ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND, CASE CHARACTERISTICS, AND PROTECTIVE AGENCY RESPONSE IN MANDATED CHILD ABUSE REPORTING

• NCJ Number: 147688
• Author(s): G L Zellman; R M Bell
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 178 pages
• Grant Number(s): 90-CA-1213/02
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Corporate Author: Rand Corporation
• Sale Source: Rand Corporation; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Methodology and findings are presented for a study that examined the reporting behavior of professionals required by law to report suspected child maltreatment.

Abstract

Data on reporting behavior were obtained from a survey of mandated reports; this survey also included vignettes that measured reporting intentions. Data on child protective agency responses were collected in the course of semistructured field interviews in selected child protective agencies. The survey was mailed in spring 1987 to general and family practitioners, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and social workers in 15 States. The response rate was 59 percent. An expanded and integrated model of reporting intentions that included both reporter variables and case characteristics revealed that case characteristics were substantially more important in predicting reporting intentions than reporting variables. Still, reporter characteristics explained a significant amount of the variance shown in these equations. This report concludes that the lack of child abuse reporting knowledge and training is associated with consistent failure to report suspected child maltreatment. More training may increase the likelihood that mandated reporters, particularly those who have never reported, will recognize and report abuse. 16 tables and appended questionnaire