Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse: Legal Analysis and Case Study

This assignment analyzes the mandatory reporting laws in Arizona, specifically focusing on the legal obligations of individuals to report suspected child abuse. The assignment begins with an overview of the Arizona Revised Statute 13-3620, detailing the requirements for mandated reporters, including the need to report any reasonable suspicion of child abuse to law enforcement or Child Protective Services. The assignment then presents a scenario where a student witnessed a potential case of child abuse in a supermarket, involving a child being physically and verbally abused by his mother. Based on the observed actions and the potential for further harm, the student concludes that there is a reasonable basis for mandated reporting of child abuse, and the assignment identifies the legal basis and rationale for reporting the incident, and provides a reference to the relevant Arizona law.

ASSISGNMENT 3RD
State's mandated reporter statute
The state's mandated reporter statute is to stay in compliance with the Safe Environment
Program of the Diocese of Tucson, and under that each and every person have the obligation to
mandatory report the action when there is a reasonable belief, either personal or from receiving
information from any third party, that any minor is a victim of abuse, then that person must call
the law enforcement cell or the Child Protective Services, with an immediate effect. There is
option that any person does not want to get involved, since failure to report will render severe
consequences of non- compliance and will be charged with Class 1 misdemeanor in general
cases and for sexual child abuse related cases, the non- compliance to report will lead to Class 6
felony charges. The person making a report must call the law enforcement cell, with the basic
information like the things which are being observed, with the name of the child who was
possibly suffering abuse, with an identifiable location where the child lives with the family, also
with the information of the suspected perpetrator, detailing the place of occurrence of the abuse
along with any other factors which are related and relevant to the abuse. When calling the Child
Protective Services there must be an indication present that the abuse has occurred within the
framework of the family. But, the recommendation so provided by Diocese of Tucson relates that
both law enforcement and CPS must be called together and is considered to be the safest policy
to ensure the welfare of the child (The Mandatory Reporting Law of the State of Arizona -
Arizona Revised Statute 13-3620).
Mandated reporter scenario
I was in a supermarket, picking up my groceries. I saw a two- year old kid, sweating profusely,
came in with his mother. His mother wants him to wear warm clothes which he vehemently
denying. The mother tried and he screams loudly, and with that the anger grew within his
mother. She jerked him and forced his arms within the sleeves and jammed his feet in to the
boot. The kid at this point of time started crying hysterically and the mother started yelling at
him, and I heard her say, that she is going to give something to the kid for him to cry. The kid
continued crying and his mother dragged him through the parking lot and threw him against the
car. I clearly heard his head thuds and also at the same time, heard his mother scream even
louder. At this point of time she threw the kid in to car seat and drove off.
This I think, as a reasonable person that injuries although not seen vividly cannot be held to be
accidental, since I heard his head thud against the car. Again, I witnessed the mother’s violent
behavior so it can be concluded that, the kid could be further subjected to more injuries. So, this
is a possible case of mandated reporting of child abuse.
References
The Mandatory Reporting Law of the State of Arizona - Arizona Revised Statute 13-3620. (n.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/03620.htm