Because it's mandated

 Because it’s mandated

 

In Maryland, people whose jobs put them in positions of responsibility for children are required by law to report ANY suspicion of child harm to the local child protective services.  That means ANY thing a child might say or do that suggests a child is in danger. 

A person who "violates this section of the code is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or both. (c) This section applies only to a failure to report child abuse or neglect that occurs during the time the child is a minor."  If the individual has a license to practice his/her profession that license can be lost.   Child protective services bear the responsibility to investigate the seriousness of the event.

Pretty extreme don’t you think?  Well not exactly.  Children who are abused have life-long impacts both mentally and physically.  Depression, suicidal ideation and anxiety become lifetime challenges. Establishing relationships with partners is very difficult, especially if the partner does not fully understand the comprehensive damage of abuse.   Addiction to drugs and alcohol are also common to help deaden the flashbacks.  IBS, acid-reflux, even esophageal cancer can be physical manifestations of abuse.

What if I am just a "bystander", a neighbor or someone in a store.  The law does not require you to report.  If you care about the protection of children, your conscience should demand that you do.

The beginning of help for these children is to be believed. That means sometimes professionals have to recognize the unthinkable- some parents harm their children. That is why regardless of how outlandish the report from the child may seem to the caregiver, the child must be believed enough to allow for follow-up investigation and examination by a physician.

Johns Hopkins hospital has established the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse as part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

There are 24 child advocacy centers in Maryland.  In these centers, social workers, law enforcement, doctors, prosecutors and child advocates work together to support kids who have been abused.  

But hey, isn’t this overkill?   Let’s get real, do we report parents when kids say they have been spanked- yep you better had.  Because you are only the reporter NOT the investigator.  And the very first step to eliminating child abuse is to BELIEVE the child.  The rest will sort itself out after a full investigation.  And YES- there are real consequences to both YOU and the child if you don’t fulfill what you are required by law to do