Reducing the Risk

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Do You Know How to Report Child Abuse?
Read each question and then click on the response that you believe to be correct.
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1
Child abuse thrives on secrecy.

2
Having an effective reporting procedure has little impact on the prevention of abuse.

3
Every state has a mandatory reporting law regarding child abuse.

4
All states have the same definition of child abuse.

5
In some states, individuals are not legally required to report child abuse.

6
Reports of child abuse are made to a state agency.

7
A report of known or suspected child abuse generally must be made within one week.

8
Typically, reporters have the right to remain anonymous.

9
In some states, reports of child abuse can be made to law enforcement officers.

10
There are no criminal penalties if a person fails to report known or suspected cases of child abuse.

11
Individuals who make a good faith report of a known or suspected case of child abuse are protected from legal and civil litigation for making the report.

12
Most incidents of child sexual abuse are preceded by inappropriate behaviors that stand out as red flags.

13
If a church worker observes inappropriate behavior, it is best to remain silent, but watch carefully to see if the behavior is repeated.

14
Church workers often find it difficult to report child sexual abuse.

15
Paid staff members need training in reporting known or suspected cases of child sexual abuse. Volunteer workers, though, are less likely to need training.

16
The purpose of a reporting policy is to provide clear instructions to church workers concerning when a report should occur and how it should be made.

17
Church workers should understand indicators and symptoms of child sexual abuse.

18
Do not document reports of child abuse in writing because it can create legal problems later.

19
Church workers should not report known or suspected cases of child abuse to other church leaders.

20
A leader in the church's scouting program confesses to the Youth Director that he has molested a 15-year-old boy in the program. He pledges it will never happen again. The Youth Director should keep the confession to himself.

21
A teacher in the preschool program notices a two year old girl has severe bruises on her legs and buttocks. She immediately reports the information to the Preschool Director. The Director reports the information to the Senior Pastor. The pastor should be the one who decides if a report is made to the state.

22
Only paid employees are required to make reports of known or suspected cases of child abuse.

23
A teenage girl informs her youth pastor that her father has been sexually molesting her. The youth pastor immediately informs the senior pastor, who confronts the father with the allegation. The father (a respected member of the church) vigorously denies the charge. In such a case, a report should be made to the state.

24
Mandatory reporters (as defined by state law) face criminal penalties for not reporting.

25
Permissive reporters are permitted to report known or suspected cases of abuse, but they are not legally required to do so.

26
Permissive reporters (individuals without a legal obligation to report abuse) who do not report reasonable suspicions of abuse cannot be sued under any circumstances.

27
Some states define abuse very narrowly to include only abuse inflicted by a parent or caretaker.

28
Most state laws require mandatory reporters to report only actual abuse, but not reasonable suspicions of abuse.

29
A pedophile may have hundreds of victims over the course of a lifetime.

30
In some states, clergy are not required to report abuse if the information is obtained in the context of spiritual counseling.

31
If you are uncertain about making a report, it is a good idea to discuss the case anonymously with a representative of the state.

32
It is permissible to make an anonymous report of child abuse.

33
If you have doubts about making a report, do not make it, and do not consult with anyone else about making it.

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