NCJ Number
242100
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 37 Issue: 2-3 Dated: February/March 2013 Pages: 93-101
Date Published
March 2013
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses research that has examined how mandatory reporting laws, as recommended under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, can be used as part of a resilience process for victims of child maltreatment.
Abstract
The use of mandatory reporting laws has been found to be an intervention in the child maltreatment trajectory that can lead to engagement with service systems aimed at promoting the resilience process. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) stipulates that countries should commit to establishing minimal standards of care for minors, including establishing laws requiring professionals to report incidences of child maltreatment to authorities. This article reports on the research that has examined mandatory reporting in the area of child maltreatment, and discusses how mandatory reporting can be incorporated into the resilience process. Research that has examined how mandatory reporting has improved the ability of authorities to identify children at risk for maltreatment is discussed. In addition, results from studies that have looked at the problem of under-reporting of child maltreatment are discussed. The results of these studies suggest that mandatory reporting by professionals, especially physicians, can improve outcomes for victims of child maltreatment given their improved access to child welfare services. Using the results of additional studies, the authors discuss how mandatory reporting can be incorporated into evidence-based approaches aimed at preventing and treating cases of child maltreatment. References