Decision-Making Factors in the Mandatory Reporting of Child Maltreatment
- 14 Downloads
Abstract
The goal of this exploratory study was to investigate the factors that may impact a social worker’s decision to report suspected child maltreatment. A volunteer sample of social workers (n = 439) from Ontario, Canada completed an online survey where they reviewed three hypothetical vignettes of potential child maltreatment (exposure to intimate partner violence, physical, emotional). Social workers responded to questions regarding their decision-making and the factors which would impact their reporting decision (legal requirements, ethnicity of caregivers, circumstances around disclosure, reporting history, consultation or supervision, field of practice). A series of multiple logistic regression analyses were performed for each version of the three vignettes. The study found that consultation or supervision were significant predictors in social worker’s decision to report suspected child maltreatment. Peer consultation may assist with emotional regulation and provide an outside perspective to guide decision-making.
Keywords
Mandatory reporting Child maltreatment Child abuse and neglect Decision-making Culture Social work Vignette SurveyNotes
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of Interest
None
References
- Alvarez, K. M., Kenny, M. C., Donohue, B., & Carpin, K. M. (2004). Why are professionals failing to initiate mandated reports of child maltreatment, and are there any empirically based training programs to assist professionals in the reporting process? Aggression and Violent Behavior, 9(5), 563–578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2003.07.001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Ashton, V. (1999). Worker judgements of seriousness about and reporting of suspected child maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 23(6), 539–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(99)00032-0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Barsky, A. (2010). Ethics and values in social work: An integrated approach for a comprehensive curriculum. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
- Bennet, L. (2008). The “Spanking” Law: Section 43 of the Criminal Code. Ottawa: Parliament of Canada.Google Scholar
- Bogo, M., Paterson, J., Tufford, L., & King, R. (2011a). Supporting front-line practitioners’ professional development and job satisfaction in mental health and addiction. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 25, 209–214. https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820.2011.554240.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Bogo, M., Paterson, J., Tufford, L., & King, R. (2011b). Interprofessional clinical supervision in mental health and addiction: Toward identifying common elements. The Clinical Supervisor, 30(1), 124–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/07325223.2011.564961doi.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Bogo, M., Regehr, C., Logie, C., Katz, E., Mylopoulos, M., & Regehr, G. (2011). Adapting objective structured clinical examinations to assess social work students’ performance and reflections. Journal of Social Work Education, 47(1), 5–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Brown, R., & Strozier, M. (2004). Resisting abuse at what cost? The impact of mandated reporting laws on the process and content of therapy. Contemporary Family Therapy, 26(1), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:COFT.0000016911.48414.7d.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). Code of ethics. Ottawa: Author.Google Scholar
- Chang, J., Rhee, S., & Weaver, D. (2006). Characteristics of child abuse in immigrant Korean families and correlates of placement decisions. Child Abuse & Neglect, 30, 881–891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2006.03.002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Courtois, C. (1988). Healing the incest wound: Adult survivors in therapy. New York: Norton.Google Scholar
- Crenshaw, W. B., Crenshaw, L. M., & Lichtenberg, J. W. (1995). When educators confront child abuse: an analysis of the decision to report. Child Abuse & Neglect, 19(9), 1095–1113. https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(95)00071-F.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Criminal Code, R. S. C. (1985) c. C-46.Google Scholar
- Cyr, C., Michel, G., & Dumais, M. (2013). Child maltreatment as a global phenomenon: from trauma to prevention. International Journal of Psychology, 48(2), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207594.2012.705435.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Delaronde, S., King, G., Bendel, R., & Reece, R. (2000). Opinions among mandated reporters toward child maltreatment reporting policies. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(7), 901–910. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00151-4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Drake, B., Jonson-Reid, M., & Sapokaite, L. (2006). Re-reporting of child maltreatment: does participation in other public sector services moderate the likelihood of second maltreatment report? Child Abuse & Neglect, 30(11), 1201–1226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2006.05.008.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Dubowitz, H. (1997). Ethical issues in professionals’ response to child maltreatment. Child Maltreatment, 2(4), 348–355. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559597002004008.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Finucane, M. L., Peters, E., & Slovic, P. (2003). Judgment and decision-making: The dance of affect and reason. In S. L. Schneider & J. Shanteau (Eds.), Emerging perspectives on judgment and decision research (pp. 327–364). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Fleming, P., Biggart, L., & Beckett, C. (2015). Effects of professional experience on child maltreatment risk assessments: a comparison of students and qualified social workers. British Journal of Social Work, 45(8), 2298–2316. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcu090.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Fontes, L. A. (2005). Child abuse and culture: Working with diverse families. New York: The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
- Gambrill, E. (2005). Critical thinking in clinical practice: Improving the quality of judgments and decisions (2nd edn.). Hoboken: Wiley.Google Scholar
- Gambrill, E., & Shlonsky, A. (2000). Risk assessment in context. Children and Youth Services Review, 22(11/12), 813–837. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0190-7409(00)00123-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Gilbert, R., Kemp, A., Thoburn, J., Sidebotham, P., Radford, L., Glaser, D., & MacMillan, H. L. (2009). Recognising and responding to child maltreatment. Lancet, 373, 167–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61707-9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Gladding, S. T., Remley, T. P., & Huber, C. H. (2001). Ethical, legal, and professional issues in the practice of marriage and family therapy (3rd edn.). New York: Merrill Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
- Glancy, G. D., Regehr, D., & Bryant, A. G. (1998). Confidentiality in crisis: Part I – The duty to inform. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 43, 1001–1005. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674379804301004.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Graham, J. R., Brownlee, K., Shier, M., & Doucette, E. (2008). Localization of social work knowledge through practitioner adaptations in Northern Ontario and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Arctic, 61(4), 399–406. https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic48.Google Scholar
- Harries, M., & Clare, M. (2002). Mandatory reporting of child abuse: Evidence and options. Perth: University of Western Australia.Google Scholar
- Healy, A. (2009). How effectively do people learn from a variety of different opinions? Experimental Economics, 12, 386–416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10683-009-9220-1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Hong, G. K., & Hong, L. K. (1991). Comparative perspectives on child abuse and neglect: Chinese versus Hispanics and Whites. Child Welfare, 4, 463–475.Google Scholar
- Humble, M. N., Lewis, M. L., Scott, D. L., & Herzog, J. R. (2013). Challenges in rural social work practice: when support groups contain your neighbors, church members, and the PTA. Social Work with Groups, 36, 249–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/01609513.2012.753807.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Kenny, M. C. (2001). Child abuse reporting: teachers’ perceived deterrents. Child Abuse & Neglect, 25, 81–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00218-0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- King, C. B., & Scott, K. L. (2014). Why are suspected cases of child maltreatment referred by educators so often unsubstantiated? Child Abuse & Neglect, 38, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.06.002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- King, G., Reece, R., Bendel, R., & Patel (1998). The effects of sociodemographic variables, training, and attitudes on the lifetime reporting practices of mandated reporters. Child Maltreatment, 3(3), 276–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559598003003007.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Kriz, K., & Skivenes, M. (2010). Child-centric or family focused? A study of child welfare workers’ perceptions of ethnic minority children in England and Norway. Child and Family Social Work, 17, 448–457. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2011.00802.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Lau, K. J., Krase, K., & Morse, R. H. (2009). Mandated reporting of child abuse and neglect: A practical guide for social workers. New York: Springer Publishing Company.Google Scholar
- Lee, B., Thomson, F., Fallon, E., Trocmé, B. N., & Black, T. (2017). Asian-Canadian families involved in the child welfare system in Canada: a mixed methods study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 70, 342–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.06.022.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Lee, B., Thomson, F., Trocmé, E., Fallon, N. B., & Black, T. (2016). Delineating disproportionality and disparity of Asian-Canadian versus White-Canadian households in the child welfare system. Child and Youth Service Review, 70(2016), 383–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.10.023.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Levi, B. H., & Crowell, K. (2011). Child abuse experts disagree about the threshold for mandated reporting. Clinical Pediatrics, 50(4), 321–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922810389170.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Liber, E., Fung, H., & Leung, P. W. L. (2006). Chinese child-rearing beliefs: key dimensions and contributions to the development of culture-appropriate assessment. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 9, 140–147. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-839X.2006.00191.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Lonne, B., Parton, N., & Thomson, J. (2008). Reforming child protection. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
- Maiter, S. (2004). Considering context and culture in child protection services to ethnically diverse families: an example from research with parents from the Indian sub continent (South Asians). Social Work Research and Evaluation, 5, 63–80.Google Scholar
- Mathews, B., & Bross, D. C. (2008). Mandated reporting is still a policy with reason: empirical evidence and philosophical grounds. Child Abuse & Neglect, 32, 511–516. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9685-9_1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Mathews, B., & Kenny, M. C. (2008). Mandatory reporting legislation in the United States, Canada, and Australia: a cross-jurisdictional review of key features, differences, and issues. Child Maltreatment, 13(1), 50–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559507310613.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- McDaniel, M. (2006). In the eye of the beholder: the role of reporters in bringing families to the attention of child protective services. Children and Youth Services Review, 28, 306–324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2005.04.010.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- McLaughlin, A. M., Rothery, M., Babins-Wagner, R., & Schleifer, B. (2010). Decision-making and evidence in direct practice. Clinical Social Work Journal, 38, 155–163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-009-0190-8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Merali, N. (2002). Culturally informed ethical decision-making in situations of suspected child abuse. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 36(3), 233–244.Google Scholar
- Mishna, F., Bogo, M., Root, J., Sawyer, J., & Khoury-kassabri, M. (2012). “It just crept in”: the digital age and implications for social work practice. Clinical Social Work Journal, 40(3), 277–286. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-012-0383-4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics. Washington, DC: Author.Google Scholar
- O’Sullivan, T. (1999). Decision-making in social work. London: Macmillan Press Ltd.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Office of the Auditor General of Ontario. (2015). Annual report. Toronto: Queen’s Printer.Google Scholar
- Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. (2016). Eligibility spectrum. Toronto: Author.Google Scholar
- Packer, C., Runnels, V., & Labonté, R. (2015). Canada’s response to female genital mutilation: are we failing our girls? Canadian Medical Association Journal, 187(6), E188-E189. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.141215.CrossRefPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
- Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). Critical thinking: Learn the tools the best thinkers use. Columbus: Pearson Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
- Practice and Research Together. (2012). Taking the path less travelled: Critical thinking for child welfare practitioners. Toronto: Author.Google Scholar
- Reitsma-Street, M. (1989). More control than care: a critique of historical and contemporary laws for delinquency and neglect of children in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Women & Law, 3, 510.Google Scholar
- Statistics Canada. (2011). National household survey. Ottawa: Government of Canada.Google Scholar
- Sue, V. M., & Ritter, L. A. (2007). Conducting online surveys. Los Angeles: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Tang, C. S. K. (2006). Corporal punishment and physical maltreatment against children: a community study on Chinese parents in Hong Kong. Child Abuse and Neglect, 30, 893–907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2006.02.012.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Terao, S. Y., Borrego, J., & Urquiza, A. J. (2001). A reporting and response model for culture and child maltreatment. Child Maltreatment, 6(2), 158–168. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559501006002008.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Trocme, N., Fallon, B., MacLaurin, B., Sinha, V., Black, T., Fast, E. … Holroyd, J. (2010). Canadian incidence study of reported child abuse and neglect – 2008: Major findings. Ottawa: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.Google Scholar
- Trocme, N., Knoke, D., Fallon, B., & MacLaurin, B. (2009). Differentiating between substantiated, suspected, and unsubstantiated maltreatment in Canada. Child Maltreatment, 14(1), 4–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559508318393.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Tufford, L. (2012). Clinician mandatory reporting and maintenance of the therapeutic alliance (Unpublished doctoral dissertation), University of Toronto, Toronto.Google Scholar
- Tufford, L., Bogo, M., & Asakura, K. (2015). How do social workers respond to potential child neglect? Social Work Education, 34(2), 229–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2014.958985.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Tufford, L., Bogo, M., Katz, E., Lee, B., & Ramjattan, R. (2018). Reporting suspected child abuse and neglect: educating social work students in decision-making and maintaining the relationship. Journal of Social Work Education, (in press).Google Scholar
- US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration of Children, Youth, and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2017). Child maltreatment 2015. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/research-data-technology/statistics-research/child-maltreatment.
- Weinstein, B., Levine, M., Kogan, N., Harkavy-Friedman, J. M., & Miller, J. M. (2000). Mental health professionals’ experiences reporting suspected child abuse and maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24, 1317–1328. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00191-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Wilks, T. (2004). The use of vignettes in qualitative research into social work values. Qualitative Social Work, 3(1), 78–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325004041133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2013). European report on preventing child maltreatment. WHO Regional Office for Europe. Retrieved from http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/ pdf_file/0019/217018/European-Report-on-Preventing-Child-Maltreatment.pdf.
- Zhu, Y., & Tang, K. L. (2012). Physical child abuses in urban China: victims’ perceptions of the problem and impediments to help-seeking. International Social Work, 55(4), 574–588. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872811425806.CrossRefGoogle Scholar