About 91 percent of educators strongly agree or agree that their communities should do more to support children and families facing child abuse and neglect, according to a new AFT report. And while 81.1 percent of surveyed educators say they’ve received formal training as mandatory reporters of maltreatment, 40.1 percent of respondents answered “zero” when asked to estimate the number of reports they made to child protective services agencies in the previous 12 months.
More than 1,100 educators (average experience: 16.5 years) from 44 states and territories shared their views about mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect in a survey developed by the AFT in partnership with the University of California, Irvine, and conducted between Feb. 20 and May 2, 2024.
“We need new tools and supports that better address root causes and real problems,” writes AFT President Randi Weingarten in the report. “Unfortunately, mandatory reporting often places educators in the difficult position of accidentally catalyzing harm, rather than helping. The AFT’s Mandated Support in Education action framework elevates innovation and best practices that really meet people’s needs — because our first priority is our students’ well-being.”
To view and download “Nobody Wins: Educators’ Perspectives on Mandatory Reporting,” click here.
