NCJ Number
142870
Journal
Law and Policy Volume: 14 Issue: 2 and 3 Dated: special issue (April/July 1992) Pages: 241-256
Date Published
1992
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Thirty psychotherapists who had made a recent mandated report of suspected child maltreatment by a client were interviewed about their experiences with reporting and the consequences of reporting for therapeutic relationships; several potentially problematic consequences and dilemmas were mentioned by the therapists.
Abstract
Findings indicate that the reporting mandate changes the psychotherapeutic relationship. Especially with families, it creates important questions that pertain to who is really the client presenting for treatment, whose interests are to be protected, and how the therapist can integrate the tasks of doing treatment while acting to protect the child. Many of the therapists indicated that positive effects can be achieved through mandated reporting of child abuse if the therapist has a good working relationship with the client prior to the report. Under this circumstance, the therapist and the client can address together in continuing treatment the problems that may arise from the report. Further research is required to address the ethical and practical dilemmas experienced by therapists, to understand the conditions under which the law promotes therapeutic or antitherapeutic effects, and to understand the therapeutic approaches that may overcome difficulties. 25 references