Original Article |
On the Border of Disorder: School Personnel's Experiences Reporting Child Abuse on the U.S.–Mexico Border
From Fordham University
Contact author: Ernst VanBergeijk, PhD, MSW, Fordham University, Graduate School of Social Service, 113 West 60th Street, Lowenstein Building 723G, New York, New York 10023. E-mail: vanbergeijk{at}fordham.edu.
This qualitative research study is a unique and rich portrayal of public school–mandated reporters and their experiences with reporting child abuse on the U.S.–Mexico border. Twenty-eight school personnel were interviewed using grounded theory methods. Situations that involved parental substance abuse, domestic violence, and neglect were the most difficult for reporters to identify as potential child maltreatment. Emergent themes included (a) the inherent conflict between the mandate to report suspicions of child abuse versus the need for evidence, (b) the threat of potential violence as a result of a report, and (c) the impact of culture on reporting. The two theoretical models were developed to understand mandated reporters' behavior. Implications for future policy, practice, and research are discussed.
KEY WORDS: child abuse reporting, schools, U.S.-Mexico border, child maltreatment, child neglect, Child Protective Services, McDonald's massacre, school social work
