Browsing by Author "Walsh, W. A., & Jones, L. M."
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Item Factors that Influence Child Abuse Reporting: A Survey of Child-Serving Professionals(Crimes Against Children Research Center, 2015) Walsh, W. A., & Jones, L. M.Policies and procedures to improve child abuse reporting are revised regularly but rarely based on data. To help inform new directions for child abuse reporting policy reforms, we conducted an online survey of 556 child-serving professionals about their experiences with reporting suspicions of abuse and neglect. Most of the respondents (61%) said the reporting process needs to be improved. Clarifying and improving the screening process and making it easier to make a report were among the most commonly cited suggestions for improvement. Respondents rated process related factors (not knowing what happens after report, concerns that the response would not help the family) as more likely to hold them back from reporting than statute related factors (vague protocols, not knowing were to report). Only 38% of respondents said their most recent training on child abuse reporting was fully adequate. Many of the suggestions offered by survey respondents could be piloted and evaluated to move toward establishing child abuse reporting procedures and policies with a stronger research base.Item A statewide study of the public's knowledge of child abuse reporting laws(Journal of public child welfare, 2016) Walsh, W. A., & Jones, L. M.Universal mandated reporting laws on child abuse require all individuals to inform CPS agencies of suspected child abuse and neglect. Nineteen states currently have such laws, yet it is not clear how much knowledge the public has about this policy. To help inform directions for child abuse reporting policy reforms, we conducted telephone interviews with a random sample of adults (N=509) about their knowledge of child abuse reporting policies in a state with a universal reporting policy. The public’s understanding of child abuse reporting policies was mixed. Only one in four respondents correctly answered at least five of the six questions correctly, with 5% answering all six questions correctly. A substantial minority (39%) were not aware they were required to report suspected maltreatment, most (71%) were not aware that children are not automatically removed from the home if there is maltreatment, and most (61%) were not aware that they could be charged with a misdemeanor for failing to report a suspicion of child abuse. When asked about barriers, respondents rated worries that reporting would not help the child higher than discomfort intervening in another family’s activities. These findings imply a need for improving impressions of child protective service agencies and countering misperceptions about how they work with children and families. More research is needed about what types of messages are effective and what impact they have on the ultimate goal of increasing child safety