Reporting of child abuse occurring in the home and reporting of abuse occurring in school settings are two separate and distinct issues requiring different responses by school administrators. However, the laws mandating reporting by educators do not differentiate between these two sources of abuse. The different sources of abuse result in different incentive structures for reporting by educators and in many of the present obstacles to compliance with the law. Development of more appropriate strategies to enhance reporting of child abuse depends upon an understanding by school leaders of this distinction and its impact upon practice.
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