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How to Report

Pennsylvania (PA)

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Who is required to report?

Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6311

The following adults are required to report:

  • Persons licensed or certified to practice in any health-related field
  • Medical examiners, coroners, or funeral directors
  • Employees of licensed health-care facilities who are engaged in the admission, examination, care, or treatment of individuals
  • School employees
  • Employees of a child care service or public library
  • A clergy member, priest, rabbi, minister, Christian Science practitioner, religious healer, or spiritual leader of any regularly established church or other religious organization
  • Any person, paid or unpaid, who, on the basis of the person's role in a program, activity, or service, is a person responsible for the child's welfare or has direct contact with children
  • Employees of a social services agency
  • A peace officer or law enforcement official
  • An emergency medical services provider
  • An individual supervised or managed by a person listed above who has direct contact with children
  • An independent contractor
  • An attorney affiliated with an agency, institution, or other entity, including a school or established religious organization that is responsible for the care, supervision, guidance, or control of children
  • A foster parent
  • An adult family member who is a person responsible for the child's welfare and provides services to a child in a family living home, community home for individuals with an intellectual disability, or licensed host home for children

Note: A "school employee" is an individual who is employed by a school or who provides an activity or service sponsored by a school. The term does not apply to administrative personnel unless that person has direct contact with children. A school is a facility providing elementary, secondary, or postsecondary educational services, including public and nonpublic schools, vocational-technical schools, and institutions of higher education.

When is a report required?

Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, §§ 6311; 6313

A mandated reporter who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is an abused or neglected child shall make a report to the Department of Human Services.

An oral report shall be made immediately to the department via the statewide toll-free telephone number under § 6332 or a written report using electronic technologies under § 6305. A mandated reporter making an oral report also shall make a written report, which may be submitted electronically, within 48 hours to the department or county agency assigned to the case in a manner and format prescribed by the department.

What information should the report include?

Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6313

Written report must include the following, if known:

  • The names and addresses of the child, the child’s parents, or any other person responsible for the child’s welfare
  • Where the suspected abuse occurred
  • Age and sex of the subjects of the report
  • Nature and extent of the suspected child abuse (including any evidence of prior abuse to the child or any sibling of the child)
  • The name and relationship of each individual responsible for causing the suspected abuse and any evidence of prior abuse by each individual
  • Family composition
  • The source of the report
  • The name, telephone number, and email address of the person making the report
  • The actions taken by the reporting source, including:
    • The taking of photographs and X-rays
    • Removal or keeping of the child
    • Notifying the medical examiner or coroner
    • Taking a child into protective custody
    • Admission to private and public hospitals
    • Actions relating to mandatory reporting and postmortem investigation of deaths
  • Any other information required by Federal law or regulation
  • Any other information that the Department of Human Services requires by regulation

Failure to report

Citation: Cons. Stat. Tit. 23, § 6319; Tit. 18, § 4958

Penalties for Failure to Report

  • A mandatory reporter who willfully fails to report as required commits:
  • A misdemeanor of the third degree for the first violation
  • A misdemeanor of the second degree for a second or subsequent violation

Offenses Related to Interference or Retaliation

A person commits an offense if:

  • The person acts to obstruct, impede, impair, prevent, or interfere with:
    • Making a child abuse report
    • Conducting an investigation
    • Prosecuting a child abuse case
  • The person intimidates or attempts to intimidate any reporter, victim, or witness to engage in any of the following actions:
    • Refrain from making a report of suspected child abuse
    • Refrain from providing or withhold information, documentation, testimony, or evidence to any person regarding a child abuse investigation or proceeding
    • Give false or misleading information, documentation, testimony, or evidence regarding a child abuse investigation or proceeding
    • Elude, evade, or ignore any request or legal process summoning the reporter, victim, or witness to appear to testify or supply evidence
    • Fail to appear at or participate in a child abuse proceeding or meeting to which the individual has been legally summoned
  • The person harms another person by any unlawful act or engages in a course of conduct that threatens another person in retaliation for anything the other person has lawfully done in the capacity of a reporter, witness, or victim of child abuse

Felony Classification

A violation of this section is a felony of the second degree if the person:

  • Uses force, violence, deception, or threat upon the reporter, witness, or victim
  • Offers pecuniary or other benefit to the reporter, witness, or victim
  • Has a prior conviction for a violation of this section or a similar law

Other Offenses

  • An offense not otherwise addressed above is a misdemeanor of the second degree