The Effects of Sociodemographic Variables, Training, and Attitudes on the Lifetime Reporting Practices of Mandated Reporters

Abstract

This study examined the effects of sociodemographic, training, and attitudinal variables on the child maltreatment lifetime reporting proportion (LRP) of 382 randomly selected pediatricians, master's level social workers (MSWs), and physician assistants (PAs). Findings indicated a lifetime mean of 24 suspected cases of child maltreatment and an average of 16 reported cases with an LRP of 69%. Pediatricians reported the highest LRP (76%), followed by MSWs (63%) and PAs (60%); differences in LRP were partially reduced to nonsignificance after adjusting for the other independent variables. Multivariate analysis revealed that the strongest predictors of LRP were case-related attitudes, professional concerns, institutional setting, and the amount of training the professional received. These results demonstrate the importance of professional education and opinions of mandated reporters in reporting practices.