SOC212: Chapter 12 – Child Abuse Reporting

-Child abuse reports increased by 300% over the past 30 years.

-Besharov and Lauman-Billings root the increase in child abuse statistics in 3 factors: mandatory
reporting laws, media campaigns surrounding child abuse, and the changed definition of what
constitutes abuse.
-Claims that on one hand, we are still unaware of many cases because it remains hidden, (defined as a
private family matter, and regarded as “normal” childrearing practice), and on the other hand, society
has collectively created solutions to this problem and deputized numerous social groups to document it,
resulting in cases that could not be substantiated.
-Official statistics have the benefit of being inexpensive and quick to gather, but have the disadvantage
of being inaccurate

Reporting Laws:
-After initial attempts of mandatory reporting laws issued to physicians exclusively, there was
increased public and professional attention, sparked by the number of children who were reported to be
abused during the initial stages of reporting laws. Now almost all states have laws that require the
reporting of all forms of suspected child abuse.
-These reporting laws, public awareness campaigns, and professional education programs have been
successful.
-Recent increases in social problems such as: out-of-wedlock births, inner-city poverty, and drug abuse
have probably raised the underlying rates of child maltreatment.
-The great bulk of reports now received by child protective agencies would be made but for the passage
of mandatory reporting laws and the media campaigns that accompanied them.
-The increase in reporting was accompanied by an expansion of prevention and treatment programs,
and as a result, many children have been saved from serious injury and even death.

Unreported Cases:
-Most experts agree that reports have increased over the past 30 years because professionals and
laypersons have become more likely to report apparently abusive and neglectful situations.
-Ultimately however, there is no way to know how many children professionals recognized
maltreatment but chose not to report. Westat found that professionals failed to report many of the
children they saw who had observable signs of abuse and neglect.
-The more serious the case the more likely a report will happen.
-Another problem as serious as nonreporting is “inappropriate reporting”.

Unsubstantiated Reports:
-“Unfounded” reports are ones that are dismissed after an investigation finds insufficient evidence to
proceed with the report.
-Unfounded reports does not necessarily mean that the child was abused or neglected. Evidence of
child maltreatment is hard to obtain and may not be uncovered when agencies lack resources/time to
complete a through investigation or when inaccurate information is given to the investigator.
-Nationwide, between 60 – 65% of all reports are closed after initial investigations deem the case to be
unfounded.
-The determination that a report is unfounded can only be made after an unavoidably traumatic
investigation that is inherently a breach of parental and family privacy.
-To determine whether a child is in danger, the investigators must inquire others who know the family
personally.
-Unfounded reports does not necessarily mean that the child was abused or neglected. Evidence of
child maltreatment is hard to obtain and may not be uncovered when agencies lack resources/time to
complete a through investigation or when inaccurate information is given to the investigator.
-Some reports are made because of poor child care, that, although of legitimate concern, do not amount
to child abuse or neglect.
-Other cases may be closed because the child or family can not be located.
-Thus a certain amount of unfounded reports is an inherent and legitimate aspect of reporting suspected
child maltreatment and is necessary to ensure adequate child protection.
-However, unfounded rates go beyond anything reasonably needed, and worse, they endanger children
who are really abused because for fear of missing one abused child, through investigations are made
even in vague and unsupported cases despite not having the resources/time to accommodate all of
them.
-With so many cases of unproven risks to children, workers become desensitized to obvious warning
signals of immediate and serious danger.
-25-50% of child abuse deaths are attributed to children who were previously known to the authorities.
Some serious injuries occur even while under child protective agency supervision.
-By weakening the system's ability to respond, unfounded reports actually discourage appropriate
ones .
-The sad fact is that many responsible individuals are not reporting cases because the feel that the
system's response will be so weak that reporting will do no good or even make things worse.