Strengthening law against child sex abuse

By Cody Neff
Register-Herald
June 23, 2014

http://www.register-herald.com/latestnews/x1669977288/Strengthening-law-against-child-sex-abuse

Did you know that, if you’re over 18, you have to report any child sexual abuse you know of?

According to the executive director of the Just For Kids Child Advocacy Center, last year a law was put into place that changed the way child sexual abuse is reported.

“Every person over 18 years of age is a mandated reporter for child sexual abuse,” Scott Miller said. “There are a list of people who are mandated reporters for child abuse which includes clergy, teachers, coaches, and volunteers in child programs. Now, every adult is a mandated reporter for child sexual abuse.”

Miller said he hopes this will increase the number of children who can get help for abuse.

“Ideally, it means that there will be more reports of child sexual abuse,” he said. “If people take it seriously and recognize that they have the duty under the law to report something that they see or hear, then more people will do it. That is how it has played out.

“States have implemented similar laws and they have seen increases in the reports and in disclosures of sexual abuse. Only 1 in 10 children tell. It’s not their responsibility to tell so even if one more person reports something they hear or see, that’s one more child that will hopefully get the support they need to get help to reduce the trauma of the abuse.”

Miller also said adults need to be aware of the way abuse reporting works.

“If a child is abused in their home by someone who does not live in the home, like a boyfriend, CPS cannot move forward in that case,” he said. “Their protocol says it has to be a family member in the home.

“They can’t process that case. Instead, it would be turned over to law enforcement. People have to call the DHHR and law enforcement if they think abuse is taking place.”

Another law that goes into effect July 1 is that abuse reporting is becoming more centralized and consistent.

“When a person calls the hotline, rather than that call being directed to the local DHHR, it will be screened by a team at the state level,” Miller said. “There will be centralization of the screening process. Until July 1, that screening is done by a supervisor in CPS.

“The call comes into Charleston now after they collect the information. The DHHR person calls the Raleigh County CPS and they run through their protocol to determine what to do with the case. It makes consistency in the system for the entire state.”