Outline reporting and responding to elder and child abuse and neglect, including protection agencies, removal, and protections.
Reporting Child Abuse
Law enforcement is the primary way that the abuse and neglect of children become known to the authorities. When law enforcement becomes aware of an issue, the police as well as CPS become involved in investigating the case. Although reporting can come from children, it often comes from mandatory reporters or other adults aware of the situation. Calls can go to the police or to child abuse hotlines, which then often transfer directly to CPS.
Many states have identified specific professionals who are classified as mandated reporters. If these people are aware of abuse or neglect, they are required by law to inform law enforcement of the problem. Mandated reporters often include social workers, medical and mental health professionals, teachers, and childcare providers. The use of individuals (such as clergy and therapists) as mandatory reporters can vary by state. For example, 27 states as well as Washington, D.C., require clergy to report abuse to the authorities (Child Welfare Information Gateway, n.d.).
Once a report is made, either police or CPS examine the report and then decide whether to investigate the complaint. If a complaint is not investigated, it’s called being “screened out”. There are three main reasons why a complaint might be screened out, according to Stop It Now (n.d.):
• There’s not enough information on which to base an investigation. • CPS or police judge the information to be inaccurate or false. • The information in the report doesn’t meet the definition of child abuse or neglect.
When a report is “screened in”, a preliminary investigation occurs within one to five days to determine whether or not the department will proceed with a full investigation. If a full investigation is needed, CPS might use a team approach, including police, a protective services worker, doctors, therapists, and social workers to help with the investigation.