Guidelines For Reporting Child Sexual Abuse (Statutory Rape)

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Guidelines for reporting child sexual abuse.
Who Must Report?
  • Physician, dentist, physician’s assistant, registered dental hygienist, medical examiner, nurse, licensed emergency medical care provider;
  • Audiologist, psychologist, marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, social worker, licensed master’s social worker, licensed bachelor’s social worker;
  • Registered social service technician, social service technician;
  • School administrator, school counselor, teacher;
  • Law enforcement officer;
  • Member of the clergy;
  • A person employed in a professional capacity in any office of the friend of the court;
  • Any employee of an organization or entity that, as a result of federal funding statutes, regulations, or contracts, would be prohibited from reporting in the absence of a state mandate or court order;
  • Child care providers
  • All social services specialists
Standard of Knowledge Reasonable cause to suspect child sexual abuse.
Definition of Applicable Victim Child means a person under the age of 16.
Reports Made To
  • If the reporting person is a member of the staff of a hospital, agency, or school, the reporting person should notify the person in charge of the hospital, agency, or school of his or her finding and that the report has been made, and shall make a copy of the written report available to the person in charge. This does not replace the legal requirement to report to law enforcement
Contents of Report Oral reports should include as much detail as possible about the following information:

  • The child’s primary caretaker, including name and address;
  • Names and identifying information for all household members, including the alleged victim and perpetrator, if known;
  • Birth date and race of all members of the household, if known;
  • Whether the alleged perpetrator lives with the child;
  • Address where the alleged abuse or neglect occurred;
  • Statements of the child’s disclosure and context of the disclosure;
  • History of the child’s behavior or other evidence; and
  • Reasons for suspecting that the child is being sexually abused.

Written reports should include:

  • The name of the child and a description of the abuse;
  • If possible, the names and addresses of the child’s parents, guardian, or the persons with whom the child resides;
  • If possible, the child’s age; and
  • Other information available to the reporting person that might establish the cause of the abuse and the manner in which it occurred.

 

 
Thanks to the U.S. State of Michigan