Work

Making Sense of Mandatory Reporting: A Qualitative Study of Reporting Practices from the Perspectives of Schools and Child Welfare Services in Sweden

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Schools play an important role in ensuring the well-being of children, although the process of mandatory reporting of concern for children is not widely understood. This qualitative focus group study investigated the process from the perspectives of school and child welfare service professionals. Using theories of human service organizations and professional discretion, we analyzed viewpoints on an individual duty being handled by an organization. We investigated the expectations that a report be simultaneously simple and value-free, while providing depth and clear examples of concerns. Finally, we investigated the views of the supportive and protective functions supposedly underlying the duty to report. The results indicated problems associated with a collective reporting process. Ambiguity in how information in a report is communicated may also contribute to a more problematic reporting process from schools and then in interpretations and the follow up reports made by social workers.

Source: Social Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/socsci11070273

Authors: Hanna Dahlberg, Evelyn Khoo, Viktoria Skoog

Institutions: Umeå University, University of Gothenburg

Language: English

Topic: Social Work Education and Practice

Subfield: Public Administration

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,466