Reporting Obligations for Suspected Abuse

Abuse refers to an action that causes or intends to cause harm to an individual, or a failure to prevent harm or potential harm to an individual. Mandated reporters are individuals who are legally required to report any cases of suspected abuse to an appropriate agency. Each state within the United States has statutes that designate certain individuals, often based on their profession, as mandated reporters. The history of mandated reporting began with a need to address physical abuse specifically; however, mandated reporters now serve to protect vulnerable individuals against other types of abuse. Abuse has significant negative consequences for the victims, and there are many reasons why a victim may not report the abuse himself or herself. Therefore, mandated reporters play an important role ...