Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect: A Practical Guide for Social Workers

328 Pages·2008·0.77 MB·English

by  Dr. Kenneth Lau LCSW

Mandated Reporting of
Child Abuse and Neglect
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Mandated Reporting of
Child Abuse and Neglect
A Practical Guide for Social Workers
KENNETH J. LAU, LCSW-R
KATHRYN KRASE, MSW, JD
RICHARD H. MORSE, MSW
Copyright©2009SpringerPublishingCompany,LLC
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09 10 11 12 13/ 5 4 3 2 1
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Lau,KennethJ.
Mandatedreportingofchildabuseandneglect:apracticalguideforsocial
workers/KennethJ.Lau,KathrynKrase,RichardMorse.
p. cm.
Includesindex.
ISBN978-0-8261-1098-5(alk.paper)
1.Childabuse—UnitedStates. 2.Childabuse—Reporting—UnitedStates.
3.Childabuse—Lawandlegislation—UnitedStates. 4.Childwelfare
workers—UnitedStates—Handbooks,manuals,etc. I.Krase,Kathryn.
II.Morse,Richard,1945– III.Title.
HV6626.52.L38 2009
(cid:2)
362.76630973–dc22 2008043752
PrintedinCanadabyTranscontinentalPrinting.
The author and the publisher of this Work have made every effort to use sources
believedtobereliabletoprovideinformationthatisaccurateandcompatiblewith
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shallnotbeliableforanyspecial,consequential,orexemplarydamagesresulting,in
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inthisbook.
The publisher has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for
external or third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this publication and does
not guarantee that any content on such Web sites is, or will remain, accurate or
appropriate.
This book is dedicated to all of the social workers, caseworkers, nurses,
therapists, foster parents, police officers, attorneys, doctors, and
volunteers who work hard every day to keep America’s children
from harm: though your work is often unrecognized, you are
the heroes of the generations to come.
TThhiiss ppaaggee iinntteennttiioonnaallllyy lleefftt bbllaannkk
Contents
AuthorBiographies xi
Foreword xiii
Preface xv
Acknowledgments xix
1 IntroductiontoMandatedReporting 1
HistoryoftheResponsetoChildAbuseandNeglect 1
TheHistoryofU.S.ChildWelfarePolicies 3
CostsofChildAbuse 7
ReportsofChildAbuseandNeglect 8
CriticismsofMandatedReporting 9
2 TheSocialWorkerAsMandatedReporter 15
WhatIstheProfessionofSocialWork? 15
WhatMakesSomeoneaSocialWorker? 17
TheSocialWorker/CaseworkerDistinction 18
LicensingandCertificationofSocialWorkers 18
PracticeAreas 19
ResponsibilitiesoftheSocialWorker 23
3 DefiningChildAbuseandNeglect 27
DefinitionofChildAbuse,Neglect,andMaltreatment 27
PhysicalAbuse 28
SexualAbuse 29
EmotionalAbuse 31
Maltreatment/Neglect 32
Abandonment 38
ExposuretoDomesticViolence 39
MunchausenSyndromebyProxy 40
vii
viii Contents
4 RiskFactors:ThePotentialforChildAbuseorNeglect 43
EnvironmentalRiskFactors 45
Parent/CaretakerRiskFactors 45
ChildSexualAbuseRiskFactors 53
ChildRiskFactors 60
5 SignsofAbuseandNeglect 67
CategoriesofAbuseandNeglect 70
DisclosureofAbuse 72
SignsofNeglectorMaltreatment 73
SignsofPhysicalAbuse 79
SignsofSexualAbuse 84
SignsofChildSexualAbuse 93
WhattoDoWhenSexualAbuseIsSuspected 97
6 WhenIsaReportRequired? 105
WhoIsRequiredtoReport? 105
WhenIsThereEnoughEvidencetoReport? 107
WhoCanBetheSubjectoftheReport? 110
7 HowtoMakeaReport 113
ToWhomIstheReportMade? 113
WhatYouShouldKnowBeforeYouReport 114
WhattoDoinanEmergency 120
HowQuicklyShouldaReportBeMade? 121
CanaChildBeTakenIntoProtectiveCustody? 122
KnowingYourAgencyorOrganization 124
WhatHappenstotheReport? 126
8 AftertheReport:WhatHappensNext? 131
WhatDoesaChildProtectiveServicesInvestigationEntail? 132
ContactWiththeReportingSource 132
ContactWithCollateralSources 135
Face-to-FaceContactWithSubjectsoftheReport 135
Face-to-FaceContactWithOtherPersonsNamedintheReport 137
AHomeVisit 138
AnIntervieworObservationoftheChildren 140
ConcludingtheInvestigation 146
SubstituteCare 149
Contents ix
9 LegalandEthicalIssuesinMandatedReporting 159
ClientConfidentiality 160
PrivilegedCommunications 164
NegotiatingClientConfidentialityWithMandatedReporting 168
Confidentiality,MandatedReporting,andtheHealthInsurance
PortabilityandAccountabilityActof1996 174
MandatedReportingintheContextofSubstanceAbuse
Treatment 175
MandatedReportingofClientsAlreadyInvolvedWithChildProtective
Services 176
10 LegalProtectionsandConsequencesforMandatedReporters 181
LegalImmunityforReportsMadein“GoodFaith” 181
PenaltiesforFilingaFalseReport 183
ConsequencesforFailuretoReport 184
EthicalConsiderations 186
LegalObligationsWhenReportingFromWithinanAgency 189
11 TheRoleofLawEnforcementintheProtectionofChildren 195
DifferencesBetweenLawEnforcementandChild
ProtectiveServices 195
HowandWhenLawEnforcementIsNotifiedinAbuseand
MaltreatmentCases 197
HowChildProtectiveServicesandLawEnforcementWork
Together 199
WhatLawEnforcementWillAskoftheMandatedReporter 201
TheInterviewoftheChild 203
InterviewsWithOtherWitnesses 205
TheRolesofOtherProfessionalsinChildAbuseand
Maltreatment 206
AppendixA:SummaryofStateLawsandResources 209
AppendixB:ListofRelevantInternetResources 285
AppendixC:Glossary 289
Index 301