CHURCH BOARD GUIDE TO A CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION POLICY 3. State Reporting Obligations


Developing and following a reporting procedure is a critical component in a sexual abuse prevention program. Child sexual abuse thrives when it goes unnoticed or unreported. Often, an abusive situation continues because of someone’s failure to report it. All church workers need to know what constitutes an occasion for reporting, the reporting channels they should use, and their obligations to make a report.


Reporting obligations An effective reporting procedure enhances the effort to protect chil- dren. Ordinarily, child molesters will not remain in a church where workers are trained to identify symptoms of child abuse and are encour- aged to report suspicious behavior. Child abusers thrive on secrecy and are more likely to commit criminal acts in organizations where they go unnoticed.


State compliance—a legal obligation Church workers should be aware of state laws that govern the report- ing of child abuse. Every state has a mandatory reporting law which specifies the following:


1.What constitutes child abuse. 2. Those persons (“mandatory reporters”) who are legally respon- sible for reporting known and reasonably suspected cases of abuse. Most states require a direct report to a state agency.


3. The length of time required to make a report. In most states, those providing professional care or services to children have a 48 hour period to make a report. In some states, an oral report is due within 24 hours.


4. The nature and content of the report. Many states permit the reporter to remain anonymous. However, if an individual desires to remain anonymous, the report should be made over the phone in the presence of an attorney or other independent witness who can verify later, if necessary, the identity of the reporter. This may become important if the reporter later is charged with negligence for failing to make a report. If no wit- nesses to the report exist, and the report is done anonymously, providing a defense becomes problematic.


40


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74