2025 NYSED Identification and Reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment

About this course

Child abuse and neglect are serious public health concerns. It involves the emotional, sexual, physical abuse, or neglect of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, custodian, or caregiver that results in potential harm, actual harm, or a threat of harm. This independent study provides an overview of child abuse, adverse childhood experiences, implicit bias, and the New York regulations for a mandated reporter to report child abuse and neglect.

Learning objectives

• Be able to determine if a child shows indicators of maltreatment or abuse, including in a virtual setting.
• Recognize the signs of intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in children and factors to consider when determining whether a child with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities shows indicators of maltreatment or abuse.
• Recognize the impact of trauma and ACEs on children, families, and the mandated reporter.
• Recognize the mitigating effects of the five protective factors on trauma.
• Recognize the impact of bias on decision-making.
• Understand when a mandated reporter has a legal obligation to call the SCR.
• Recognize how the mandated reporter may better connect individuals and families with services.
• Know how to prepare to make the call to the SCR.
• Know how to complete the LDSS 2221A form.
• Understand rights as a mandated reporter.

Course outline

39 sections · finish in any order across devices

1. 1

   Definitions

   Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

   4 min

2. 2

   Module 1: Introduction

   Family and Domestic violence are a common problem in the United States and affects approximately 10 million people every year. They are abusive behaviors in which one individual gains power over another individual. Domestic and family violence occurs among all ages, races, and sexes. It knows no cul

   4 min

3. 3

   Shared Mission

   The State's Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR or Central Register), local child protective services (CPS) agencies and mandated reporters promote the well-being of New York’s children, families and communities. 12

   4 min

4. 4

   Trauma

   Trauma is an intense event that threatens a person’s life or safety in a way that is too much for the mind to manage and leaves the person powerless. For instance, for many parents, having a child removed from the home and dealing with the child welfare system are traumatic events. Trauma can bring

   4 min

5. 5

   Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

   Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) are negative experiences that occur during childhood that can increase the likelihood of risk-taking behavior later in life. 5,18 A better understanding of how a high ACE score can increase risk-taking behavior has been explored through research. The CDC-Kaiser Pe

   4 min

6. 6

   Trauma-Informed Practice

   Mandated reporters must know many people have a history of trauma. Trauma-informed practice is a model for engaging with children and families, while also recognizing the influence and impact that past or present trauma may have. In trauma-informed practice, a mandated reporter should not question o

   4 min

7. 7

   Module 3: Understanding and Reducing Implicit and Explicit Bias

   Implicit bias refers to attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious way, making them difficult to control.15,18 It may present as biases against groups of people who have a different gender, sexual orientation, racial group, or ethnicity, and can

   4 min

8. 8

   Causes of Child Abuse

   Domestic and family violence, including child abuse often starts when a caretaker or parent feels the need to dominate or control a child. This can occur because of several reasons, such as: 13,14,16,17

   4 min

9. 9

   Professional Role

   The term “professional role” describes working or volunteering in a role that requires specific licensure or certification. Reasonable cause to suspect occurs when a mandated reporter observes or is told, in addition to professional experience or training, reasonably believes that a child has been o

   4 min

10. 10

    Confidentiality

    New York State law provides confidentiality to those who make a report.

    4 min

11. 11

    Immunity from Liability

    Some mandated reporters face a conflict between their legal obligation to report and their legal obligation to maintain client or patient confidentiality. Section 419 of the Social Service Law provides immunity from liability for mandated reporters. Mandated reporters are immune from any criminal or

    4 min

12. 12

    Module 5: Defining Maltreatment and Abuse

    Parents and PLRs must provide the children with the minimum degree of care. This includes adequate:

    4 min

13. 13

    Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)

    Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations Requirements

    4 min

14. 14

    Social Services Law and Article 10 of the Family Court Act

    The laws that guide New York Child Protective Services are Article 6, Title 6 of the Social Services Law and Article 10 of the Family Court Act, including:12

    4 min

15. 15

    Penalties for Failure to Report

    Mandated reporters are subject to serious consequences for failure to report.

    4 min

16. 16

    Abandoned Infant Protection Act

    The Abandoned Infant Protection Act (AIPA) does not affect responsibilities as a mandated reporter. The AIPA does not amend the law regarding mandated reporters and does not in any way change or lessen the responsibilities of mandated reporters. Mandated reporters who learn of abandonment are still

    4 min

17. 17

    Module 6: Indicators of Child Maltreatment and Abuse

    Identifying a child of suspected maltreatment and abuse is difficult because the child may be nonverbal or too frightened or severely injured to talk. Also, the perpetrator will rarely admit to the injury, and witnesses are uncommon. In a healthcare setting, healthcare providers will see children of

    4 min

18. 18

    Abusive Head Trauma

    Abusive head trauma (AHT), also known as the shaken baby syndrome (SBS), is a preventable, severe form of physical child abuse resulting from violently shaking an infant or toddler by the shoulders, arms, or legs. Shaken baby syndrome and the resultant head injury has leading cause of death related

    4 min

19. 19

    Abdominal Trauma

    Abdominal trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in abused children. 13,24 It is the second most common cause of death from physical abuse and is mostly seen in infants and toddlers. Many of these children will not display overt findings, and there may be no abdominal bruising on p

    4 min

20. 20

    Skeletal Trauma

    The second most common type of child abuse after neglect is physical abuse. 13,24 Eighty percent of abusive fractures occur in non-ambulatory children, particularly in children younger than 18 months of age. 13,24 The most important risk factor for abusive skeletal injury is age. There is no fractur

    4 min

21. 21

    Neglect

    A physical examination may not only demonstrate signs of physical abuse but may show signs of neglect.13,24 A general examination may show poor oral hygiene with extensive dental caries, malnutrition with significant growth failure, untreated diaper dermatitis, or untreated wounds.

    4 min

22. 22

    Physical Abuse

    Child physical abuse should be considered in each of the following: 1,3,4

    4 min

23. 23

    Sexual Abuse

    About 25% of girls and 8% of boys will experience child sexual abuse at some point in childhood, and 91% of the abuse is perpetrated by someone the child or child’s family knows. Sexual abuse can affect how a child behaves, thinks, and feels over a lifetime. 2,9,21 This can cause short and long-term

    4 min

24. 24

    Specific injuries and associated findings of child abuse include: 15

    Bites

    4 min

25. 25

    Fractures

    Accidental

    4 min

26. 26

    Understanding Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Children

    Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) are disorders that are usually present at birth and that negatively affect the trajectory of a child’s physical, intellectual, and/or emotional development. Many of these conditions affect multiple body parts or systems.25

    7 min

27. 27

    Communication Barriers

    Many children with IDD have limited verbal skills or alternative ways of communicating. They may have speech impairments, be non-verbal, or have limited understanding of vocabulary, making it difficult for them to disclose maltreatment or abuse. Some children may only be able to communicate through

    4 min

28. 28

    Concerning Behavioral Indicators of Caregivers to Children with IDD

    One of the biggest challenges in identifying physical abuse in children with IDD is the tendency to rationalize injuries or conditions as being caused by the disability or the child’s own behaviors.25 For example, if a child with autism has bruises, a mandated reporter may assume the child caused th

    4 min

29. 29

    The Virtual Environment

    Mandated reporters may have interactions with children that occur in a virtual environment. For example, children may experience telehealth with a healthcare provider, participate in online therapy, or attend school remotely. When interacting with children while in their professional role, mandated

    4 min

30. 30

    Educational Neglect

    Poor school attendance does not equate to a reasonable cause to suspect maltreatment of a child. School personnel should first try working with the child, family, and community agencies to identify needs and resources available. If unsuccessful, a report of suspected educational neglect should be ca

    4 min

31. 31

    Exercise

    Octavia has presented to the healthcare clinic with her 13 year old daughter. Mandy, Octavia’s 13 year old daughter, is complaining of abdominal pain. Upon meeting Octavia and Mandy, Octavia appears frustrated, and complains to you about the long wait time. She also complains of being away from home

    4 min

32. 32

    Answer

    If while in your professional role, and as a mandated reporter you have a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused or maltreated, you are required to call the SCR immediately on the mandated reporter designated hotline at 1-800-635-1522. You should always call 911 first if in an emergency s

    4 min

33. 33

    Module 8: Making the Call to the SCR and What Happens Next

    If while in their professional role, a mandated reporter has a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused or maltreated, they are required to call the SCR immediately on the mandated reporter designated hotline at 1-800-635-1522. They should always call 911 first if in an emergency situation.

    4 min

34. 34

    (LDSS 2221-A)

    The mandated reporter should use the LDSS-2221A form to gather information, and then use it as a tool to organize the information while making the call. Form is available on OCFS’ website: https://ocfs.ny.gov/forms/ldss/LDSS-2221/OCFS-LDSS-2221A.docx

    5 min

35. 35

    Special Considerations

    In a healthcare setting, when feasible and without delaying care to a child, and guided by institutional policies, photographs of injuries should be taken prior to initiating treatment of suspected injuries of child abuse.

    4 min

36. 36

    Conclusion

    Child abuse is a public health problem that leads to lifelong health consequences, both physically and psychologically. Physically, children who are victims of abusive head trauma may have neurologic deficits, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and other forms of disability. Psychologically, vict

    4 min

37. 37

    Steps to Report Suspected Child Abuse

    New York State is divided into fifty-eight local social services districts. The five boroughs of New York City comprise one district. Outside of New York City each district corresponds to one of the fifty-seven counties that make up the remainder of the state. County Departments of Social Services (

    7 min

38. 38

    Child-Help USA

    Treatment programs such as Child-help Group Homes and Child-help Advocacy centers have been designed to help children who are suffering from child abuse. There are also prevention programs, including Child-help Speak Up Be Safe for Educators.

    4 min

39. 39

    www.acf.dhhs.gov

    The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is a federal agency funding state, territory, local, and tribal organizations to provide family assistance (welfare), child support, childcare, Head Start, child welfare, and other programs relating to children and families.

    4 min

This course satisfies

Requirement summaries come from our state requirement records. Always confirm details with your board before you renew.

References and resources

• Ai, A. L., Lee, J., Solis, A., & Yap, C. (2016). Childhood abuse, religious involvement, and substance abuse among Latino-American men in the United States. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 23(6), 764-775. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-016-9561-z
• Alexander, R. A. (2011). Medical advances in child sexual abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 20(5), 481-485. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2011.607754
• Bozzay, M. L., Joy, L. N., & Verona, E. (2017). Family violence pathways and externalizing behavior in youth. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 088626051772425. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517724251
• Bright, M. A., Knapp, C., Hinojosa, M. S., Alford, S., & Bonner, B. (2015). The comorbidity of physical, mental, and developmental conditions associated with childhood adversity: A population-based study. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 20(4), 843-853. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-015-1915-7
• Bright, M. A., & Thompson, L. A. (2017). Association of adverse childhood experiences with co-occurring health conditions in early childhood. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 1.
• NA; (2012). Guidelines for the acute medical management of severe traumatic brain injury in infants, children, and adolescents-second edition. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, 13, S1-S2. https://doi.org/10.1097/pcc.0b013e31823f435c
• Adelson, P. D., Wisniewski, S. R., Beca, J., Brown, S. D., Bell, M., Muizelaar, J. P., Okada, P., Beers, S. R., Balasubramani, G. K., & Hirtz, D. (2013). Comparison of hypothermia and normothermia after severe traumatic brain injury in children (Cool kids): A phase 3, randomized controlled trial. The Lancet Neurology, 12(6), 546-553. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(13)70077-2
• Araki, T., Yokota, H., & Morita, A. (2017). Pediatric traumatic brain injury: Characteristic features, diagnosis, and management. Neurologia medico-chirurgica, 57(2), 82-93. https://doi.org/10.2176/nmc.ra.2016-0191
• Beaver, K. M. (2017). The interaction between genetic risk and childhood sexual abuse in the prediction of adolescent violent behavior. Biosocial Theories of Crime, 235-252. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315096278-10
• Chen, C., Peng, J., Sribnick, E., Zhu, M., & Xiang, H. (2018). Trend of age-adjusted rates of pediatric traumatic brain injury in U.S. emergency departments from 2006 to 2013. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(6), 1171. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061171
• Guerrero, M. (2017). Accuracy of PECARN, CATCH, and chalice head injury decision rules in children: A prospective cohort study. The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 53(1), 155-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2017.05.015
• Mandated training related to child abuse. (n.d.). Office of the Professions | Office of the Professions. https://op.nysed.gov/professions/psychology/mandated-training-related-child-abuse
• Litz, C. N., Ciesla, D. J., Danielson, P. D., & Chandler, N. M. (2017). A closer look at non-accidental trauma: Caregiver assault compared to non-caregiver assault. Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 52(4), 625-627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.08.026
• Mucha, A., DeWitt, J., & Greenspan, A. I. (2019). The CDC guideline on the diagnosis and management of mild traumatic brain injury among children: What physical therapists need to know. Physical Therapy, 99(10), 1278-1280. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzz085
• Rooney, E. E., Hill, R. M., Oosterhoff, B., & Kaplow, J. (2018). Violent victimization and perpetration as distinct risk factors for adolescent suicide attempts. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/cgmqv
• Singhi, S., & Kumar, R. (2016). Raised intracranial pressure in children with an acute brain injury: Monitoring and management. Critical Care, 406-406. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp/books/12670_49
• Stockman, J. (2011). Identification of children at very low risk of clinically important brain injuries after head trauma: A prospective cohort study. Yearbook of Pediatrics, 2011, 392-395. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0084-3954(10)79686-x
• Taylor-Robinson, D. C., Straatmann, V. S., & Whitehead, M. (2018). Adverse childhood experiences or adverse childhood socioeconomic conditions? The Lancet Public Health, 3(6), e262-e263. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2468-2667(18)30094-x \
• DeBoer, M. I., Kothari, R., Kothari, C., Koestner, A. L., & Rohs, T. (2013). What are barriers to nurses screening for intimate partner violence? Journal of Trauma Nursing, 20(3), 155-160. https://doi.org/10.1097/jtn.0b013e3182a171b1
• Donohue, B., Alvarez, K. M., & Schubert, K. N. (2015). An evidence-supported approach to reporting child maltreatment. Mandatory Reporting Laws and the Identification of Severe Child Abuse and Neglect, 347-379.
• Kenny, M. C., & Abreu, R. L. (2015). Training mental health professionals in child sexual abuse: Curricular guidelines. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 24(5), 572-591. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2015.1042185
• Kenny, M. C., Wurtele, S. K., & Alonso, L. (2012). Evaluation of a personal safety program with Latino preschoolers. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21(4), 368-385. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2012.675426
• Kuehnle, K., & Connell, M. (2010). Child sexual abuse suspicions: Treatment considerations during investigation. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 19(5), 554-571. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2010.512554
• Litz, C. N., Ciesla, D. J., Danielson, P. D., & Chandler, N. M. (2017). A closer look at non-accidental trauma: Caregiver assault compared to non-caregiver assault. Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 52(4), 625-627.
• Choudhary, S. (2025). Understanding the hidden signs of neglect and abuse in children with intellectual disabilities. International Journal of Research in Special Education, 5(1), 22-29. https://doi.org/10.22271/27103862.2025.v5.i1a.97
• 2023 NYS Mandated Reporter Training Posttest
• When determining if a child shows indicators of maltreatment or abuse it is important to remember:
• Indicators will always be of a physical nature and will be visible
• Not to view indicators in isolation
• The explanation for the presenting concern is irrelevant
• Your prior experience with this child should not be factored in
• Some Mandated Reporters connect with children virtually. Choose the true statement below:
• Due to the virtual setting a mandated reporter cannot assess indicators of abuse/maltreatment.
• Pay attention to non-verbal cues from the child. Does the child’s demeanor change when a particular adult enters the room?
• Mandated reporters can only report what they see or hear in person.
• Meeting virtually places children in more danger.
• Which is not a form of maltreatment?
• Excessive corporal punishment
• Adverse childhood experiences can have a lasting impact on:
• Persons Legally Responsible (PLR) for children
• The following are protective factors that can mitigate child abuse and maltreatment except:
• Parents having concrete support in time of need.
• Having a robust network of mandated reporters.
• The child’s social connections.
• Research on bias throughout the child welfare system shows:
• An under representation of families of color
• An over representation of families in poverty and families of color
• A mandated reporter’s decision to make a report is hardly ever influenced by bias
• Bias does not have long lasting impacts on families and communities
• As mandated reporters you must use critical thinking when deciding whether to call in a report. Critical thinking includes:
• Gathering adequate information about the current situation
• Analyzing that information to separate facts from assumptions
• Determining whether you are legally required to call the SCR, and if not, determine what alternative options are available
• When are mandated reporters required to call the State Central Register to report suspected child abuse or maltreatment?
• Depends on the severity of the suspected injury.
• If you are a mandated reporter in a school and a child has been missing from school and the parents are not responding to the schools attempts to discuss the child’s lack of attendance, what should you do?
• Make a report to the SCR for educational neglect.
• Assess if other efforts can be made by the school to engage the family.
• Discuss the matter with the child’s friends.
• When a mandated reporter finds a family in crisis and the children are not in imminent danger of harm, it is best to:
• Call the State Central Register and make a report just in case.
• Assess the situation to see if the family could benefit from other community resources.
• What should a mandated reporter do before reporting any allegations of abuse/neglect?
• Have clear and sufficient evidence of the abuse or neglect.
• Discuss the concerns with the parent or guardian of the child.
• Talk to the child about what to say to the child protective services worker.
• Have reasonable cause to suspect the child has been abused or neglected.
• When must an LDSS 2221A form be filed?
• Depends on the severity of the injury.
• Within five business days of making the oral report.
• Within 48 hours of making an oral report.
• The 2221A is no longer required.
• 2023 NYS Mandated Reporter Training Posstest Answers
• When determining if a child shows indicators of maltreatment or abuse it is important to remember:
• Indicators will always be of a physical nature and will be visible
• Not to view indicators in isolation
• The explanation for the presenting concern is irrelevant
• Your prior experience with this child should not be factored in
• Some Mandated Reporters connect with children virtually. Choose the true statement below:
• Due to the virtual setting a mandated reporter cannot assess indicators of abuse/maltreatment.

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