Is reasonable suspicion sufficient to justify filing a report without proof?

• A. Reasonable suspicion may justify filing a report even without proof.
• B. Only proof justifies filing a report.
• C. Filing a report is optional.
• D. A report must wait for a medical diagnosis.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is that mandated reporters act when they have reasonable suspicion, not when there’s proof. In child abuse and neglect reporting, you’re required to file a report if you reasonably suspect abuse or neglect based on what you’ve observed or been told. You don’t need conclusive evidence or a medical diagnosis to trigger that report. The purpose is timely protection: once a report is filed, trained child protective services or law enforcement will investigate and determine next steps. If the concern later turns out to be unfounded, that doesn’t negate the obligation to report in the first place.

So the best option reflects that threshold: you may file a report with reasonable suspicion, even without proof. The other ideas—needing proof, reporting being optional, or waiting for a medical diagnosis—don’t fit the policy because they would delay protection and misstate the reporter’s obligation.