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Child Maltreatment Reporting Laws: Impact on Professionals' Reporting Behaviour
Author(s) -
Webberley Helen R.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.1985.tb00795.x
Subject(s) - welfare , law , publishing , project commissioning , value (mathematics) , statement (logic) , child protection , child abuse , psychology , human factors and ergonomics , criminology , poison control , political science , medicine , environmental health , machine learning , computer science
While claims are continually made about the various child maltreatment reporting laws, few systematic evaluations could be found. Overseas evidence suggests that the number of notifications from professionals does increase after the introduction of mandatory reporting, providing all professions and all types of maltreatment are included. This paper tested the potential effect on involved Victorian professionals of introducing a mandatory reporting law, all other things remaining unchanged. It was found to be marginal. The value of reporting laws as a philosophical statement about the community's concern for children's welfare was not investigated, nor their effect on the maltreating parents' behaviour.