SOCI610B Child Abuse Assessment & Reporting
This course provides students with knowledge and skills for assessing and reporting of child abuse and neglect. Students will learn about current California state laws, statues, regulations, and codes that guide social workers and institutions in identifying and responding to child maltreatment. Students will gain skills for identifying signs and symptoms of child maltreatment and screening and responding to allegations within a person-in-environment framework that considers culturally based parenting practices and other elements of context and the environment. The focus will be on mandatory reporting, identifying risk and protective factors, and working with families in a culturally sensitive, family-centered approach. Students will learn the procedures for making a report to child protective services, the process of investigation, and privileged communication and penalties for failure to report child maltreatment. Attention is given to the responsibilities of social workers and other professionals, including school personnel and health providers, who suspect child abuse or neglect. The course content meets California Board of Behavioral Sciences prelicensure requirement in the area of child abuse assessment and reporting.