Mandatory reporting and the retaliation factor

Franne Sippel, Karyl L. Meister, Pamela J. Miller, Jeff N. Howard, Ahmet Can, Theresa Bowden and Andrea Garlick

Children and Youth Services Review, 2023, vol. 144, issue C

Abstract: Despite state and federal immunity protections, mandated reporters (MRs) of child maltreatment often experience retaliation from alleged perpetrators, employers, or other entities. Existing research demonstrates a correlation between experiencing retaliation and failing to report incidents of future maltreatment. Retaliation may include adverse employment actions, releasing the MRs’ identity, civil lawsuits, board complaints, and harassment. This study examines the impact of experienced/witnessed retaliation, fear of retaliation, and professional training on MRs’ willingness to report maltreatment, accept maltreatment cases, and testify in court. A self-administered survey sampled 619 MRs from varying professions throughout the United States and found (27.1%) experienced retaliation, though (14.9%) of those did not indicate retaliation type experienced. The most common forms included harassment (73.8%) and releasing the MRs’ identity (30.4%). Experienced retaliation resulted in MRs being less willing to report maltreatment and testify in court. Witnessed retaliation resulted in MRs being less likely to report abuse and accept certain maltreatment cases.

Keywords: Mandatory reporting; Child maltreatment; Retaliation; And immunity laws (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:144:y:2023:i:c:s0190740922003838

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106747

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