The question that keeps coming up with my classmates is about mandatory reporting. They are freaked out by it, as well they should be. Fat Jack has been a mandated reporter for years and I think I have a good handle on the subject. I’ve hotlined a couple of times, and seen them mostly ignored., but that is not my issue.
When I was 12, a friend (from school and church) told me and a buddy that her daddy was having sex with her every night. We were sitting in the church sanctuary, in the back pews, and she just told us one evening after church had ended. It spilled out and I did not know what to do with that kind of information. It scared me.
I went home and told my parents who then called our uncle who was in juvenile law enforcement. He helped us make the call. Social Services made a visit to the house that night and she denied it all. She, her sister, and their friends were some kind of mad at me the next day.
Fast forward 20 years and I find myself still discussing that issue. Unfortunately, I have had no classes that have effectively addressed this issue. One class had a speaker come and he was asked. He gave the best answer, but these students need to hear it again and again. Two instructors have mentioned it in passing after students have asked questions, but there has been no fundamental framework from which to understand the process and the teacher’s role in it all. Teachers need to really understand what it means to be a mandated reporter.
Teacher Misconceptions:
What these students do not understand is that they have an ethical, moral and legal obligation to hotline. Teachers are not investigators and they are not responsible for misconduct that occurs because of a hotline. Teachers are mandatory reporters. That means they have to report suspected abuse not confirmed abuse. They are reporters and are not responsible for substantiating a claim.
Yes, it is possible that a child may get hurt if a report is made. However, in the long run a report may very well save a child from years of abuse. If a teacher suspects abuse, then he or she is to call the hotline and make a report. Period.
Why is it that pre-service teachers do not receive extensive training in the ethics and procedures of mandated reporting? We receive plenty of instruction on philosophy related to teaching, but virtually nothing regarding this issue. I find my college experience to be great, but I believe the MSU College of Education is sorely lacking in mandated reporting instruction. I have emailed my professors about my feelings on this issue and I hope that change may occur.
Springfield has seen firsthand how well educated school officials are in the realm of reporting. Even principals have a hard time understanding the process. The ambiguity has lead to heartache.
When I was 12, a friend (from school and church) told me and a buddy that her daddy was having sex with her every night. We were sitting in the church sanctuary, in the back pews, and she just told us one evening after church had ended. It spilled out and I did not know what to do with that kind of information. It scared me.
I went home and told my parents who then called our uncle who was in juvenile law enforcement. He helped us make the call. Social Services made a visit to the house that night and she denied it all. She, her sister, and their friends were some kind of mad at me the next day.
Fast forward 20 years and I find myself still discussing that issue. Unfortunately, I have had no classes that have effectively addressed this issue. One class had a speaker come and he was asked. He gave the best answer, but these students need to hear it again and again. Two instructors have mentioned it in passing after students have asked questions, but there has been no fundamental framework from which to understand the process and the teacher’s role in it all. Teachers need to really understand what it means to be a mandated reporter.
Teacher Misconceptions:
- I don’t want to hotline because I am not sure if abuse actually occurred.
- What if I am wrong?
- What if the child gets a beating because I reported abuse?
- To whom do I report?
What these students do not understand is that they have an ethical, moral and legal obligation to hotline. Teachers are not investigators and they are not responsible for misconduct that occurs because of a hotline. Teachers are mandatory reporters. That means they have to report suspected abuse not confirmed abuse. They are reporters and are not responsible for substantiating a claim.
Yes, it is possible that a child may get hurt if a report is made. However, in the long run a report may very well save a child from years of abuse. If a teacher suspects abuse, then he or she is to call the hotline and make a report. Period.
Why is it that pre-service teachers do not receive extensive training in the ethics and procedures of mandated reporting? We receive plenty of instruction on philosophy related to teaching, but virtually nothing regarding this issue. I find my college experience to be great, but I believe the MSU College of Education is sorely lacking in mandated reporting instruction. I have emailed my professors about my feelings on this issue and I hope that change may occur.
Springfield has seen firsthand how well educated school officials are in the realm of reporting. Even principals have a hard time understanding the process. The ambiguity has lead to heartache.
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5 comments:
I think Community Partnership offers a free training periodically on mandated reporting.
Hi, I just did a blog search on this topic and want to thank you for this post. I had to call the hotline yesterday and a report was made; I then had to call a child's parents and let them know, which was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but they are a family I work closely with (I'm a speech therapist) and they would have easily found out from their daughter that she had reported the things she told me yesterday. The family is angry and heartbroken, feeling that trust was broken - what I am unable to make them see is that it is not up to me to make a judgment - I can't just say, "Oh, no, those folks are far too nice to do harm their daughter" and let it go! It was clear cut from my point of view in terms of what I had a responsibility to do, but from their angle it was absurd. I think more families need to be educated about who mandatory reporters are and what that means. Anyway, thanks for this post, which backs up what I know to be true.
I had to call family services for the first time last week. I'm a new teacher. I gave them my info when I called but I really hope it stays anonymous. I don't think that my principal would agree with me calling but I felt that I had to. I'm very nervous about it
Fat Jack.....I have a question
my son was choked by another parent on school grounds....a teacher had to pull her off of him...is that teacher still held to the Mandatory Reporting standards????
Yanna B-E-Z,
That depends on your state and the mandator laws there. But I would guess no. That does not sound like an abuse/neglect issue. It is a fighting issue and should be reported to the principal. In my district the school resource office would also likely be called.
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