Human Service Professionals And Child Abuse Essay

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Human service professionals are mandated by law to conclude whether a child was neglected or abused by a family member or caretaker. They must be prepared to take on issues of being in compliance with criminal justice and judicial systems while also being equipped to protect children, despite the conflicts that may arise.
Human service professionals are required by law to protect the welfare of their client which also includes children. As a way of ensuring the safety of children, there are mandatory laws in place requiring social services workers to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. Whenever allegations of abuse or neglect have been proven or indicated, the social worker must advocate for the child by identifying …show more content…

Also, some human service professionals may believe that they will be able to help and be able to handle the situation themselves. Some human service professionals may feel that if what is suspected is not true then it will bring them repercussions such as losing their job. Some human service professionals also believe that if they report the alleged child abuse the child may suffer from further abuse, and the situation may be worse for the child. Such issues mentioned may prevent a human service professional from being in compliance with the judicial system and criminal justice system. However, it is essential for the human service professional to remember that it is their responsibility to report any abuse including suspected abuse to the proper authorities (Hirschy & Wilkinson, …show more content…

Ill-treatment and neglect are a complex and challenging responsibility to address when the judicial and criminal justice system is required to intervene. Human service professionals may come against situations that will need the professional first to “consider legal guidelines in regards to the disclosure of confidential information concerning a minors' right to privacy and a parent's right to know” (Social Work Today, 2008). Social workers specifically, must take into account the best interest of the child, while putting in place safeguards to prevent further harm being caused to the child, and give the child the right to be heard, when appropriate. If it becomes necessary for the human services professional to break the child's confidentiality, it is imperative that the professional limits the amount of information shared in the attempt to minimize harm, while adhering to the legal responsibilities that must be

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