What is required of employees regarding suspected child abuse reporting?

• A. Notify supervisor before reporting.
• B. Report suspected child abuse immediately.
• C. Wait for 24 hours.
• D. Document in annual report.

Answer: (B)

Suspected child abuse triggers a legal obligation to report right away to the appropriate authorities. The urgency is to protect the child and start a prompt investigation, so delaying the report would keep the child at risk and is not allowed by mandated reporting rules. Notifying a supervisor first or waiting a set period (like 24 hours) would unnecessarily slow the official response, and recording the concern in an annual report does not count as the required external report. After reporting to the authorities, follow your district’s internal procedures for documentation and notifying relevant parties as required.