In 2024, more than 55,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect were made to Kentucky’s Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), which houses Child Protective Services (CPS). As a universal mandatory reporting state, every adult is required to make a report if they have a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected. While every adult can play a role in keeping children safe, research and data suggest that the intended impact of mandatory reporting laws are not being met.

With support from Casey Family Programs and consultation from Dr. Anita Barbee, Professor and Distinguished University Scholar, PhD Program Director at the Kent School of Social Work and Family Science at the University of Louisville, Kentucky Youth Advocates has developed a report, Understanding Overreporting in Public Schools: The Influence of Mandatory Reporting Policies on Educators and the Impact on Louisville Families. The report aims to do the following:

Explore the history of mandatory reporting laws.

Mandatory reporting laws were first introduced in the early 1960s, in response to Dr. C. Henry Kempe’s medical study, The Battered Child Syndrome, which was credited with galvanizing the country to take action against the notoriously private issue of child physical abuse. At the time, mandatory reporting laws only required physicians to make a report to CPS when they suspected child abuse had occurred. 

By the end of the 1970s, most states, including Kentucky, had passed universal mandatory reporting laws that required every adult to report suspected child abuse, informed by the belief that everyone had a “moral obligation” to help abused children.

Expand our understanding of the influence that mandatory reporting laws have on educators’ reporting decisions through analyzed survey data.

Teachers are consistently one of the highest reporting sources due to their daily proximity to their students, which creates opportunities to gauge changes in students’ behavior, demeanor, or physical appearance over time. The 2023 National Child Maltreatment Report showed that professionals accounted for more than 70% of all CPS reports with educators accounting for more than 21%. In Jefferson County (SFY 2024), nearly 24% of all CPS reports were made by educators. 

To better understand perceptions and experiences, Kentucky Youth Advocates surveyed a convenience sample of Jefferson County Public School teachers regarding mandatory reporting requirements. The data was divided into the following themes: mandatory reporting laws and policies, educator confidence in recognizing and reporting abuse, and educator experiences with supporting parents and caregivers. 

Describe the impact of mandatory reporting laws and requirements on families and the CPS workforce.

Overreporting occurs when significantly more reports are made to CPS than substantiated by CPS. Several contributing factors to overreporting have been identified in the research, including:

  • Language used around mandatory reporting which encourages people to refrain from investigating and to report even when in doubt
  • Inaccurate perception of CPS as a comprehensive service provider equipped to address immediate needs
  • Threat of legal or professional consequences for failing to make a report. 

This framing could promote reporting to CPS as the only appropriate response instead of an optional response under certain circumstances. 

Overreporting compounds the burden placed on CPS, with workers becoming increasingly overwhelmed with the volume of hotline calls received and the amount of time required to effectively investigate and manage the rising number of open cases. It also increases unnecessary involvement with the child welfare system for families, causing parents to avoid help-seeking behaviors and children to experience feelings of shock, betrayal, and helplessness.

Provide nuanced recommendations that balance the need for system-level improvements and ensure support and safety for every child.

Child abuse and neglect are complex issues that require multi-faceted and adaptable solutions. The key recommendations included in the report are:

  1. Strengthening and increasing access to comprehensive and free child abuse and neglect recognition education for professionals. 
  2. Utilizing an ethical decision-making tool to support decision making and promoting consultation with a professional prior to making a report to CPS.
  3. Clarifying the role of child protective services.

By making common sense shifts in our approach to mandatory reporting and pursuing opportunities to support families when concerns for a child’s well-being arise, we can improve outcomes for every Louisville family, and ultimately families across the Commonwealth. View the full report.