Who Has To Report It

In Virginia, the persons the section lists who, in their professional or official capacity, have reason to suspect a child is abused or neglected report it immediately to the local department where the child lives or where it happened, or to the Department's toll free hotline.

• §Va. Code 63.2-1509

• The list includes those licensed in medicine or the healing arts, nurses, social workers, teachers and other school and child day program employees, paid child care providers, adults with organizations responsible for children, and adults trained by the Department to recognize abuse.
• A required reporter who fails to report as soon as possible, and not longer than 24 hours after having reason to suspect, is fined not more than $500 for the first failure and not less than $1,000 for later ones.
• Knowingly and intentionally failing to report in cases of rape and the other sexual offenses the section names is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

• §Va. Code 63.2-1509

What counts as abuse or neglect, the immunity a good faith report carries, and the confidentiality of the reporter are set in other sections and are not reproduced here. In an emergency, the police come first. Whether a duty applied in a particular case is a question for a court and for a licensed Virginia attorney.

• §Va. Code 63.2-1509