What facts do I need to know to file a report?
What is meant by reasonable belief?
The Arizona court has said: reasonable belief is a very low standard. If there are any facts from which one could reasonably conclude that a child has been the victim of one of the offenses (where a mandatory report is required) the person knowing the facts has a duty to report..."
- You do NOT need visual evidence of the offense
- Your obligation is NOT to determine whether the information is or is not true.
- It is NOT your job to establish that it is more probable than not that abuse has occurred or beyond a doubt that abuse has occurred.
Think about the following scenario:
A child comes to school with a black eye, bloody ear, and a large bruise on the side of his head. When you ask the child what happened, the child hesitates and says that he fell off his bicycle.
What, if any, additional questions should you ask?
Do you report?
Reasonable Belief from UA College of Education on Vimeo.