While CAPTA only requires mandatory reporting laws for children, most states also extend this to vulnerable adults due to a disability, mental illness, or old age.
Its publication changed the prevalent views in the United States, where child abuse was previously seen as uncommon, and not a regular issue.
These laws and the media and advocacy coverage and research brought about a gradual change in societal expectations on reporting in the United States and, at different rates, in other western nations.
[9][better source needed] In 2014, in response to the Penn State sex abuse scandal, then-Governor Tom Corbett passed a bill which extended the state's mandatory reporting obligations to include additional professionals as a measure to increase reports concerning child abuse.
However, an article published by NBC News and ProPublica found in the first half of the 2010s (before the changes), there were 29,766 children investigated with only 10,410 being substantiated.
Critics of mandatory reporting laws point out the number of fatalities relating to child abuse rose from 96 in 2014 to 194 in 2021 (seven years after the implementation).
[11] Typically, mandatory reporting applies to people who have reason to suspect the abuse or neglect of a child, but it can also apply to people who suspect abuse or neglect of a dependent adult or the elderly,[12] or to any members of society (sometimes called Universal Mandatory Reporting [UMR]).
[17][18][19][20][21][22][23] In Brazil, notification is mandatory in the health system, in schools and by the Child Protection Councils (CPC) network, present in many municipalities.
[25] In South Africa, Section 110 of the Children's Act, 2005 mandates 'Any correctional official, dentist, homeopath, immigration official, labour inspector, legal practitioner, medical practitioner, midwife, minister of religion, nurse, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, psychologist, religious leader, social service professional, social worker, speech therapist, teacher, traditional health practitioner, traditional leader or member of staff or volunteer worker at a partial care facility, drop-in centre or child and youth care centre' to report when they suspect that a child has been abused 'in a manner causing physical injury, sexually abused or deliberately neglected'.
[29] Canada imposes a mandatory requirement on all citizens, except in the Yukon Territory where it is restricted to those who come in contact with children in their professional roles.
[31] The Council of Europe has urged all countries to have mandatory reporting of child abuse, but several European countries do not: As of 2015, 15 member states (Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, as well as the United Kingdom, which has left the EU on 31 January 2020) have reporting obligations in place for all professionals.
In 10 member states (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Portugal and Slovakia) existing obligations only address certain professional groups such as social workers or teachers.
[32] As of 2015, specific reporting obligations existed also for civilians, to report cases of child abuse, neglect and/or exploitation existed in more than half (15) of the EU member states (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden).
Malta created a new draft Child Protection Act (Out of Home Care),[34] introducing the obligation of mandatory reporting for all professionals and volunteers.
When applied, neither the minister nor the "penitent" can be forced to testify in court, by deposition, or other legal proceedings, about the contents of the communication.
Individuals, including juveniles, who have never been convicted of anything may be placed on CPS Central Registries/databases (different from Sex Abuse Registries) for decades, limiting educational and employment opportunities due to background checks.