Mandated Reporting
530-225-5144 or 1-888-385-5201 (24 hours)
Reporting suspected child abuse is difficult. There are always nagging doubts about how the parents will react, what the outcome will be, and whether the report will put the child at greater risk.
The best way to minimize the difficulty of reporting is to be fully prepared for the experience and to understand the reporting requirements and the process that is triggered by making a report.
Children’s Services only investigates allegations of child abuse or neglect perpetrated or allowed by the child’s parent, caretaker or guardian. Allegations involving other perpetrators are referred to law enforcement.
If you are a mandated reporter, you are required to report if you suspect abuse.
What is the standard for reporting child abuse? “Reasonable suspicion” is the standard for reporting child abuse and neglect. This means that, based on your training and experience, you have reason to suspect that a child is being abused or neglected. Ask yourself, “Do I have serious concern for the child’s safety and wellbeing?” Use the following information as a guideline for recognizing indicators of abuse and neglect:
Physical Abuse: Any act that results in non-accidental injury.
- INDICATORS: Abrasions, bruises, fractures, lacerations, bites, burns, head Injuries
Neglect: Neglectful treatment or maltreatment of a child by parents or caregiver under circumstances indicating harm or threatening harm to the child’s health or welfare.
Severe Neglect: Failure of parent or caregiver to protect a child from severe malnutrition or a medically diagnosed failure to thrive. Failure to provide adequate food, clothing or medical care.
- INDICATORS: Child appears malnourished, child often dirty or inadequately dressed for weather, home conditions are unsafe or unsanitary, child is often sleepy or hungry, evidence of poor supervision, lacking medical and dental care.
Sexual Abuse: Any activity between an adult, or older child, and a child that results in sexual arousal or satisfaction of the adult or older child.
- INDICATORS: Age inappropriate sexual behavior, disclosure, eating disorders, injury/trauma unusual for age, sexually transmitted disease, stained/soiled/bloody underclothing, compulsive masturbation, drastic behavior changes, enuresis/encopresis, pregnancy, sleeping disorders
Emotional Abuse: Emotional maltreatment consists of emotional abuse and deprivation or neglect.
- INDICATORS: Belittling, constant family discord, deprivation, excessive verbal assaults, parent/caregiver does not offer experiences providing feelings of being loved, wanted, secure, and worthy, screaming, unpredictability, blaming, constant negative moods, double message communication, inconsistency, sarcasm, threats
Mandated Reporters
- Animal control officers
- Children’s Services staff
- Clergy
- District attorney investigators and inspectors
- Evaluators
- Film processors
- Foster parents
- Recreational program staff
- School district police and security officers
- Teachers
- Youth center employees
- Childcare providers
- Child visitation monitors
- Dentists
- Emergency room personnel
- Family support officers
- Firefighters
- Group home personnel
- Head Start teachers
- Humane society employees
- Marriage/family/child counselors
- Paramedics
- Physicians
- Psychiatrists
- Public health service employees
- Health practitioners
- Licensing workers
- Nurses
- Parole officers
- Probation officers
- Psychologists
- Pupil personnel public and private schools
- Residential care facilities
- Social workers
- Teacher aides/assistants/administrators
- Volunteers are not mandated reporters
How to make a report
Many schools and agencies have developed special procedures for reporting suspected child abuse. Whatever your organization’s internal procedure, suspected child abuse must be reported immediately by calling the Children’s Services 24-hour hotline (530)225-5144, or local law enforcement.
This must be followed by a written report within 36 hours of receiving the information concerning the incident (Suspected Child Abuse Report PC 11166) and submitted to the same agency.
Other things to know
- Medical personnel are required by law to complete, even without the consent of the child’s parent or caretaker, “Department of Justice Form 900 “Medical Report – Suspected Child Abuse”.
- If the suspected abuse is sexual, medical personnel who conduct the examination must also complete either Office of Criminal Justice Planning Form 925 “Medical Report” or the OCJP Form 923.
- As a mandated reporter, you are responsible for reporting, not investigating suspected abuse. Mandated reporters are guilty of a misdemeanor and may be subject to civil damage suits it they fail to report.
- The mandated reporter must give his or her name when reporting known or suspected child abuse to a child protective agency. The reporter’s name is confidential; however, it may be disclosed only in very limited situations, as provided by law.
- When making a report, it is necessary to provide the name of the child, the present location of the child, the nature and extent of the injury, and any other information that led to the report being made.
The Child Abuse Central Index website has more forms and information for mandated reporters.
Where to make a report
Crime in progress:
Contact your local law enforcement agency immediately or call 9-1-1.
All other incidents:
Contact Children’s Services or the law enforcement agency in your community.
Children’s Services Hotline: (530)225-5144
If you suspect, protect!
Click here for Child Abuse online Mandated Reporter Training
If your organization or business would like a presentation/training on this subject, please call the Shasta County Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council 530-241-5816.