The Importance Of Mandated Reporting

Mandated reporting is meant to increase the safety net for children. By expanding the safety net to include those that are already interacting with them on a daily basis the chance that someone will notice signs of abuse are increase exponentially. These laws were necessary, not because those interacting and working with children and families were callous and uncaring; professionals working with families are often concern with the sequelae of such accusations. There are many reasons a professional may second-guess the wisdom of making such reports. One of the primary thoughts in my mind when reporting suspected child abuse or neglect is that this type of accusation will irreparably destroy any working relationship they may have with the family. This results in a damaged relationship, without actually initiating any action that will result in protection or assistance for the child or family. However as clinicians the clients hierarchy of needs must remain in clear focus. The clients safety must be secured before we could hope to make progress with any other type of intervention. …show more content…
Reporting professionals become frustrated with the lack of response to reports and situations that the professional feels pose a substantial risk of immanent harm, yet often the only response from the centralized reporting system is a form letter stating that the report did not rise to a level that necessitated further investigation.
Despite the frustration, it is necessary to accept that mandated reporting is the law and if one is going to practice social work, it is important to understand and abide by the mandated reporter