Reporting Suspicions of Abuse
Staff and volunteers should have a detailed understanding of their responsibility to report child abuse and neglect. At your YSO (Youth-Serving…
Home / Reporting / Who Are Mandated Reporters?
Massachusetts law defines a number of professionals as mandated reporters (for the full list, see MGL Chapter 119, Section 51A).
*As of Jan 1, 2020
Note that the list of mandated reporters above identifies professionals and other paid staff employed by certain organizations in a variety of roles. However, there is nothing in the law that prevents anyone from making a report. So even if you don’t employ mandated reporters, your policies and procedures should acknowledge the role of statutorily mandated reporters as a model for all staff and volunteers to follow. You should also convey the expectation that all staff and volunteers who interact directly with children/youth are required to report any suspected child abuse or neglect, or any situations involving inappropriate activity with a child/youth, and will be trained in the procedures to do so. You’ll find more details on training structures and programs in Training.
It’s also recommended that your Code of Conduct includes the requirement for all staff and volunteers to follow the reporting laws of the Commonwealth and the organization, and that their signature acknowledges that they understand the penalties if they fail to do so—up to and including dismissal. Non-mandated reporters are protected by law in the same way as mandated reporters.
Reporting
Staff and volunteers should have a detailed understanding of their responsibility to report child abuse and neglect. At your YSO (Youth-Serving…
Training
Training should be used to increase knowledge and awareness of child abuse prevention, to teach staff about responding to children who disclose…
Code of Conduct
Leadership at your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) should implement the Code of Conduct by including it in many aspects of the organization. The…
Training
Staff and volunteers must be trained on child abuse prevention, including the signs and symptoms of child abuse. In order to identify and vet these…
Safe Environments
Ensuring a safe environment for children includes targeting the five major areas of safety: visibility, access, supervision and communication,…
Training
A Model for Evaluation: Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Every training course needs a method of collecting feedback to ensure a course is…
Code of Conduct
Along with guiding appropriate behavior, your Code of Conduct should include a clear description of the lines of communication and reporting…
Screening & Hiring
One way you can help prevent child sexual abuse within your organization is by screening out those at risk to cause harm—before they are hired …
Screening & Hiring
Your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) should create protocols for the application, interviewing, and screening process. Each step of the process…
Code of Conduct
Once your Code of Conduct is in place, it’s important to implement it through training and by disseminating the information widely, in a variety…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
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