Protecting the Least of These: Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse
Posted: June 26, 2018Katherine Burkey Wiens, Dove’s Nest Speaker’s Bureau Member
Recently, I visited with a pastor who needed counsel about how to handle a situation of possible abuse. The pastor’s struggle was whether they should make a report to the state or simply talk with the family about what had happened. Adding to the complexity, clergy are not mandated reporters in the pastor’s state, therefore they are not required by law to report suspected child abuse. The question I posed to this pastor was “Who are you trying to protect in this situation?”