Research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has found that approximately 676,000 children per year are victims of some form of child abuse or neglect (CAN), with many more instances unreported. State variation of CAN and mandatory reporter definitions leave children vulnerable and reduce early opportunities to connect children to health and social services to prevent future morbidity and mortality. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) is drafting a bill requiring the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to convene relevant stakeholders to consider whether a revised federal definition of CAN and mandatory reporters will better protect children.
After a request for input from Murphy’s office, APA’s advocacy office worked with Div. 37 (Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice); Div. 54 (Society of Pediatric Psychology); APA’s Office on Children, Youth, and Families; the Committee on Children, Youth, and Families; and several psychologists with expertise on children, youth, and family issues to develop a set of evidence-based recommendations for Murphy’s draft definition bill.
The recommendations submitted include: broadening the scope of the bill to define additional terms related to CAN; ensuring that the new definitions are used consistency across states and federal agencies; and listing who would be included as “relevant stakeholders” to participate on the panel—such as clinicians and researchers—and is inclusive of communities of color, among others.
For more information, contact Aaron Bishop.