The purpose of this community announcement is to provide guidelines and directions to those persons, both professional and lay, in understanding, detecting and reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.
Pennsylvania law encourages everyone to report suspicions of child physical, sexual, mental abuse or neglect, in order to protect children. Your report can be made anonymously, but by providing your name you add credibility to the report and assure that contact is possible, if additional information is needed on behalf of the children. All reports are confidential under penalty of law which prohibits release of information which would identify a reporter. There are many mandated reporters, including educators, however we cannot report on hearsay.
Anyone reporting child abuse or neglect in good faith is provided civil and criminal immunity from legal liability that otherwise might result by reason of such action.
As much of the following information should be gathered in preparation for the call:
- Child’s name and age (D.O.B. if possible)
- Child’s present location and the county where abuse occurred
- Names, address, phone # of the child’s parent(s) or guardianName, address and phone # of the suspected abuser
- Name and phone # of anyone who may have witnessed the abuse
- Account of what happened, when the incident occurred, description of any injury to the child
- and why you suspect the child was abused or neglected.
What Happens Once a Report Has Been Made? The office of Children & Youth caseworker investigating the report will inform the custodial parent and investigate the situation.
