ATLANTA – State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) commented today on the General Assembly’s passage of House Bill 535, which passed the state Senate with a unanimous vote and passed the state House with a vote of 147 to 13, showing broad bipartisan support for the measure. Sponsored by Rep. Oliver, HB 535 modernizes funding for the Georgia State War Veterans’ Home. Continue reading “Rep. Oliver’s Legislation Makes Way through General Assembly, Heads to Governor”
Guest Editorial: Child Abuse Reporting Statutes: Time for Review
The Penn State institutional failure to report and address child sexual abuse on its campus is heartbreaking for both the victims and their families, as well as for those many individuals who have advocated for decades for improved systems to protect children from intentional injuries inflicted by adults. Closer to home, in Georgia in recent weeks, a four-year old Downs Syndrome child was stabbed to death by her psychotic mother, and afterword neighbors told news reporters that there was something “not right” about the mother’s behavior.
Are the child abuse reporting statutes too weak in either Pennsylvania or Georgia? If every person were required to report child abuse, instead of only certain professionals “mandated’ to reporter, would it make a difference for so many children who suffer daily from abuse?
Child abuse reporting statutes have been enacted in all 50 states over the last 50 years, following the medical recognition of the “battered child syndrome” in 1963. Mandated reporters in all states include professionals who presumably have the expertise to recognize abuse in children. This list of professionals includes teachers, doctors, and nurses. From currently collected data, 29 percent of investigated child abuse reports come from non-mandated reporters; 57 percent of the mandated reports were substantiated, and 45 percent were substantiated after investigation from non-mandated reporters. Is this difference in rate of substantiation great enough to prove that the assumed expertise of mandated reporters is better than that of the untrained neighbor who sees and hears a daily family struggle? If many substantiated reported cases are now made from non-mandated reporters can we assume that more reports of real child abuse would be made if everyone were required to report? Would children be safer?
I have introduced House Bill 948 this week in the General Assembly to fill what I believe are current gaps in Georgia’s child abuse reporting statute. This proposed legislation adds “Clergy” as a mandated child abuse reporter and provides a narrow exception for clergy-parishioner confidences. Twenty-six other states include clergy as mandated reporters. Additionally, “Coach” is added as a mandated reporter under the definition of child service organization personnel who are required to report abuse. Some argue that coaches are already mandated reporters under “school administrator” or “child serving organization,” but the clarifying language in HB 948 makes in indisputable that Georgia’s statute includes non-school based coaches and colleges where thousands of children participate in summer and special athletic programs.
Eighteen states do require everyone to report child abuse, and not just mandated professionals, and I am open to a discussion about this possible addition to the child abuse reporting statute. More importantly, however, and separate from government and politics, we should re-examine our own personal and moral duties to protect the children in our families, schools, little league ball clubs, and neighborhoods from abuse. Let us continue the debate of child abuse prevention regardless of what improvements the Georgia General Assembly may make to our child abuse reporting statutes.
Representative Mary Margaret Oliver represents the citizens of District 83, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2002, plus five years previous service. She currently serves on the Appropriations, Governmental Affairs, Judiciary, and Science and Technology committees.
###
Rep. Oliver Introduces Legislation to Expand Georgia’s Mandatory Reporting Requirements for Child Abuse
ATLANTA – State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) today introduced HB 948, legislation that would expand Georgia’s child abuse laws by adding coaches and members of the clergy to the list of individuals required to report suspected child abuse.
“In light of recent national events, I think now is a good time to review our state laws regarding child abuse reporting,” said Rep. Oliver. “Reporting child abuse must work to prevent further abuse. Those who work directly with children or are in a position of trust have an obligation to take action if they suspect abuse.”
Under Georgia’s mandatory reporting requirements certain individuals are required by state law to report suspected child abuse to the person in charge of the organization for which they work. This legal obligation to act currently applies to medical personnel, psychologists, social workers, counselors, law enforcement personnel, child service organization personnel and school teachers, administrators and guidance counselors. HB 948 expands this list to include coaches and clergy.
The proposed legislation would clarify the meaning of “child service organization personnel” under existing law by adding language that specifically defines the term to mean any person employed by or volunteering at a business or organization that provides care, treatment, education, training, supervision, coaching, counseling, recreational programs, or shelter to children. While some coaches may already be included under the term “school administrator,” this addition would make it clear that non-school based coaches and coaches at colleges that offer summer and special athletic programs are also expected to report suspected child abuse.
HB 948 would also expand mandatory reporting requirements to include clergy for the first time in Georgia, which 26 other states already include as mandated reporters. As defined by the legislation, “clergy” would include anyone acting as a Christian or Jewish minister or similar function, regardless of the particular title used by the individual, church or religion. The bill would also include a narrow exception for clergy parishioner confidences that are required to be kept confidential under church doctrine or practice, such as those disclosed during the Roman Catholic Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. However, this limited exception is narrowly tailored so that clergy would be required to report suspected abuse once the clergy receives information from any source outside of the protected mode of communication.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over 3 million reports of child abuse are made each year in the United States. If you know or suspect a child is being abused, please report it by calling the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD.
Representative Mary Margaret Oliver represents the citizens of District 83, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2002, plus five years previous service. She currently serves on the Appropriations, Governmental Affairs, Judiciary, and Science and Technology committees.
###
Representatives Oliver and Parent Introduce Municipalization Legislation
ATLANTA— State Representatives Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) and Elena Parent (D-Chamblee) announced today the introduction of House Bill 830, legislation that would help the General Assembly and Georgia voters assess the financial viability of proposed municipalities. Continue reading “Representatives Oliver and Parent Introduce Municipalization Legislation”
Rep. Oliver Named as an “Emory History Maker”
ATLANTA – State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) was recently recognized as one of Emory University’s 175 History Makers. Continue reading “Rep. Oliver Named as an “Emory History Maker””