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Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect by Health Professionals

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Mandatory Reporting Laws and the Identification of Severe Child Abuse and Neglect

Part of the book series: Child Maltreatment ((MALT,volume 4))

Abstract

The role of Australian health professionals in reporting child abuse and neglect, in particular medical and nursing personnel, has increased substantially during the past two decades. This chapter discusses key issues related to the recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect by health professionals in Australia. Health professionals, like teachers, police and other professional groups, are variously obligated through policy and legislation to report their knowledge or suspicion of child maltreatment. As well, health services impose policies in line with the legislation specific to their jurisdiction to assist clinical staff in responding when they know of, or have a reasonable suspicion of, harm being caused to a child. In most Australian states and territories, if doctors and nurses know or suspect that a child is, has been or is likely to suffer significant harm, then they have a legal obligation to report this to designated authorities.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is committed to the creation and dissemination of research-based information on family functioning and wellbeing. Views expressed here are those of individual authors and may not reflect those of the Australian Institute of Family Studies or the Australian Government.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In the Queensland mandatory reporting legislation applying to nurses (the Public Health Act 2005 (Qld)), a nurse must make a report if she or he ‘becomes aware or reasonably suspects, during the practice of his or her profession, that a child has been, is being or is likely to be harmed’ (s 191). ‘Harm’ is defined in s 158 as ‘any detrimental effect on the child’s physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing—(a) that is of a significant nature; and (b) that has been caused by physical, psychological or emotional abuse or neglect; or sexual abuse or exploitation’.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), 485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Debbie Scott

  2. Sydney Nursing School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Jennifer Fraser

Authors
  1. Debbie Scott
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  2. Jennifer Fraser
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Debbie Scott .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Ben Mathews

  2. Program in Pediatric Law, Policy and Ethics, Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, Aurora, Colorado, USA

    Donald C. Bross

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Scott, D., Fraser, J. (2015). Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect by Health Professionals. In: Mathews, B., Bross, D. (eds) Mandatory Reporting Laws and the Identification of Severe Child Abuse and Neglect. Child Maltreatment, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9685-9_18

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