NCJ Number
214265
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 30 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2006 Pages: 341-343
Date Published
April 2006
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the confusion surrounding the meaning of “reasonable suspicion” found in laws mandating child abuse reporting.
Abstract
The main point of the author is that “reasonable suspicion” must be clearly defined within the law and physicians and other professionals who work with children must be educated on the thresholds for mandated reporting and on the interpretation of “reasonable suspicion,” as well as on aspects of child abuse and neglect. All 50 States and the District of Columbia have laws mandating that physicians and other professionals who come into contact with children report any “reasonable suspicion” of child abuse. While the exact wording of legal statutes differ somewhat, most refer to some ambiguous “reasonable cause to believe” that child abuse may have occurred, which is left undefined by the law. Research is reviewed on barriers to physician reporting of child abuse, some of which reports that physicians are confused about what constitutes “reasonable suspicion” and that their judgments on “reasonable suspicion” vary widely. References