Abuse Reporting Paper
Gria Jacobs, Amy Mathias, Cathy Schultz, Barbara Spencer, Debra Tatum
BSHS 332
June 18, 2012
Richard Van Cleave

Abuse Reporting Paper Every state is responsible for designing and implementing its own abuse reporting laws. The laws share a common goal and purpose, to protect children, the elderly, and spouse whose health and welfare is adversely affected through abuse and neglect. Every state is analogous in requiring responsible parties to report child, elderly and domestic abuse of any kind, physical neglect, medical neglect, verbal abuse, physical or emotional injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and inadequate supervision as well as financial exploitation. Although laws exist that mandate certain individuals, such as medical, and hospital personnel, social service workers, childcare workers and other professionals to report any type of abuse, every individual has an obligation under the law to report suspected child and elderly abuse. Though ethical dilemmas of reporting child and elderly abuse exist, these concerned are discussed and recommendations are integrated within the laws that subsist. The ethical duty of a human service professional is to act in the best interested of the children and elderly by safeguarding and reporting concern. A professional is to respect the integrity and welfare of the client at all times, respecting and protecting his or her right to privacy and confidentiality. However, when it is suspected that danger or harm may occur to the client the human service professional should act in the best manner to protect the safety of the client. Laws for child and elderly abuse exist to ensure that they are entitled to fair and equal treatment. Without laws to prevent abuse, there may be no way for children, the elderly, and spouse to stop others from treating them unfairly. States laws often