Teachers, along with other mandated reporters, have been threatened and intimidated with prosecution for failure to report. Confusion abounds especially about the definition of abuse. If educators are to continue, by law, to be mandated reporters, then they must be provided with a more precise definition of child abuse. School employees realize how vulnerable they are to being victims of false allegations by an unhappy student or parent. Even when the report of suspected abuse is labeled as unfounded they find their names have been entered into state registries.
Teachers face hearings conducted by the state licensing boards and local school board.
Those hearings are in addition to the child protective service, criminal, and possible civil hearings that occur when there has been an accusation of child abuse. As a result, many teachers have chosen to remove the nurturing touch in the classroom. The present system is not erring on the side of the child. Those responsible for enacting laws need to look at the laws they have enacted, many of which were done hastily without proper research. They need to involve the people who work directly with children in restructuring the laws.