NCJ Number
188384
Date Published
2001
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This report provides a listing of State statutes in handling reports of suspected child abuse or neglect specifically in the areas of reporting procedures and authorization for joint investigations.
Abstract
Every State and the District of Columbia have statutes specifying procedures that State agencies must follow in handling reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. In the majority of States, these procedures include requirements for cross-systemic reporting and/or information sharing among professional agencies. Reports are typically shared among social service agencies (i.e., Department of Health and Social Services, Department of Human Services, Department of Children and Family Services), law enforcement departments and prosecutors’ offices. In this report, reporting laws are presented on cross reporting among systems drawn from State Statutes Elements 6 and 14; Element 6 covers reporting procedures and Element 14 the authorization for joint investigations. All 50 States and the District of Columbia are represented.