What must be done to ensure confidentiality in child abuse reports?

• A. The contents of reports and the identity of the reporter must remain confidential.
• B. Only the contents must remain confidential; reporter can be disclosed to others when needed.
• C. The reporter's identity can be shared with clerical staff.
• D. Confidentiality is not required.

Answer: (A)

Confidentiality means keeping both what is reported and who reported it private. This protects the person who comes forward from retaliation and helps ensure the information is used only to assess and address the child’s safety. In practice, only those who must know to process or investigate the report—such as designated administrators and child welfare investigators—have access. Sharing the reporter’s identity with clerical staff or making parts of the report public would undermine safety and the integrity of the process, which is why both the contents and the reporter’s identity must remain confidential.