Mandatory Reporting Laws and Identification of Child Abuse and Neglect
Consideration of Differential Maltreatment Types, and a Cross-Jurisdictional Analysis of Child Sexual Abuse Reports
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5933237 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Basil Mathews (0000-0003-0421-0016, Queensland University of Technology, corresponding author), Ben Mathew |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 460-482 |
| Publication date | 2014-08-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2076-0760 • E-ISSN: 2076-0760 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/socsci3030460 |
| OpenAlex | W2132238093 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 15 |
| References cited | 50 |
Mandatory reporting laws have been created in many jurisdictions as a way of identifying cases of severe child maltreatment on the basis that cases will otherwise remain hidden. These laws usually apply to all four maltreatment types. Other jurisdictions have narrower approaches supplemented by differential response systems, and others still have chosen not to enact mandatory reporting laws for any type of maltreatment. In scholarly research and normative debates about mandatory reporting laws and their effects, the four major forms of child maltreatment-physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect-are often grouped together as if they are homogenous in nature, cause, and consequence. Yet, the heterogeneity of maltreatment types, and different reporting practices regarding them, must be acknowledged and explored when considering what legal and policy frameworks are best suited to identify and respond to cases. A related question which is often conjectured upon but seldom empirically explored, is whether reporting laws make a difference in case identification. This article first considers different types of child abuse and neglect, before exploring the nature and operation of mandatory reporting laws in different contexts. It then posits a differentiation thesis, arguing that different patterns of reporting between both reporter groups and maltreatment types must be acknowledged and analysed, and should inform discussions and assessments of optimal approaches in law, policy and practice. Finally, to contribute to the evidence base required to inform discussion, this article conducts an empirical cross-jurisdictional comparison of the reporting and identification of child sexual abuse in jurisdictions with and without mandatory reporting, and concludes that mandatory reporting laws appear to be associated with better case identification
Child abuse · Child neglect · Child sexual abuse · Criminology · Identification (biology · Medical emergency · Neglect · Normative · Physical abuse · Poison control · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychological abuse · Sexual abuse · Suicide prevention · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child Welfare and Adoption · Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse · Law · Medicine · Psychology
Assessment of mandatory reporting laws to break the silence of child sexual abuse
A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators to Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Childhood Maltreatment and Gratitude
Survey on Reporting of Child Abuse by Pediatricians
Comparing Reports of Child Sexual and Physical Abuse Using Child Welfare Agency Data in Two Jurisdictions with Different Mandatory Reporting Laws
Why is reporting so hard? Barriers to fulfilling the duty to report among community nurses in Israel
A Statewide Study of the Public's Knowledge of Child Abuse Reporting Laws
Protective Strategies of Mothers Abused by Intimate Partners
Applying intersectionality theory to understand female Arab art‐therapists’ experiences with child maltreatment mandatory reporting
Adults’ Endorsement of Children’s Protection and Participation Rights and Likelihood of Reporting Abuse
Child Sexual Abuse Cases
School personnel and child abuse and neglect reporting behavior
Adolescent sexual abuse victims' levels of perceived social support and delayed disclosure
To split or include? Child sexual abuse mandate reporting in the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Israel
Child sexual abuse reporting intentions of primary school teachers in South Africa
Childhood Victimization
The economic burden of child maltreatment in the United States and implications for prevention
A Meta-Analysis of the Published Research on the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse in a national survey of adult men and women
Factors influencing children to self-disclose sexual abuse
Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect on Adult Economic Well-Being
The Universality of Childhood Emotional Abuse
The Battered-Child Syndrome
Unraveling “Unsubstantiated”
Mandated reporting
Emotional abuse and neglect (psychological maltreatment)
Ten-Year Research Update Review
Childhood Experience and the Expression of Genetic Potential
Mandatory Reporting Legislation in the United States, Canada, and Australia
The Victimization of Children and Youth
A 12-Year Prospective Study of the Long-term Effects of Early Child Physical Maltreatment on Psychological, Behavioral, and Academic Problems in Adolescence
Time to Leave Substantiation Behind
Sexual Abuse and Lifetime Diagnosis of Psychiatric Disorders
Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-4): Report to Congress: Executive Summary
Child neglect
Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high-income countries
Creating Capabilities
Mandatory Reporting Laws and the Identification of Severe Child Abuse and Neglect
Delay in disclosure of childhood rape
Three Decades of Child Maltreatment Research
Child protection and society
Child protection and society
Corporal punishment by parents and associated child behaviors and experiences
Five tumultuous years in Australian child protection
Issues in Differential Response
Thinking Differentially
| Unique citing works | 15 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,5 |
| Citation span | 2016 - 2025 (10) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 15 |