care for religious reasons is a hotly
debated topic when children are involved
 Per CANRA, a child receiving treatment by spiritual
means or not receiving specified medical treatment
for religious reasons, shall not for that reason alone be
considered a neglected child
 An informed and appropriate medical decision made
by a caregiver after consultation with a physician does
not constitute neglect
PC 11165.2 [b]
Red Flags – Child Behaviors
 Dirty clothes, poor hygiene
 Failure to thrive, or a malnourished child
 Severe dental cavities
 Developmental delay
 Self-abusive behaviors
 Socially withdrawn
 Behavioral problems such as anxiety or aggression
Is this Neglect?
Neglect
Neglect
Neglect
Neglect?
First discovery or
notation of head lice is
not neglect.
Each school has a
policy on how to deal
with head lice. You
may want to know
what your district’s
policy is.
Merced County Office
of Education’s head
lice policy is on their
web site.
What
Is
This?
Red Flags – Parent Behaviors
 Depression
 Domestic violence
 Unemployment
 Poverty
 Lack of social support
 Mental illness or mood disturbances
 History of abuse as a child
 Substance abuse
Red Flags – Home environment
 Medications, cleaners, toxins within reach of a child
 Guns or other weapons that are not properly secured
 Trash, rotted food, insects, or animal waste
 Choking hazards within reach of an infant or toddler
Emotional Damage
DEFINITION
WHAT TO REPORT
Emotional Damage
 Under CANRA, also called cruelty
 Defined as willful cruelty or unjustified punishment
 Includes:
 Inflicting
or permitting physical pain or mental suffering
 Or
permitting the endangerment of the child's person or
health
PC 11165.3
Emotional Damage
 Includes acts or omissions that have or could cause serious
behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders
 In some cases, the acts alone, without any obvious harm are
sufficient to warrant reporting

i.e. extreme or bizarre forms of punishment, such as torture or
confinement of a child in a dark closet
 For less severe acts, such as belittling or cruel words, it can be
more difficult to determine what constitutes emotional damage


For the mandated reporter, reporting the concern is the only
requirement
It is up to the child protective agency to decide if the act(s) in question
are emotional abuse
Emotional Damage
 Most difficult form of child maltreatment to identify
 The
effects of emotional maltreatment (lags in physical
development, learning problems, and speech disorder) are
nonspecific
 The
effects of emotional maltreatment may only become
evident in later developmental stages of the child's life
 The
behaviors of emotionally abused and emotionally
disturbed children are often similar
Emotional Damage
 Although any of the forms of child maltreatment may
be found alone, they often occur in combination
 Emotional
abuse is most often seen in combination with
other forms of abuse
 The
red flags for emotional abuse are very similar to the red
flags for other forms of abuse
Red Flags – Child Behaviors
 Frightened of going home, frightened of parents/caretakers
 Clingy, may form indiscriminate attachments to unrelated
adults
 Developmental delay
 Self-abusive behaviors
 Socially withdrawn
 Behavioral problems such as anxiety or aggression
Red Flags – Parent Behaviors
 Parental depression or other mental illness
 Parent has unrealistic expectation of child
 Parent is unduly harsh and rigid about childrearing
 Parent singles out one child as "bad," "evil," or "beyond control“
 Parent berates, humiliates, or belittles child
 Parent is indifferent to child
Vignette 5
You have noticed that a student in your class, 12-year-old Nancy,
appears depressed and withdrawn. When talking about her family,
she says that her parents often criticize her behavior and appearance,
calling her stupid, lazy and fat. She also comments that she is
frequently left home alone to care for her 8-year-old brother, so is
unable to leave the house or invite friends over. You note that she
appears sad and fearful whenever she talks about her family. What
would you do?
A. Make a suspected child abuse report based on this information.
B. Not report suspected child abuse based on this information.
C. Like to obtain more information before reporting.
Practice Question
In the course of your work, you work with a troublesome 9 year old child. This
child has frequent and severe behavior problems and is on psychiatric
medications for a mood disorder. You notice the child is not eating lunch.
When you ask why, he tells you that he got in trouble with his parents and is
not allowed to eat today. He tells you the last time he ate was 2 days ago, and
that he sits at the table while the rest of the family eats. What do you do?
A.
Address this with the parents, as this difficult child may not be telling the
truth
B.
Report neglect as the child has not eaten for 2 days
C.
Nothing, sending children to their room without dinner is a common form of
punishment
D.
Report emotional abuse, as this is cruel and bizarre punishment
E.
B and D
Process of making a report
Bill AB 2380
 Recently passed in an effort to clarify the term “reasonable
suspicion”

It is reasonable for a person to be suspicious, based upon facts that could
cause a reasonable person in a like position, drawing on his or her
training and experience, to suspect child abuse and neglect
 Any
reasonable suspicion is sufficient

Does not require certainty that child abuse or neglect has occurred

Does not require a specific medical indication of child abuse or neglect

May be based on any credible information, including statements from
other individuals

The goal of this bill was to prevent delays in reporting, which can hinder
investigations by authorities
When should I file a report?
 When one "has knowledge of or observes a child in his
or her professional capacity, or within the scope of his
or her employment whom he or she knows or
reasonably suspects has been the victim of child
abuse..."
 If you suspect, report
 Proof
of abuse is not required; that will be determined
through investigation by the child welfare professionals or
law enforcement
Who files the report?
 Responsibility rests solely with the mandated reporter
 Reporting to an employer, supervisor, school
principal, school counselor, coworker, or other person
is NOT adequate
 When two or more mandated reporters jointly have
knowledge of suspected child abuse or neglect, a
single report may be made
 Any
member of the reporting team who has knowledge that
the designated person has failed to report must do so him or
herself
PC 11166 [g]
The Suspected Child Abuse Report
 When/ How to report
 Imminent danger or immediate risk, call 911
 The only types of law enforcement agency you may report to are the
Sheriff’s or Police Department in your community
 Other
law enforcement persons, such as school security, are not authorized to
receive reports



Suspected child abuse or neglect, call 385-3104, 24 hour hotline.
After reporting, the mandated reporter must complete the Suspected
Child Abuse Report form.
Within 36 hours:
 Fax
Suspected Child Abuse Report (SCAR) to 725-3988
 Penal Code §11166(g)(3)
How do I report?
 Immediately by phone 385-3104, 24 hour hotline
 Information CWS will ask:

Name of the reporter

Name of the child

Present location of the child

Nature and extent of the injury

Any other information requested by the child protective agency
How do I report? (cont.)
 Then in writing
 Within
36 hours a written report must be sent to the child
protective or law enforcement agency to which the
telephone report was made
 Must
 DOJ

be filed on Department of Justice Form 8572
SS 8572, known as the Suspected Child Abuse Report Form
This form is available through county welfare departments and
local law enforcement agencies
 Forms
and instructions also available online at
http://ag.ca.gov/childabuse/pdf/ss_8572.pdf
PC 11166 [a]
Practice Question
You work at a school. Volunteers come weekly to tutor and work
with troubled teenagers. A volunteer tells you that a child has
disclosed sexual abuse by her father. What are you obligated to
do?
A. Tell the volunteer to report their concerns to a child protective
agency
B. Tell your supervisor
C. Report to a child protective agency
D. Interview the child to obtain the information yourself prior to
reporting
Safeguards for Mandated Reporters
CONFIDENTIALITY
IMMUNITY
Confidentiality
 Mandated reporters are required to give their names when
making a report
 The reporter's identity is kept confidential and may only be
disclosed as follows:







Between child protective agencies
To counsel representing a child protective agency
To the district attorney
To the child's attorney
To a licensing agency when abuse in out-of-home care is reasonably
suspected
By court order
When the reporter waives confidentiality
PC 11167 [d]
Confidentiality
 Reports of suspected child abuse and the information
they contain are also confidential
 May
only be disclosed to official agencies and professionals
involved in the investigation, treatment, prosecution, or
record-keeping of these cases
 Any
violation of confidentiality of this information is a
misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in the county
jail, or by a fine of $500, or by both
Immunity
 Mandated Reporters have immunity from criminal or civil
liability for reporting as required

Unless the report is proven to be false and the person reporting
knows it is false

Or the report is made with reckless disregard of the truth
 Mandated reporters are not liable civilly or criminally for
photographing the victim of child abuse and disseminating
the photograph with the report
P.C. 11172 [a]
P.C. 11166 [f]
P.C. 11172 [c]
P.C. 11167.5
Failure to Report
 Misdemeanor, punishable by

Up to six months in jail

Up to a $1,000 fine
 May also be subject to a civil lawsuit, and found liable for
damages, especially if the child-victim or another child is further
victimized because of the failure to report
 No supervisor or administrator may impede or inhibit a report
or subject the reporting person to any sanction

To do so is punishable by imprisonment, a fine, or both
PC 11172 [e]
Employer’s Responsibilities
 Any person entering employment that makes him or her a
mandated reporter must sign a statement that he or she has
knowledge of the reporting law and will comply with its
requirements

Statement must be provided and retained by the employer
 A form for this statement is available from your local child
protective agency
 Licensing Requirement
The state agency issuing a license to a person who is required to
report child abuse must either send a statement to the licensee
explaining reporting requirements and the penalty for failure to
report, or print the information on all application forms
PC 11166.5 [a]
PC 11165.5 [b][c]
Vignette 6
While helping a fourth-grade student into a costume for a play, a
teacher's aid notices that the child’s back is bruised and scabbed.
When the aid asks what happened, the child appears uncomfortable
and says he fell. He is unwilling to provide further information about
how the injuries occurred. When the aid talks to the principal about
the situation, the principal says that she knows the family, and there
is no need for the aid to contact Child Protective Services. What
should the aid do?
A. Nothing, it is now the principal’s responsibility
B. Report to law enforcement or Child Protective Services
C. Talk to the child’s mother
D. Watch the child more closely
Practice Question
You are a licensed daycare provider. You are concerned that a young
child may be being abused at home. You take photos of the injuries,
but do not report because you are not sure. The child is hospitalized
the following week for severe inflicted injuries. During the course of
the investigation, authorities realize that you had concerns but did
not report. Which of the following could happen?
A.
You could go to jail for 6 months for the misdemeanor offense
B.
You could be fined $1,000 for the misdemeanor offense
C.
You could be sued in civil court by the non-offending parent or
family members
D. You could lose your license
E.
All of the above
Vignette 7
You are concerned about a seventh-grade student who has exhibited
behavioral changes. Although she has always been a straight-A
student, she has stopped turning in homework, and does poorly on
tests. She frequently appears tired and has even fallen asleep in class.
She also no longer socializes with her friends. You decide to talk with
her about your concerns. Which of the following is not appropriate
when talking with your student?
A. Conduct the discussion in private.
B. Allow the child to tell you of her experience in her own words.
C. Reassure the child that you will not tell anyone what she tells you.
D. Do not express shock, disapproval or disgust.
What happens after a report is
made?
Child Welfare Services
 Interviews the child and family to evaluate the situation
 Primary responsibility is protection of the child
 The child may need to be removed by law enforcement and placed in a safer
environment or the family may just need additional services
 Often, parents or others who mistreat children are overwhelmed by
their situation/problems


Financial problems, mental illness, anger issues , etc.
May not be able to handle the stresses of raising children without help
 CWS offers services and resources to help manage the problems of
the family and child

Counseling, referrals to self-help groups ; assistance in obtaining medical care,
emergency shelter, transportation
 The CWS worker's goal is to protect children and enable families to
stay together whenever possible
Child Welfare Services
 Reports received (except neglect) must be cross-
reported immediately, or as soon as possible, to local
law enforcement agency
 Not all reports are serious enough to require the
assistance of the law enforcement agency
 In
these events, the family may be contacted only by local
child welfare services
Child Welfare Services
 Response time depends on the seriousness of the events
reported and the situation the child faces


If the child is in danger, the response will be immediate
If there is less risk involved, it may be three to ten days before action is
taken by child welfare services
 Reporting does not always mean that a civil or criminal
proceeding will be initiated against the suspected abuser

If an investigation does not reveal evidence of child abuse but suggests
other family problems or a potentially abusive situation, the child welfare
agency may intervene and offer appropriate services
Law Enforcement
 Officer also has a primary responsibility to protect the child
 Interviews the parent(s) and the child
 Gathers information from interviews, physical evidence, and
other sources such as medical and school records
 Often, the parent or caretaker is neither arrested nor criminally
charged in a child abuse case

However, in cases of serious abuse the caretakers may be arrested and
referred to the district attorney for criminal prosecution
What Happens Next?
 The report is determined to be one of the following

Unfounded - the report is determined to be false, inherently
improbable, to involve an accidental injury, or not to constitute child
abuse

Substantiated - the report is determined to constitute child abuse or
neglect

Inconclusive - the report is determined not to be unfounded, but the
findings are inconclusive and there is insufficient evidence to
determine whether child abuse or neglect has occurred
Practice Question
A child protective agency will investigate all reports
immediately.
A. True
B. False
Post-Test
Post Test Answers
1.
B
2. D
3. D
4. E
5. B
6. D
7. C
8. D
9. C
16. TRUE
11. C
17. FALSE
12. D
18. TRUE
13. D
19. FALSE
14. A
20. FALSE
15. FALSE
10. E
Conclusion & Evaluation
 Primary intent of the reporting laws is to protect the child
 Protecting the identified child may also provide the opportunity
to protect other children in the home
 It is equally important to provide help for the parents
 The report of abuse may be a catalyst for bringing about change
in the home environment, which may help to lower the risk of
abuse in the home
 As a mandated reporter you play an obviously crucial role in this
process, identifying and reporting concerns of abuse or neglect
of children that may otherwise go unseen
Thank you
Ka Xiong
209-381-5983
kxiong@mcoe.org
Dennis Haines
209-381-5980
dhaines@mcoe.org