Child Abuse Reporting Requirements

  • Wednesday, December 13, 2017 12:21 AM
    Message # 5626264
    Aaron Norton (Administrator)

    An intern has posed a question about whether she is required to report child abuse that occurred a few years ago if the victim is still a minor (yet is not in immediate harm in the present).  When I examined F.S. 32.901, I read "Any person who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that a child is abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, caregiver, or other person responsible for the child’s welfare" is required to report.  The verbiage "is abused" (vs. was abused) implies to me that perhaps this is not a mandatory report because it was so far in the past and the child is no longer in danger, but I am wondering if anyone has any information suggestion it is a mandatory report.  I shared with the intern that when in doubt, she can certainly call 1-800-96-ABUSE to ask if it is an acceptable report, but I am wondering if anyone knows if past abuse is mandatory reporting.

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