Reporting Suspected Abuse
Studies have shown that only 12% of child sexual abuse is
ever reported. Children are often reluctant to speak up
because they don’t think anyone will believe them. Often,
they have been made to feel that they caused the abuse or
failed to stop it. In some instances, abusers may threaten a
child, as well as his/her family, if the child reveals the
abuse. Sadly, some victims are too young to understand or
verbalize what happened to them.
Oftentimes, families are reluctant to get involved in the
legal system or child protective services. An abuse
investigation could mean that family members and friends can
no longer safely live together or even visit. In some cases,
if the main breadwinner for the family is the abuser, there
is often worry that removing the abuser from the home could
result in serious financial hardship for the family. Family
members and friends often find themselves at odds; some
denying that the abuse ever happened, others angry because
they know that it did. Getting to know each family and its
situation helps Center for Hope and its partners assist
families through this difficult time and helps them connect
with resources they may need to aid in healing and recovery.
For some families, the occurrence of child sexual abuse is
just one more challenge in a series of issues – poverty,
drug and alcohol dependence, mental illness, physical and
emotional abuse. Reporting and addressing child sexual abuse
may not be their highest priority. In fact, some mothers
have revealed that they were sexually abused as children,
themselves, and have managed to cope with the trauma without
intervention, and they feel that their children could do the
same.
What is child sexual abuse?
Child sexual abuse is any sexual
contact between a child and an adult or an older child. This
includes touching of private parts, sex acts and
pornography. In Maryland, if the abuse is committed by
someone not providing direct care for the child, it is
called child sexual assault.
As defined by Maryland State Family
Law 5-701, Child Sexual Abuse:
-
Means any act that involves
sexual molestation or exploitation of a child by a
parent or other person who has permanent or
temporary care, custody, or responsibility for
supervision of a child, or by any household or
family member.
-
Includes incest, rape, sexual
offense in any degree, sodomy, or unnatural or
perverted practices.
Facts about child sexual abuse
-
The average age of reported
victims of child sexual abuse in Baltimore City is 9
years old.
-
1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys
will be sexually abused before they reach the age of
18.Briere, J., Eliot, D.M. Prevalence and
Psychological Sequence of Self-Reported Childhood
Physical and Sexual Abuse in the General Population.
Child Abuse and Neglect, 2003, 27 10.
-
Almost 90% of child sexual
abuse victims know their abuser; abuse by a stranger
accounts for only 10% of child sexual abuse cases.
Finkelhor, D. Sexually assaulted Children. In press
OJJDP: Washington, D.C.
-
Almost half of all sexual
abuse is committed by children under the age of 18.
Hunter, J.A., et al., Juvenile Sex Offenders: toward
development of a typology. (2003).
-
Victims of child sexual abuse
are at high risk for long-term physical and
emotional problems including eating disorders,
obesity, depression, drug dependence, promiscuity,
and prostitution.
-
88% of child sexual abuse is
never reported to the authorities. Hanson, RF et.
al. 1999. Factors Related to the Reporting of Child
Sexual Abuse.
-
Over 30% of all victims never
disclose their experience to anyone.
Who are mandated reporters?
Certain professionals in the community
are mandated to report suspicions of abuse in Maryland.
These professionals are known as “mandated reporters.”
The following are considered mandated
reporters:
-
Physicians
-
Registered and Practical
Nurses
-
Hospital Administrators
-
Health Care Providers
-
Dentists
-
Mental Health Professionals
-
Education Professionals
-
Principals, Teachers, Guidance
Counselors, School Social Workers
-
Police Officers
-
Camp Counselors and
Administrators
-
Members of the Clergy
How should a mandated reporter report
suspicions of child sexual abuse?
For health practitioners, police
officers, educators, and human service workers (“educator or
human service worker” means “any professional employee of
any correctional, public, parochial or private educational,
health, juvenile service, social or social service agency,
institution, or licensed facility”, and specifically
includes any teacher, counselor, social worker, caseworker,
or probation or parole officer) acting in a professional
capacity, an oral report must be made as soon as possible
(to the entities noted above), and a written report must be
submitted to the local department of social services within
48 hours (with a copy of the written report submitted to the
local State’s Attorney in the case of suspected abuse.)
For all other persons, there are no
such requirements specified, and the reports “may be oral or
in writing.”
Individuals who are not health
practitioners, police officers, educators, or human service
workers need not report suspected abuse or neglect if doing
so would violate the attorney-client privilege or if the
report would require disclosure of “matters communicated in
confidence by a client to the client’s attorney or other
information relating to the representation of the client.”
A minister of the gospel,
clergyperson, or priest of an established church of any
denomination is not required to report suspected abuse or
neglect if:
-
the report would disclose
matters in relation to any confession or
communication made to him or her in confidence by a
person seeking his spiritual advice or consolation,
and;
-
the communication was made to
the minister, clergyperson, or priest in a
professional character in the course of discipline
enjoined by the church to which the minister,
clergyperson, or priest belongs and the minister,
clergyperson, or priest is bound to maintain the
confidentiality of that communication under canon
law, church doctrine, or practice.
A mental health provider who learns of
an instance of child abuse or neglect must report it,
regardless of whether the person revealing the information
was referred by an attorney (Md. Atty. Gen. Op. No. 90-007)
Reporting is required whenever there
is reason to believe that child abuse or neglect occurred in
the past, even if the alleged victim is an adult when the
incident comes to light, and reporting is required even when
the alleged abuser is deceased (Md. Atty. Gen. Op. No.
93-049)
Information available courtesy of RAINN.
Mandated reporters in Maryland can download this
interactive form 180. With this form you can type in
your information, print it out, and fax it to your local department of
child protective services.
Possible Signs of Abuse
Children who have been sexually abused
may display a wide variety of emotional, behavioral, or
physical symptoms. The signs below are not all inclusive or
exclusive but can serve as a guide to understanding an
abused child’s behavior. If you suspect abuse, call 911.
Emotional and behavioral signs in
children who may have been sexually abused
-
Child reports being abused
-
Sudden mood swings involving
rage, fear, anger, or withdrawal
-
Fear of being left alone with
a specific person
-
Becoming distant when a
specific person is present
-
Fear of a particular place
-
Nightmares, trouble sleeping
or extreme fear without a reasonable explanation
-
Unusual clinginess
-
“Spacing out” at odd times
-
Loss of appetite
-
Trouble eating or swallowing
-
Incorporating sexual subject
matter into drawing, writing or play
-
Sexual activities with toys or
other children
-
Reverting to earlier childhood
behaviors, e.g. bedwetting, thumb sucking
-
Knowledge of sexual activity
more extensive than what it should be for their
stage of development
-
Alluding to a secret between
him/herself and an adult or older child.
Possible physical signs of sexual
abuse
-
Trouble sitting or standing
-
Recurrent urinary tract
infections
-
Bruising, bleeding, pain, or
itching in the genital area, anus, mouth or throat
-
Presence of sexually
transmitted disease or pregnancy in underage child
-
Stained, torn, or bloody
undergarments
-
Penile or vaginal discharge
and/or odor
Possible signs of abusers
-
Insistence on touching or
showing child affection even when the child resists
-
Frequently offers to babysit
for free or take children on unsupervised outings
-
Requesting uninterrupted time
alone with a child
-
Spending significant time with
children or much younger teens, in addition to
showing little interest in peers or those who are
older
-
Buying children expensive or
inappropriate gifts or giving them money for no
reason
-
Walking in on children or
teens in the bathroom, whether accidental or not
-
Significant interest in the
sexuality of a particular child or teen
-
Preoccupation with pornography
or sexual play with children or toys
Possible signs in relationships with older children and adolescents
When another child or an adolescent is the abuser, it may be difficult to tell the difference between sexual exploration and sexual abuse. Signs of abuse may be:
-
The potential abuser is much larger than the other child.
-
There is a difference in age of three or more years.
-
The potential abuser has power over the child, e.g. babysitter, camp counselor, neighborhood bully, gang leader.
-
The potential victim has physical, emotional, or mental delays that would inhibit his/her ability to protect themselves.
-
The abuser is making potential threats.