Reporting child abuse….never easy
I’ve been working with child abuse (sexual, physical, emotional and neglect) my entire career. This was not something I planned on working with but rather life just placed it at my feet. Any time you are entering the field you are trying things out, learning what you like, what you don’t, why and why not. Is the client population…or is it really your work place setting that is preventing you from doing effective work? Usually the latter. It’s never an easy thing to do.
Here is a blog piece I recently developed for students:
Child abuse reporting presents a profound ethical dilemma for therapists, as they navigate the delicate balance between confidentiality and the duty to protect vulnerable individuals, especially children. In the therapeutic relationship, trust is paramount, and breaking confidentiality can undermine the foundation of trust that is crucial for effective therapy. However, when faced with suspicions or disclosures of child abuse since therapists are mandated reporters we are legally obligated to report any suspected (not confirmed) cases to the appropriate authorities. This dual role places therapists in a challenging position, more so than any other profession as we must reconcile our ethical obligations to our clients with our legal obligations to protect children.
One way therapists can help buffer against this the rupture of the therapeutic relationship is collaborative reporting. Collaborative report is when you the mandated reporter inform the family you are making a report. In a professional capacity this could vary some. For clinicians this means we are making a report, the client/family is informed, and we continue to work with the family. Sometimes families are very upset about the report and have an emotionally charged reaction. If the client is a child or teen, they may feel guilty for disclosing anything and shut down while others are thankful someone is stepping in. They may be angry at you. The therapist can hold space for these emotions and then help clients understand the reporting process. We report, the Department of Children Protective Services chooses to take the report and to investigate. Understanding the differences can help alleviate some concern. However, this process may be too much of a violation of trust and sometimes cannot be reconciled. This can weigh heavy on the therapist as the therapeutic relationship ended prematurely and what happens to the child is unknown. This brings up a lot of self doubt with clinicians and even leads to second guessing themselves.
Post pandemic, many states are overrun with reports, lack social services workers, and many reports are backlogged which is where reports were never initiated. Thus, abuse was never investigated and many continued to live in harmful environments. Cases are categorized by severity level. For example if verbal abuse is reported and there is a running backlog it may not be accepted. Further, low forms of abuse are often closed out due to lack of severity or risk of fatality. Something that is not also not discussed is the individuality and skills of each investigator. Every case could have a different outcome based on the investigator.
One of the most difficult aspects of reporting child abuse is when your report is not accepted by the state for investigation. This can feel defeating, helplessness can set in, and often something you have to live with. Just because we make a report does not mean it is accepted. If this happens, you can file another report. Make a call. Advocate.
At the end of the day, reporting saves lives. It keeps children and teens safe. Our feelings about reporting are not something that is considered when making a determination to report- that’s our responsibility to deal with.
