Mandatory Reporting Research Articles

Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds: A Call to End Mandated Reporting Laws

Mandated reporting laws are pertinent to practitioners of “helping professions,” such as social workers, doctors, nurses, and teachers. These laws dictate that a professional or student in those fields must report suspected child maltreatment to the state for investigation. The report, as well as the investigation that follows, has the potential to result in removal and separation of children from their parents or caretakers. The child welfare system of which mandated reporting is a component has a cruel history of racism and white supremacy, as well as prejudice towards those experiencing poverty, disabilities, mental health concerns, homelessness, and substance use disorders. This research examines the disproportionate harm the child welfare system has on Black and Brown individuals, particularly in New York, and how the system has used mandated reporting laws to further marginalize oppressed communities since the 1970s. This research indicates the need to comprehensively reimagine the erroneously named “child welfare system” starting with repealing mandated reporting laws in the United States.

The Real Effects of Mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in China

We investigate the real effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting regulation enacted in China in 2008 covering both state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) and non‐state‐owned enterprises (NSOEs). As the CSR reporting requirement applies only to select firms, the regulation presents a unique setting that provides us with a suitable control sample of firms not subject to the regulation. Using a difference‐in‐differences approach, we document that relative to firms that are not affected by the regulation, NSOEs and SOEs with low state ownership subject to the mandate are associated with increases in CSR expenditures. Moreover, the real effects manifest in non‐core initiatives for these firms, whereas they manifest in core operating activities for SOEs with high state ownership. Finally, the effects of the mandatory CSR reporting on profitability and shareholder value are negative.

A randomized control trial of a child abuse mandated reporter training: Knowledge and attitudes

BackgroundDespite being well-positioned to identify maltreatment in the children that they provide care for and being legally required to report suspected child maltreatment, early childhood professionals (ECPs) make a limited proportion of reports to child protective services. It is critical to identify evidence-based interventions to improve the reporting practices of this group of mandated reporters allowing for the better protection of children from maltreatment. ObjectiveThe goal of the present study was to determine if iLookOut, an online child abuse identification and reporting training for ECPs, results in differential gains in knowledge and attitudes towards child abuse and its reporting among ECPs, as compared to an online standard training. Participants and settingBoth interventions were completed online by participants recruited from licensed child care programs in Southern Maine from October 2017 to January 2020. Eligibility criteria included being at least 18 years of age, English-speaking, and working as paid or volunteer staff at a licensed child care program taking care of children 5 years of age or younger. Of the 1152 enrolled individuals, 1094 provided complete pre- and post-intervention data. MethodsA randomized controlled trial comparing iLookOut with an online standard training. ResultsECPs who completed iLookOut significantly outperformed those who completed Standard mandated reporter training in terms of both knowledge (d=1.09 vs. 0.67) and attitudes (d=0.67 vs. 0.54) relative to pre-test scores. ConclusionsiLookOut is a promising candidate for widespread use in meeting the need for evidence-based training on child abuse and its reporting.

State Child Welfare Policies and the Measurement of Child Maltreatment in the United States.

State-level child welfare policies and practices affect what can be referred, investigated, and substantiated as child maltreatment, and these institutional factors vary across states and over time. Researchers typically have not accounted for these factors in analyses, confounding institutional features with the underlying construct they seek to study. The present study addresses this limitation by demonstrating how changes in specific state child welfare policies and practices influence reported and substantiated maltreatment in the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). Using negative binomial models with state and year fixed-effects to analyze data from 2005 to 2018, we found significant influence of state policy and practice changes on state-level rates of reported and substantiated maltreatment over time. If a state implemented three of the most common policy changes-adding mandated reporters, centralized intake, and staff-its maltreatment reports were an estimated 32% higher than they would have been in the absence of these changes. By contrast, most state policy changes decreased the number of reports that were substantiated-by 24% if they implemented both differential response and higher standards of proof. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.

Should teachers be mandated reporters?

Teachers are assigned a multitude of responsibilities they do not want, for which they are poorly suited, and that disrupt their primary roles. One such responsibility is the obligation to serve as mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse and neglect. Joan Goodman reviews the history of this duty, its current parameters, the harmful over-reporting, and its unfortunate consequences for children, teachers, and families. As an alternative to referring suspected abuse cases to authorities, schools could use logarithms for initial screening, involve personnel with more extensive training in identifying potential abuse, or consult a team of in-school personnel to evaluate cases before making referrals.

Do I Report This? Understanding Variation in the Content of State Mandatory Reporting Laws

Since accusations went public that administrators at Pennsylvania State University ignored reports of child abuse during the Jerry Sandusky trial almost a decade ago, several educational and state agencies have reinterpreted aspects of their respective laws requiring certain persons to report suspected child maltreatment (mandatory reporting laws). These reinterpretations were possible due to the ambiguity of statutory language used in the law and, subsequently, may have exposed individuals to a legal responsibility to report to which they were previously unaware. In this study, we use a thematic content analysis to examine variation across state mandatory reporting statutes from all fifty states as of 2016. Three themes emerged from this analysis: definitions for reasonableness, immediacy of danger, and inclusion of mandated reporters. Generally, we found that the vague language and variation in the content of the law, though well intentioned, may contribute to uncertainty in knowing when a report is necessary and who must report it. We conclude with considerations for future research, as well as highlight potential implications for instructors and researchers in higher education. These findings can contribute to our understanding of ambiguity in the law. Further, the sources of variability we identify in this analysis may help to anticipate potential shifts in legal risk in the wake of recent and future reinterpretations of ambiguously worded policy.

Not Seeing Like a State: Mandated Reporting, State-Adjacent Actors and the Production of Illegible Subjects

Abstract Previous scholarship has described how the state “sees” subjects and is itself seen, but has not adequately considered the unfolding interactional dynamics through which subjects become legible or not. This article devises an analytical approach to the micro-dynamics of legibility. Drawing on ethnographic and interview data from violence prevention programs in Los Angeles high schools, the author examines the street-level enactment of third-party mandated reporting, which tasks state-adjacent actors with reporting when a student discloses harm. While the delegation of reporting broadens the state’s horizon of visibility, it also disrupts taken for granted mechanisms of state legibility and perception. This study maps a sequence of micro-level dynamics through which illegible subjects are produced. First, third-party mandated reporters distanced themselves from the visible marks of the state in interactions with young people and presented themselves using markers of interpersonal connection. Second, students applied pre-existing situational definitions of interactions with non-state adults, opening up space for accounts of harm to emerge. Finally, facilitators produced illegibility as they discouraged young people from engagement with the state and trained them in interactional strategies of vagueness and de-personalization to make their harm illegible to policy mechanisms.

Training for mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect: Content analysis of state-sponsored curricula

BackgroundChild abuse and neglect is a public health concern around the world, with well-established impacts and costs to children, families, and society. While mandated reporters make the majority of reports, child abuse is still under-reported and many mandated reporters fail to report known and suspected cases. ObjectiveThis study was designed to evaluate the content of US state-sponsored online mandated reporter training in order to identify gaps and need for improvement in mandated reporter training. MethodsA deductive qualitative content analysis of the publicly available curricula was conducted. Variables coded were identified through a literature review and consultation with experts. ResultsNumerous gaps were identified in the curricula including: few trainings identified reasons why reports should be made, only about one fourth included a definition, indicators, and examples of each type of maltreatment, the average number of suggestions for responding to a disclosure made by a child was 3, and few curricula addressed barriers to reporting or the impact of reporting on the reporter. ConclusionsThe trainings as a whole are not providing mandated reporters with comprehensive information about definitions, examples, and indicators of the major types of childhood maltreatment. In addition, the trainings contain only limited information to motivate reporters to see their role as part of a collective endeavor to protect children, and they are failing to adequately address reluctance about reporting. However, improvements are readily achievable. A partnership approach to curriculum design and delivery is recommended to develop effective training that will promote sound reporting.

When "Shelter-in-Place" Isn't Shelter That's Safe: a Rapid Analysis of Domestic Violence Case Differences during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Stay-at-Home Orders.

This study explored the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on domestic violence (DV) with the following research questions: 1) Did DV occurring during the pandemic differ on certain variables from cases occurring on a typical day the previous year? 2) Did DV occurring after the implementation of shelter-in-place orders differ (on these same variables) from cases occurring prior to shelter-in-place orders? Two logistic regression models were developed to predict DV case differences before and during the pandemic. DV reports (N = 4618) were collected from the Chicago Police Department. Cases from March 2019 and March 2020 were analyzed based on multiple variables. One model was set to predict case differences since the pandemic began, and another model was set to predict case differences during the shelter-in-place period later that month. Both models were significant with multiple significant predictors. During the pandemic period, cases with arrests were 20% less likely to have occurred, and cases at residential locations were 22% more likely to have occurred. During the shelter-in-place period, cases at residential locations were 64% more likely to have occurred, and cases with child victims were 67% less likely to have occurred. This study offers a rapid analysis of DV case differences since the pandemic and shelter-in-place began. Additional variables and data sources could improve model explanatory power. Research, policy, and practice in this area must pivot to focus on protecting children whose access to mandated reporters has decreased and moving victims out of dangerous living situations into safe spaces.

An Unintended Abolition: Family Regulation During the COVID-19 Crisis

In a typical year, New York City’s vast family regulation system, fueled by an army of mandated reporters, investigates tens of thousands of reports of child neglect and abuse, policing almost exclusively poor Black and Latinx families even as the government provides those families extremely limited support. When the City shut down in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, this system shrunk in almost every conceivable way as mandated reporters retreated, caseworkers adopted less intrusive investigatory tactics, and family courts constrained their operations. Reports fell, the number of cases filed in court fell, and the number of children separated from their parents fell. At the same time, families found support elsewhere, through suddenly ubiquitous mutual aid networks and through infusions of new government entitlements. This large-scale reconfiguration of the family regulation system represents a short-term experiment in abolition: in this period, New Yorkers moved away from a system that oppressed poor Black and Latinx and not only envisioned but built a more democratic and humane model to protect families.This Article argues that this new model kept families just as safe. Data from the courts and from the City’s Administration for Children’s Services reveals that during the shutdown period, there was no rise in child abuse. Furthermore, once the City began to re-open, there was no perceivable “rebound effect,” i.e. a delayed, compensatory rise in reports. Thus, this Article positions the COVID-19 shutdown period as a successful case study, demonstrating one possible future absent the massive, oppressive apparatus of the family regulation system.

The Effect of Mandatory Non-Financial Reporting on CSR (And Environmentally Sustainable) Investment: a Discontinuity Design Approach

We investigate the effects of the introduction of non-financial reporting (NFR) on investment related to corporate social responsibility (CSR). We focus on environmental sustainability by using as exogenous treatment the Italian implementation of the EU Directive 2014/95 that has made NFR mandatory for companies of 500 employees and above passing threshold levels of either net sales or total assets. We estimate the causal effect on data from the ISTAT Multiscopo Survey (including the universe of middle and large sized Italian companies and a large sample of small companies) with a fuzzy discontinuity design approach and find evidence of a sharp discontinuity around the cutoff. Our empirical findings show that mandatory NFR is associated to significant positive effects on CSR investments in some crucial domains (waste management, recycle/reused material in inputs, pollution control, emission reduction). Their magnitude implies that between 20 to 30 percent of additional firms are involved in CSR investments in general and specifically in all the considered types of environmentally sustainable investment. Policy implications of our findings are that the reduction of the mandatory NFR threshold including also medium sized firms could significantly contribute to extend corporate investment in CSR and, more specifically, in environmental sustainability.

Discussion on Implementation of Mandatory Corporate Sustainability Reporting

Discussion on Implementation of Mandatory Corporate Sustainability Reporting

Supplemental Material for Mandatory Reporting and Clinician Decision-Making When a Client Discloses Sexual Interest in Children

Supplemental Material for Mandatory Reporting and Clinician Decision-Making When a Client Discloses Sexual Interest in Children

Perceptions of mandatory reporting among family physicians to protect victims of elder abuse in Mongolia

Every year, approximately 10% of older adults worldwide experience elder abuse (EA), a serious violation of human rights. A wide range of consequences of EA have been identified including increased vulnerability to morbidity and mortality. Some countries have regulations to protect victims of EA either under stand-alone EA laws or relevant laws such as mandatory reporting. As of 2016, family physicians (FPs) in Mongolia became mandatory reporters of domestic violence alongside other human service workers under the newly amended Law to Combat Domestic Violence. Evidence shows that health providers who report abuse cases have greater awareness of their mandatory obligations to report. No rigorous study has explored the extent to which FPs in Mongolia know about mandatory reporting and their perceptions about its effectiveness to help victims of EA. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted. Through purposive sampling, 15 FPs participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. The data collection took place over Skype. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. Surprisingly, all participants were aware of their mandatory obligations to report cases of domestic violence including EA. However, the study revealed that FPs were doubtful that potential victims of EA would be effectively protected under the new regulation due to the public perception that services and legal resources are designed primarily for women and children. Addressing this misconception is critical for ensuring that resources are appropriately utilized for potential victims of EA as well.

“A victim/survivor needs agency”: Sexual assault survivors’ perceptions of university mandatory reporting policies

AbstractIn institutions of higher education, mandatory reporting policies require certain employees to report students’ sexual assault disclosures to university officials, even if the student does not want to report. It is commonly assumed that these policies will benefit survivors, but there is a paucity of research to substantiate this assumption. The current study examined college sexual assault survivors’ perceptions of mandatory reporting policies, including three specific policy approaches (Universal, Selective, Student‐Directed). Interviews were conducted with 40 college sexual assault survivors and thematic analysis was used to analyze these data. Results found that the mandatory reporting policy approaches that survivors prefer, which limit the number of mandatory reporters and offer more autonomy and flexibility, do not align with the policy approaches most frequently implemented within institutions of higher education (i.e., Universal). Survivors anticipated more harms resulting from mandatory reporting than benefits (e.g., pushing survivors into disclosures before they are ready, increasing stress and anxiety, discouraging help‐seeking from trusted sources of support on campus). Survivors lacked substantive knowledge of their university's mandatory reporting policy. Findings suggest that policy makers at institutional, state, and federal levels should consider survivors’ perspectives when crafting such policies and institutions should increase educational efforts about mandatory reporting.

Sars-Cov-2 in children - insights and conclusions from the mandatory reporting data in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, March-July 2020.

Introduction: From the beginning of the corona pandemic until August 19, 2020, more than 21,989,366 cases have been reported worldwide – 228,495 in Germany alone, including 12,648 children aged 0–14. In many countries, the proportion of infected children in the total population is comparatively low; in addition, children often have no or milder symptoms and are less likely to transmit the pathogen to adults than the other way round. Based on the registration data in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the symptoms of children in comparison with adults and the likely routes of transmission are presented below. Materials and methods: The documentation of the mandatory reports includes personal data (name, date of birth, gender, place of residence), disease characteristics (date of report, date of onset of the disease, symptoms), possible contact persons (family, others) and i.a. possible activity or care in children’s community facilities. All reports were viewed, especially with regard to likely transmission routes.Results: From March 1 to July 31, 2020, 1,977 infected people were reported, including 138 children between the ages of 0 and 14 years. Children had fewer and milder symptoms than adults. None of the children experienced severe respiratory symptoms or the need for ventilation. 62% of the children had no symptoms at all (19% adults), 5% of the children were hospitalized (24% adults), and none of the children died (3.8% adults).After excluding a cluster of 34 children from refugee accommodations and 14 children from a parish, 78% of the remaining 90 children had been infected by an adult within the family, and only 4% were likely to have a reverse transmission route. In 5.5% of cases, transmission in a community facility was likely.Discussion: The results of the registration data from Frankfurt am Main, Germany confirm the results published in other countries: Children are less likely to become infected, and if infected, their symptoms are less severe than in adults, and they are apparently not the main drivers of virus transmission. Therefore, scientific medical associations strongly recommend reopening schools.

Duodenoscope Medical Device Reports Associated with Patient Infection, Patient Exposure, or Device Contamination

Background: Each year, the FDA receives more than a million reports of suspected device-associated deaths, serious injuries, and malfunctions. Medical device reports (MDRs) are submitted to the FDA by mandatory reporters (manufacturers, importers, and device user facilities) and voluntary reporters such as healthcare professionals, patients, and consumers. The FDA uses MDRs to monitor device performance, including monitoring reports of infection or device contamination to detect potential device-related safety issues and to share this information in public communications. In this analysis, the FDA presents MDRs for duodenoscopes, which are a type of flexible endoscope that have been associated with infections in patients. Methods: For this analysis, we searched the MDR database for duodenoscope reports submitted between January 2015 and July 1, 2019. MDRs were classified into clinical risk categories based on the MDR’s text narratives as patient infection (indicated the presence of infection in patients potentially transmitted by the device), patient exposure (indicated a contaminated device has been used in a patient, but the MDR lacks clear mention of patient infection), or device contamination (indicated that the device was contaminated, but no mention of device use in patients or patient infection). Results: Overall, 1,115 duodenoscope reports related to a patient infection, patient exposure, or device contamination for devices marketed inside and outside the United States were received from January 2015 to mid-2019. Among them, 79 MDRs were received for deaths in patient infection, patient exposure, or device contamination reports. The number of reported infections decreased from 247 MDRs in 2015 to 55 MDRs in the first half of 2019. Furthermore, the number of reported deaths decreased from 25 MDRs in 2015 to 2 MDRs reported in the first half of 2019. Conclusions: The MDR data indicate a decrease in the number of reported infections. The decrease in infections suggests that efforts to reduce the risk of infection from duodenoscopes have yielded improvements; however, additional improvements are necessary to further decrease the risk of infection.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

Bold Ideas Are Not Only for the Young: Mandatory Reporting of Physician Public Service Hours

Bold Ideas Are Not Only for the Young: Mandatory Reporting of Physician Public Service Hours

28. AN APPROACH TO DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS FOR PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS: CHILD MALTREATMENT

Background Identifying and managing suspected child maltreatment is an unfortunate part of every pediatrician's job. Many pediatric trainees feel uncomfortable with multiple aspects of suspected child maltreatment cases including introducing concerns with caregivers, asking follow-up questions, documentation, requirements for mandated reporters, and available resources. Just like medical knowledge, communicating with patients and families in difficult situations is a skill that can be taught but may be lacking in the formal medical curriculum. Objectives: To teach a skill set that will increase resident comfort level in the setting of suspected child maltreatment, specifically: introducing the concern with caregivers, follow up questions, reviewing requirements as mandated reporters, and practical skills regarding physical examination and documentation. Methods A three-hour multi-modal workshop was developed for pediatric trainees at the beginning of their intern year to teach a skill set that would increase resident comfort level in the setting of suspected child maltreatment cases. Interns experienced a didactic session covering an approach to difficult conversations (SPIKES and HARD protocols) as well as practical knowledge regarding their role as mandated reporter, history taking, physical exam, and documentation. After the didactic session, residents experienced a role play session where they could practice the skills they just learned. Pre- and post- workshop surveys were obtained from trainees to evaluate both prior experience with child maltreatment cases as well as their comfort level with future child maltreatment scenarios before and after the workshop. Results A total of 28 Pediatric and Medicine/Pediatrics interns completed this workshop over the course of 3 academic years. Compared to pre-workshop data, interns felt more comfortable discussing concerns for child maltreatment with parents or caregivers (p Conclusions A three-hour multi-modal workshop improved interns’ comfort level regarding suspected child maltreatment cases including raising concerns with caregivers, communication with other team members, and documentation related to these cases. References “Practical Plans for Difficult Conversations in Medicine: Strategies That Work to Break Bad News.” Robert Buckman, MD PhD.

Aspek yuridis program e-karir dalam perspektif hukum ketenagakerjaan

The obligation of employers to report existing or future job vacancies in their company has been regulated by Presidential Regulation Number 4 of 1980 concerning Mandatory Reporting of Job Vacancies, it is necessary to make adjustments to the needs of the community and it is necessary to synchronize with the Manpower Law, so that it can provide legal protection for job seekers on the availability of job vacancies in an agency. Based on this, the author wants to examine the juridical aspects of the e-career program in the perspective of labor law and legal protection regulated in the Labor regulations against the availability of job vacancies in an agency. This type of research is normative juridical with a statutory approach and a historical approach. The results showed that the juridical aspects of the e-career program in order to reduce the unemployment rate have been regulated in the Law on Manpower as one of the national scale strategic policies. The Law on Manpower has provided legal protection for Job Seekers for the availability of job vacancies in an agency, through Articles 7 and 8 which regulate employment planning and information. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26905/idjch.v11i2.4397.