Reporting or Refraining? Examining school social workers’ use of discretion and decision making in child maltreatment reporting tendencies

Abstract

This study examined discretion by school social workers in recognizing physical and educational neglect and the likelihood of reporting this form of child maltreatment. Using two case vignettes-each depicting situations that meet criteria for mandated reporting of physical and educational neglect-this research examines how school social workers (N = 548) assess suspicion and likelihood of reporting to child welfare as a mandated report. Participants rated their level of suspicion after reading each vignette and indicated their likelihood of filing a child welfare report. Additionally, they provided information regarding their compliance and training in mandated reporting. Binary logistic regression and independent t-tests were used to analyze the relationship between training compliance, suspicion levels, and likelihood of reporting physical and educational neglect. Findings reveal significant discrepancies between recognition of maltreatment and follow-through with reporting, suggesting that discretion plays a considerable role in reporting behavior. These results underscore the need to critically examine current training practices and explore barriers that may contribute to inconsistent reporting. The implications of these findings result in a need for review and revision to policies and training to address and eliminate opportunities for bias and discretion in reporting behavior.