To Mandate or Not to Mandate: A Review of Mandatory Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect

Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect was first introduced into Tasmania in 1974. Over the following years most of the other Australian States followed suit to varying degrees. Despite widespread introduction of mandatory reporting laws, concepts such as child protection, children's rights and even childhood are relatively new. The first part of this article discusses the social evolution of the role of the child and the concept of childhood throughout Western history. This gives historical context for the emergence of child protection as a public health concern and responsibility of the state and the subsequent introduction of mandatory reporting legislation. This article also discusses the spectrum of mandatory reporting legislation across Australian States as well as criticisms of mandatory reporting policy while exploring the pros and cons presented in the literature.