Child Abuse and Neglect in Canada: A Guide for Mandatory Reporters

In Canada, professionals such as doctors, teachers, and social workers must report child abuse and neglect to Child Protection Services. This is often a difficult decision–professionals may be uncertain if they should report their suspicions and worry about the relationship with the client or patient if they follow through. Child Abuse and Neglect in Canada offers a concise guide to mandatory reporting in provincial and territorial jurisdictions with specific attention to the context and unique realities of Northern Canada. As an introduction to mandatory reporting, the book opens with an exploration of the historical rise of the child welfare system, mandatory reporters’ ethical duties around reporting, types of abuse and neglect, risk and protective factors, and the ascendancy of child abuse in an online environment. The text goes on to explore various factors (e.g., legal, clinical, and situational) to assist human service professionals with their decision-making, examine the reporting process, and offer relationship-repair strategies (e.g., reporting, affecting regulation, and advocating). It culminates in a comprehensive, empirically based conceptual framework to help readers maintain relationships with their clients. Predicated on the author’s dissertation research, this book offers human service professionals a comprehensive framework for fulfilling professional, fiduciary obligations while providing educators with accessible teaching tools to further their pupils’ understanding of the subject.