Child Abuse Ethical Responsibilities, Research Paper Example

Reporting child abuse is mandated by federal laws and state statutes. There are several requirements for education professionals to make commitment to children’s psychological health. The below essay will review the main responsibilities of educators, and the related legislation.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2005) code of ethi8cal conduct states that educators should respect and support families in their task of nurturing children” (NAEYC, 2005, p. 9). Further, the ethical conduct also states that when educators are made aware of situations that might endanger children, it is their responsibility to report the activity and inform parents or the related services.

All states in the U.S. signed up for mandatory reporting statutes, and this is an obligation of several professionals, including social workers, teachers, principals, child care providers, and law enforcement officers alike. The Child Welfare publication (2014) defines this obligation as “institutional reporting”, which means that as a minimum, the leadership of the school or organization needs to be provided with a detailed report. In Colorado, the name of the reporter needs to be included in the written document. Toll-free numbers are provided for professionals to make a report, and a mandated child abuse reporter has a legal obligation to let child welfare services know about their suspicions. In Colorado, the statute Rev. Stat. § 19-3-304 requires medial staff, public or private school employees and officials, among others to report child abuse. These professionals are mandated reporters. The report is mandatory, according to the law if the mandated reporter “has reasonable cause to know or suspect child abuse or neglect” (The Child Welfare publication, 2014, p. 13), or they observed the child being subjected to abuse or neglect. While the name and personal details of the reporter need to be included in the report, the identity of the person is protected. Failure to comply with the obligation results in Class 3 misdemeanor in Colorado, and individuals can be liable for damages caused. Similar provisions are in place for false reporting.

References

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2014). Mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.

NAEYC (2005) Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Position statement. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf