Who Should Report

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School Personnel
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Child Care Providers
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Medical Professionals
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Mental & Social Health
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Law Enforcement
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Clergy
 
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Other
Professionals
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Volunteers
 
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School Personnel

School personnel play a key role in identifying and helping abused children. Children spend the majority of their day in school, where you have regular contact and the ability to observe changes in appearance and behavior that others may not notice.

School personnel are often seen as positive role models and may be a source of support and care for many children; you may be the one trusted adult to whom a child confides in about abuse. It’s critical that you know how to recognize the signs and report suspected abuse.

  • Teacher
  • Instructional aide
  • Teacher’s aide or teacher’s assistant
  • Classified employee of any public school
  • Administrative Officer or supervisor of child welfare and attendance, or a certified pupil personnel employee
  • Administrator of a public or private day camp
  • Administrator or employee of a public or private youth center, youth recreation program or youth organization
  • Administrator or employee of a public or private children’s organization
  • Employee of a county office of education or the California Department of Education, whose duties bring the employee into contact with children on a regular basis
  • Head start teacher
  • Licensing worker or licensing evaluator employed by a licensing agency
  • Employee of a school district police or security department
  • Any person who is an administrator or presenter of, or a counselor, in a child abuse prevention program in any public or private school
  • District attorney investigator, inspector or family support officer
  • Special education teachers, and staff.
  • An athletic coach, athletic administrator, or athletic director employed by any public or private school that provides any combination of instruction for kindergarten or grades 1 to 12
  • Any other employees and persons working on the behalf of school districts, county offices of education, state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the State Department of Education, and charter schools who are mandated reporters, as defined in Section 11165.7 of the Penal Code

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Child Care Providers

Child care providers have unique opportunities to notice signs of child abuse or neglect. Your caregiving duties allow you to pay attention to children’s progress and development, and regular contact with children can reveal changes in appearance and behavior that indicate abuse. You may have infants in your care who cannot speak for themselves and are completely reliable on caregivers to protect them.

As a child care provider, you may be the only person outside of the family with whom a child has significant contact. You may be the one trusted adult to whom a child confides in about abuse and the only person who is in a position to help a child. It’s critical that you know how to recognize the signs and what to do when abuse is suspected.

  • Licensee of a licensed community care facility
  • Administrator of a licensed community care facility
  • Employee of a licensed community care facility
  • Licensee of a licensed child day care facility
  • Administrator of a licensed child day care facility
  • Employee of a licensed child day care facility

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Medical Professionals

Medical and healthcare professionals may be the first to recognize signs of suspected abuse, neglect, or maltreatment in children. Children brought in for care may have injuries or be exhibiting behavioral changes that are concerning for possible abuse.

When parents have concern about possible abuse, their first step is often to contact their health care provider. It’s critical that healthcare professionals be able to recognize the signs of suspected maltreatment and have the tools needed to take action.

  • Licensed Nurses
  • Nursing Students
  • Doctors
  • Medical Students
  • Paramedics
  • EMT’s
  • Dentists
  • Chiropractors
  • Alternative Health Practitioners
  • Physical Therapists

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Mental Health Professionals & Social WorkersMental & Social Health

Mental health professionals and social workers who have worked with abused children know firsthand the long-term effects of abuse and its impact. In your profession, you’re in a unique position to identify red flags for abuse in individual parent and child behaviors as well as family interactions.

You may be the only person who can recognize and support parents/ families who are vulnerable to abusive or neglectful treatment. You’re in a key role to help children and families emerge from trauma. It’s critical that you’re aware of the signs of abuse and possess the tools to act when you suspect it.

  • Social workers
  • Social worker trainees and interns
  • Marriage counselors
  • Family and child counselors
  • School counselors
  • Unlicensed counseling trainees and interns
  • Psychologists
  • Psychological assistants
  • Psychological interns
  • Alcohol and drug counselors

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Law Enforcement Professionals

As a law enforcement officer you are often a first responder to reports of suspected child abuse. You play a key role in detecting and helping abused children. Law enforcement officers may often times be in a position to recognize unique environmental factors in a home or dwelling that can trigger concerns for a child’s safety. In addition, law enforcement officers may identify signs of abuse by observing children’s behavior, recognizing physical signs, and observing family dynamics during interactions with parents and caregivers.

As a law enforcement officer, you play a key role in detecting and helping abused children. Your response in situations where a child may be subjected to abuse or neglect can significantly impact the future welfare of that child. It is critical that all law enforcement professionals know what to look for and how to proceed when child maltreatment is suspected.

  • Probation officer or parole officer
  • District attorney investigator, inspector or family support officer
  • Peace officer
  • Employee of the police department, county sheriff’s department, county probation officer
  • Employee or volunteer of a Court Appointed Special Advocates program, a custodial officer as defined in Section 831.5., any person providing services to a minor child under Section 12300 or 12300.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code

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Clergy

Faith-based listening, spiritual guidance, prayer and pastoral support are all ways in which clergy members serve a vital role in guiding people through many of life’s challenges to safety and healing. Becoming educated about the complexities and psychological impact of child abuse can help ensure that clergy members respond appropriately when confronted with evidence of child maltreatment.

As a clergy member, you may be the trusted adult to whom a child makes an initial disclosure of abuse. In addition, perpetrators of child abuse and/or family members may come to you for advice when abuse has been discovered. Clergy members have both a moral and a legal obligation to report when there is the possibility that a child has been harmed. It’s critical to be knowledgeable about what to look for and how to respond when these situations arise.

  • Clergy member
  • Custodian of records of a clergy member

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Other Professionals

Some professions require specialized training to identify the signs of suspected abuse and neglect they may encounter in their role as educator, childcare provider, or healthcare worker. But these aren’t the only professionals who can identify and report suspected abuse.

Many professionals are in a position to help stop or prevent child abuse and neglect by taking action. All it takes is the knowledge and tools to identify signs of abuse and file a report. As a mandated reporter, you’re in a key role to help children and families. It’s critical that you know how to recognize the signs of abuse and what to do when abuse is suspected.

  • Commercial Computer Technicians (New as of 2013)
  • Paid Athletic Coaches (New as of 2013)
  • Administrator, or Director of a Public or Private Organization (New as of 2013)
  • Public assistance worker
  • Employee of a child care institution
  • Firefighter, except for volunteer firefighters
  • Physician, surgeon, psychiatrist, dentist, resident, intern, podiatrist, chiropractor, licensed nurse, dental hygienist, optometrist
  • Emergency medical technician I or II, paramedic
  • State or county public health employee who treats a minor for any condition.
  • Coroner
  • Medical examiner, or any other person who performs autopsies
  • Commercial film and photographic print processor
  • Child visitation monitor
  • Animal control officer or humane society officer
  • Human Resources employees of a business with five or more employees that employs minors, whose duties include accepting complaints of misconduct (New as of 2021)
  • Supervisor employees of a business with five or more employees that employs minors, whose duties require direct contact with, and supervision of, minors’ duties in the workplace (New as of 2021)
  • Administrator, employee, or regular volunteer of a youth service organization (New as of 2022)

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Volunteers

Community members, such as Volunteers, have an important role in protecting children from abuse and neglect. Although some Volunteers are not required by law to report suspected Child Abuse, they are encouraged to do so.

  • Volunteer teacher’s aide, instructional aide or teacher’s assistant of any public or private school
  • Volunteers at child day camps
  • Volunteers at Head Start Programs
  • Volunteers at youth centers, youth recreation programs, or youth service organizations
  • Volunteer firefighters
  • Volunteer animal control and humane society workers
  • Volunteers at a church, template or recognized denomination or organization
  • Volunteers of a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. *CASA volunteers are mandated reporters and must report by law.
  • "Regular volunteers" means a volunteer with the youth service organization who is 18 years of age or older and who has direct contact with, or supervision of, children for more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year. *Regular volunteers are required by law to complete mandated reporter training.

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Stop the Abuse.

If you suspect that a child is in
danger of abuse or neglect,
report it.
 

Take Action.

Discover ways you can be active
in the fight to end child abuse.
 

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Find profession-specific training courses and get certified at Mandated Reporter Training. Start training now.