Failure To Report Child Abuse Essay

Mandate reporting is the legal obligation to report child abuse to the officials in the area. Mandated reporting laws are not applicable in all states, however, a federal law governing the country surpasses any policy of state. So while some states,like Maryland, do not have penalties for failure to report crimes against children, it is still covered under federal statute. So in all of the states and territories of the U.S have enacted criminal punishment for failure to report the abuse and/or exploitation of a child.
Twenty States and the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands specify in the reporting laws the penalties for a failure to report. States that have enacted criminal charges for failure to report child abuse: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey (charged as a disorderly person), New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

Upon conviction, a mandated reporter who fails to report can face jail terms ranging
Failure to Report Rev. Stat. § 13-3620(O), (P) A person who violates this section requiring the reporting of child abuse or neglect is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, except if the failure to report involves a reportable offense, in which case the person is guilty of a Class 6 felony. A 'reportable offense' means any of the following: • Any offense listed in chapters 14 and 35.1 of this title or § 13-3506.01 • Surreptitious photographing, videotaping, filming, or digitally recording or viewing a minor pursuant to § 13-3019 • Child prostitution pursuant to § 13-3212 • Incest pursuant to § 13-3608 • Unlawful mutilation pursuant to §