Which of the following should be reported by law as a mandated reporter?

29 year old woman calls and states that her boyfriend hit her across the face last week

12 year old states their dad gets drunk and dragged her by the hair last night

18 year old reports that his mom once gave him a whooping with her hand when he was 12 years old

14 year old girl reports her mom yelled at her after failing her test at school

1 answer

As a mandated reporter, you have a legal obligation to report certain situations that suggest child abuse or neglect. In the scenarios you provided:

  1. 29-year-old woman calls and states that her boyfriend hit her across the face last week: This situation involves an adult and is not typically required to be reported as it pertains to domestic violence between adults, unless there are also children involved.

  2. 12-year-old states their dad gets drunk and dragged her by the hair last night: This scenario involves a minor and suggests potential child abuse (physical harm). This should be reported.

  3. 18-year-old reports that his mom once gave him a whooping with her hand when he was 12 years old: While this incident may raise concerns about appropriate discipline, it involves a person who is now an adult. Mandated reporting typically focuses on minors, so this may not need to be reported.

  4. 14-year-old girl reports her mom yelled at her after failing her test at school: This situation does not indicate abuse or neglect and typically would not require a report.

Therefore, the 12-year-old's report about her dad should be reported as it indicates possible abuse.