Mandatory reporting of child abuse/neglect among substance use counselors

Substance use counselors are in a unique position to intervene when exposed to suspected abuse of children. However, mandatory reporting habits of substance use counselors have seen little attention in empirical research. The purpose of this study was to quantify the frequency of mandatory reports of child abuse and/or neglect among substance use counselors. Further, binary and ordinal regression models were used to determine if personal and/or professional characteristics are predictive of reporting frequency. A total of 241 substance use counselors were recruited from national addiction organizations. Results from both the ordinal and binary logistic regressions identified dual-licensure status as a significant positive predictor and a lack of knowledge of the symptoms of child abuse and neglect as a significant negative predictor of reporting behaviors. Given the relationship between reporting habits and knowledge of abuse/neglect, substance use counselors must increase declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge in order to increase adherence to mandated reporting.