In almost all cases of child abuse, the time you eventually hear about it in the news is not the first time the child has been abused. It is simply the first time you have heard about it. So why is that? Most children who are abused - thousands every year - are not locked away from society, like Jaycee Dugard. Most of them circulate among society every day and are seen at daycare centers, in schools, in hospitals, in doctors offices and are visited at home by police responding to reports of suspicious bruising and injuries on children, reports of domestic violence, or both.

The law permits all people who see abused children - and who know they are being abused or who even should reasonably suspect they are being abused - to make a report of the child abuse or suspected child ause to child protective services or the police. For some people (police, doctors, teachers, school employees, daycare providers and many others), the law requires that they report the suspected abuse.

The purpose of that law which requires that a report of suspected abuse be made immediately by phone, and then be followed up within 36 hours in writing, is so child protective services workers can respond to the report and intervene in time to save the child from further sexual abuse, or a catstrophic injury (shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma, or burns) or even death. The law recognizes that it is critical to act immediately and the people required by law to make the reports are in the best position to get hear or observe children who are being abused. The entire system of child protection is based on child protective workers receiving tips or reports that a child is being abused, or suspected of being abused.

It is NEVER acceptable for a mandated reporter to fail to report suspected abuse. It is against the law. A mandated reporter is never required to investigate the underlying reasons why a child may have been been abused, or evenif the child actually was abused or there is simply a legitimate reason for an injury, bruise or signs of mental anguish that often accompany a child being sexually abused. A mandated reporter simply calls in to say that she or he saw something that caused er or him to entertain a suspicion that something abusive might be happening, and that is all that is required. From there, child protective services takes over and saves the child from further abuse, injury or death.

Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm have devoted their practice to helping abused children enforce their legal rights. One way this is accomplished is by holding responsible those people who are required but fail to uphold their responsibility to report suspected abuse or neglect in a timely manner - before a child is abused further, catastrophically injured or killed. This book provides free information to families of children who have been abused or neglected, and who have been injured or shown signs of abuse in the past.

Important note - in the case of some mandated reporters who fail to uphold their responsibilities to a child (government employees, police, sheriff, teachers, schools, etc.), it may be critical to enforce legal rights quickly with notice to the government that the child may sue them - sometimes within 6 months from the date of the occurrence, so get this free book but also contact the Keane Law Firm quickly so that your child's rights may be enforced.