NCJ Number
106533
Journal
Family Law Quarterly Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1986) Pages: 141-171
Date Published
1986
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the evolution and current status of child abuse reporting laws (CARL's), examines problems in them, and proposes legislative guidelines for developing a statute that will more effectively fulfill the protective purposes of CARL's.
Abstract
At present, State laws vary with respect to reportable conditions, mandated reporters, requisite degree of certainty, and abrogation of privileged communications. Most States provide immunity, have similar reporting procedures, and impose sanctions for failure to report. A major problem with CARL's is the great variation in how abuse and neglect are defined and the effects of definitional issues on the effectiveness and equality of reporting. It is suggested that to be effective, CARL's should be specific enough to prevent improper application, yet broad enough to identify children in need of help. They should allow for differences in values and cultures and should result in even-handed, nondiscriminatory application. They should be practical and understandable, and should take into account what can reasonably be accomplished given limited resources of child protective agencies. 212 references.