9.7.4: Mandated Reporting

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Heather Carter and Amber Tankersley
Pittsburg State University

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Exclamation Mark, Warning, Danger, Attention, Black

Warning: This chapter contains information about child abuse which may be triggering for some readers.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you should be able to:

Explain the legal and ethical responsibilities of early childhood educators as mandated reporters of child maltreatment.
Describe the steps involved in reporting suspected child maltreatment, including who to contact and what information is required.

Mandated Reporting of Child Maltreatment in Kansas

A list of persons whose profession qualifies them as “mandated reporters” of child abuse or neglect is found in the Kansas Department for Children and Families, Prevention and Protection services under statute 39-1431. The list is extensive and continues to grow. It includes all school/district employees, administrators, and athletic coaches. All persons hired into positions included on the list of mandated reporters are required, upon employment, to be provided with a statement, informing them that they are a mandated reporter and their obligations to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect pursuant to statute 39-1431.

All persons who are mandated reporters are required, by law, to report all known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. It is not the job of the mandated reporter to determine whether the allegations are valid. If child abuse or neglect is reasonably suspected or if the child shares information with a mandated reporter leading him/her to believe abuse or neglect has taken place, the report must be made. No supervisor or administrator can impede or inhibit a report or subject the reporting person to any sanction.

To make a report, an employee must contact the appropriate local law enforcement or county child welfare agency, listed below, or by calling the Kansas Protection Report Center at 1-800-922-5330. This legal obligation is not satisfied by making a report of the incident to a supervisor or to the school. An appropriate law enforcement agency may be one of the following:

A Police or Sheriff’s Department (not including a school district police department or school security department).
A County Probation Department, if designated by the county to receive child abuse reports.
A County Welfare Department/County Child Protective Services.

The report should be made immediately over the telephone and should be followed up in writing. The law enforcement agency has special forms for this purpose that they will ask you to complete. If a report cannot be made immediately over the telephone, then an initial report may be made via e-mail or fax.

Image result for adult on the phone — When an early childhood professional suspects abuse, it should be reported immediately. "Woman calling on telephone" by Petr Kratochvil is in the public domain.

Rights to Confidentiality and Immunity

Mandated reporters are required to give their names when making a report. However, the reporter’s identity is kept confidential. Reports of suspected child abuse are also confidential. Mandated reporters have immunity from state criminal or civil liability for reporting as required. This is true even if the mandated reporter acquired the knowledge, or suspicion of abuse or neglect, outside his/her professional capacity or scope of employment.

Consequences of Failing to Report

A person who fails to make a required report is guilty of a class B misdemeanor (Kansas Statute 38-2223(e)).

After the Report is Made

The local law enforcement agency is required to investigate all reports. Cases may also be investigated by Child Welfare Services when allegations involve abuse or neglect within families.

Child Protective Services

Child Protective Services (CPS) is the major organization to intervene in child abuse and neglect cases in Kansas. Existing law provides services to abused and neglected children and their families. More information can be found at Child Protective Services.²⁹⁹

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The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Well-Being

Child abuse and neglect can have lifelong implications for victims, including their well-being. While the physical wounds may heal, there are many long-term consequences of experiencing the trauma of abuse or neglect. A child or youth’s ability to cope and thrive after trauma is called “resilience.” With help, many of these children can work through and overcome their past experiences.

Children who are maltreated may be at risk of experiencing cognitive delays and emotional difficulties, among other issues, which can affect many aspects of their lives, including their academic outcomes and social skills development (Bick & Nelson, 2016). Experiencing childhood maltreatment also is a risk factor for depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders (Fuller-Thomson et. al, 2016).

Working with Children Who Have Been Abused

Children who have experienced abuse or neglect need support from caring adults who understand the impact of trauma and how to help. Early childhood professionals should consider the following suggestions:

Help children feel safe. Support them in expressing and managing intense emotions. Help children understand their trauma history and current experiences (for example, by helping them understand that what happened was not their fault, or helping them see how their current emotions might be related to past trauma).
Assess the impact of trauma on the child, and address any trauma-related challenges in the child’s behavior, development, and relationships.
Support and promote safe and stable relationships in the child’s life, including supporting the child’s family and caregivers if appropriate. Often parents and caregivers have also experienced trauma.
Manage your own stress. Providers who have histories of trauma themselves may be at particular risk of experiencing secondary trauma symptoms.
Refer the child to trauma-informed services, which may be more effective than generic services that do not address trauma.³⁰¹

Summary

Child maltreatment results from the interaction of a number of individual, family, societal, and environmental factors. Child abuse and neglect are not inevitable—safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments are key for prevention. Preventing child abuse and neglect can also prevent other forms of violence, as various types of violence are interrelated and share many risk and protective factors, consequences, and effective prevention tactics.³⁰² When there is suspicion that maltreatment has occurred, it’s critical that early childhood educators report that. And being educated on trauma-informed care can help you support children who have been the victims of child maltreatment.

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Resources for Further Exploration

References

This page was from 6: Child Maltreatment by Paris. in Paris, J. (2021). Health, safety and nutrition. LibreTexts.

For references according to subscript, please see pages 145-161 of the original Health, Safety and Nutrition book (Paris, 2021) on Google Drive.

Bick, J., & Nelson, C. A. (2016). Early Adverse Experiences and the Developing Brain. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 41(1), 177–196. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2015.252

Fuller-Thomson, E., Baird, S. L., Dhrodia, R., & Brennenstuhl, S. (2016). The association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and suicide attempts in a population-based study. Child: care, health and development, 42(5), 725–734. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12351

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Warning: This chapter contains information about child abuse which may be triggering for some readers.

The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Well-Being

Resources for Further Exploration