Mandated Reporting and Child Maltreatment: Training and Experiences of Minnesota Teachers

The state of Minnesota has no requirement for the training of mandated reporters for child maltreatment and teachers account for nearly 24% of child protection reports(Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2013b). This study looks to gain perspective on teachers’ experiences with mandated reporting, if and where they have received training on mandated reporting and child maltreatment, where they believe they should be receiving training and what they feel it should include. A mixed-mode online questionnaire with questions from the Teachers and Child Abuse Questionnaire, ECAQ and created by the author were used to survey 65 Minnesota teachers (Kenny 2001a; Kenny, 2004). This study found that over half of teachers surveyed have had minimal or inadequate preparation about mandated reporting and child maltreatment in their preservice education or within a school district they work. Findings also suggest that many teachers feel prepared in their role as a mandated reporter, however evidence of how they would report indicates that they may not be as prepared as they believe to be. Responses also show that some school districts may have their own mandated reporting procedures that may not be congruent with the state law. Teachers felt they should have additional training in their school districts and preservice education that includes awareness of symptoms of abuse and neglect and the process of filing a report. Findings indicate that a more uniform training system should be implemented for teachers about mandated reporting and child maltreatment due to the discrepancies in knowledge across the profession