Administrators and teachers are mandated to report child abuse. This has caused a lot of discussion these past years; child abuse needs to be reported. According to the National Children’s Alliance, more than 550,000 children in the US are abused. Under Pennsylvania law, any school employee, youth camp counselor, or sports coach must report suspected child abuse. Penalties for a mandated reporter who fails to report include a third-degree misdemeanor for the first violation and a second-degree misdemeanor for the second time.
Joe Werner, a social worker at Pennridge High School, deals with these types of cases every year. “When a case gets reported, Bucks County Children and Youth has an interview with the student and meets the student’s family; they then decide where they want to go from there. Their goal is not to separate families but to come up with a solution and be safe.”
Many people say that mandating reporting puts teachers in a difficult situation. Some people say that it is not a teacher’s place to be required to report something just because they suspect it. This might be true for some teachers, but Jeanette Barns, an elementary school teacher, has thankfully never had to make a report. She says, “The safety of my children is my number one priority, it makes me feel better knowing that students are not alone and we can get them the help they need.” Administrators can report a case by calling the 1-800 number or going online; many teachers and students go to see the school social workers before making the report.
People say that mandating reporting can be inappropriate; some say that this destroys relationships with the school, and parents are less likely to trust the school if it is a false report. However, better safe than sorry. Teachers go through hours of training for recognizing and reporting child abuse. In Pennsylvania, the training can take up to three hours to complete. Child abuse is something that is an ongoing issue every day, and mandating reporting can get the students the help that they need.
