NCJ Number
141615
Journal
Law and Human Behavior Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1993) Pages: 83-93
Date Published
1993
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a study that surveyed 226 licensed psychologists from two States regarding factors related to the reporting of suspected child abuse.
Abstract
Because there are individual differences in reporting decisions, this study hypothesized that clinicians who have not, at some point in their practice, reported suspected abuse would place greater emphasis on situational factors related to abuse, such as its perceived seriousness and salience of abuse indicators. In contrast, clinicians who have consistently reported suspected abuse were expected to place greater emphasis on legal and professional standards. Participants received a survey that contained nine items that pertained to factors of potential importance in clinicians' decisions to report suspected abuse. Psychologists were asked to indicate how important each factor had been in their previous reporting decisions. Comparisons between participants who have consistently and inconsistently reported indicated that psychologists who have consistently reported rated legal factors as more important than those who have inconsistently reported. Additionally, clinicians who have inconsistently reported were more likely to indicate evidence of abuse as being important in reporting and less likely to report subjective suspicions of abuse. Results indicate that a number of factors influence reporting decisions. Implications for public policy and professional training are discussed. 4 tables and 27 references