1. Child Abuse and Neglect Training for
Educators, Part 4
Child Abuse and Neglect:
Frequently Asked Questions
Fran Roberson, LCSW, LMFT
Center for Children and Families, Inc.
Norman, Oklahoma
2. Who is a mandated reporter in
the state of Oklahoma?
3. Everyone is a mandated reporter:
•Medical people
•Educators
•Neighbors
•Social workers
•Day care providers
•Legislators
•Sanitation workers
•Law enforcements
•EVERYONE!
5. You will call the
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
SERVICES
• The DHS Child Abuse Hotline number is
1.800.522.3511
OR
• Your local county Department of Human
Services Office
6. Do I have to know there is abuse
and/or neglect before I call the
Department of Human Services?
7. NO. All of us as mandated
reporters are required to
report any SUSPICION of
abuse and/or neglect.
Good faith reporters who
attempt to “find out more”
before reporting, can risk
the clarity and
accurateness of the formal
investigation. Interviews
of children must be left to
the trained DHS
investigators.
8. What if my boss (principal,
counselor, lead teacher) tells me
not to report a suspicion of child
abuse and/or neglect to the
Department of Human Services?
9. • No employer may tell employees not to report a
suspicion of child abuse or neglect.
• Failure to report suspected abuse is a crime. No
person, regardless of relationship to a child or family, is
exempt from reporting suspected abuse.
• Reporting child abuse is an individual responsibility.
10. Can I just tell my principal or
school counselor and let them
make the report to the
Department of Human Services?
11. •NO, you must call.
•DHS professionals
need to talk to the
person who suspects
child abuse or
neglect, or who
witnessed or was told
about the abuse or
neglect.
12. Will my report to the Department
of Human Services regarding
suspicion of child abuse or
neglect be confidential?
13. Department of Human Services
Policy and State Law:
• Require strict maintenance of the confidentiality
of reporters of child abuse.
• If the incident does become court involved,
information on the reporter could be requested
by the court.
• It is rare, however, for the identify of the
reporter to be made known in court
• Anonymous reports are also accepted.
14. What is my responsibility
regarding confidentiality of the
report made on one of my
students?
15. As professionals who care about
children and families, we must
• Honor the confidentiality
of a family by talking
only to our supervisor
about any report of child
abuse or neglect that is
made.
• Reporting to the
authorities is mandated,
practicing confidentiality
is also required.
16. What if I make a report and I am
wrong? Can I be sued?
17. A person reporting in good faith
is immune from both civil and
criminal liability.
18. What if I’m worried something
worse will happen to the child if
there is a report made?
20. What if the Department of
Human Services doesn’t identify
abuse and/or neglect, and I’m
still concerned about the child’s
safety?
21. Ongoing concerns for a child
following a DHS Child Welfare report.
• Document the report, and know what you, as the
reporter, have a right to know.
• Continue to observe the situation and note any further
suspicions of child abuse/neglect.
• Make another report with this additional information.
• If you continue to be dissatisfied with the responses
from Child Welfare, provide feedback through the
supervision structure of DHS, i.e., the Child Welfare
supervisor for the county.
22. A report of suspected child
abuse/neglect is made from our
school.
Is the school responsible for
notifying the parents of the child?
23. No. State law specifies
that schools are not
responsible for
notifying parents that
a child was
interviewed at the
school regarding a
child abuse report.
The task for notifying
parents is the
responsibility of the
Department of
Human Services.
24. What Are Special Reporting Issues
Related to Schools
School personnel, as well as medical, public health,
mental health professionals, or any other
professional person interacting with children
should NOT delve into a child’s situation
beyond determining whether there is a
REASON TO BELIEVE the child is being
abused or neglected, or is in danger of being
abused or neglected.
Educators’ can identify the suspicion of abuse or neglect and
report to DHS.
25. A special note about the
grownups (parents, grandparents,
guardians) who may be the
perpetrators of child
abuse/neglect:
26. These Grownups Most Often Love Their
Children Very Much, and They . . .
• Respond better to
support than to hostile
criticism.
• Are often challenged by
isolation, finances,
stability, multi-stressors,
and histories of being
victims themselves.
• Are often intimidated by
teachers and schools.
27. So, as caring professional
educators, the challenge
is:
2. To be a part of the
community raising and
teaching children,
4. To be clear about
reporting suspicion of
child abuse and neglect,
6. To apply more
compassion than criticism
toward the complex issues
for families where child
abuse and neglect occur.
28. Contact Fran Roberson at the Center
for Children and Families, Inc. for
further questions or concerns.
froberson@ccfinorman.org
405.364.1420
