Reporting Suspected Child Maltreatment: Educating Social Work Students in Decision Making and Maintaining the Relationship

ABSTRACT

As future mandated reporters, social work students face the dual challenge of rendering accurate reporting decisions while concurrently maintaining the therapeutic relationship in an effort to decrease future child abuse and neglect. To address the paucity of training in this regard, 42 bachelor of social work (n=18) and master of social work (n=24) students participated in a workshop focused on decision making and the therapeutic relationship in mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Participants were given a case vignette and responded in writing to structured questions. Two patterns emerged from the qualitative analysis: factors that centered on the case and those that centered on the social worker. Implications for social work education are suggested.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lea Tufford

Lea Tufford is assistant professor at Laurentian University.

Marion Bogo

Marion Bogo is professor and

Ellen Katz

Ellen Katz is assistant professor at the University of Toronto.

Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee is assistant professor at the University of British Columbia.

Roxanne Ramjattan

Roxanne Ramjattan is a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto.