Reasonable Suspicion: A Study of Pennsylvania Pediatricians Regarding Child Abuse

Abstract

The majority of states use the term "suspicion" in their mandated reporting statutes, and according to legal experts, "reasonable suspicion" represents an accurate generalization of most mandated reporting thresholds. Our data show significant variability in how pediatricians interpret reasonable suspicion, with a range of responses so broad as to question the assumption that the threshold for mandated reporting is understood, interpreted, or applied in a coherent and consistent manner. If the variability described here proves generalizable, it will require rethinking what society can expect from mandated reporters and what sort of training will be necessary to warrant those expectations.