____________________________ Child Abuse Identification and Reporting: The Pennsylvania Requirement
The above does not include consensual activities between a child who is 14 years of age or older and another person who is 14 years of age or older and whose age is within 4 years of the child’s age. • Any of the following when committed against a child: – Rape (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3121, relating to rape) – Statutory sexual assault (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1, relating to statutory sexual assault) – Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3123, relating to involuntary devi- ate sexual intercourse) – Sexual assault (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3124.1, relating to sexual assault) – Institutional sexual assault (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3124.2, relating to institutional sexual assault) – Aggravated indecent assault (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3125, relating to aggravated indecent assault) – Indecent assault (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3126, relating to indecent assault) – Indecent exposure (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3127, relating to indecent exposure) – Incest (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 4302, relating to incest) – Prostitution (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 5902, relat- ing to prostitution and related offenses) – Sexual abuse (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 6312, relating to sexual abuse of children) – Unlawful contact with a minor (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 6318, relating to unlawful contact with minor) – Sexual exploitation (as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 6320, relating to sexual exploitation of children) Indicators of sexual abuse or exploitation include: • Sexually promiscuous behavior • Developmental age-inappropriate sexual play and/or drawings
• Difficulty urinating • Pregnancy • Positive testing for sexually transmitted infection(s) (e.g., HIV) • Excessive or injurious masturbation
Serious Physical Neglect Definitions (23 Pa.C.S. § 6303)
Pennsylvania law defines serious physical neglect of a child as any of the following when committed by a perpetrator that endangers a child’s life or health, threatens a child’s well-being, causes bodily injury, or impairs a child’s health, development, or functioning: • A repeated, prolonged, or egregious failure to supervise a child in a manner that is appropriate considering the child’s developmental age and abilities • The failure to provide a child with adequate essentials of life, including food, shelter, or medical care Indicators of serious physical neglect include: • Not registered in school • Inadequate or inappropriate supervision
• Poor impulse control • Frequently fatigued • Parentified behaviors • Lack of adequate medical and dental care
• Often hungry • Lack of shelter • Weight is significantly lower than normal for their age and gender • Developmental delays • Persistent (untreated) conditions (e.g., head lice, diaper rash) • Exposure to hazards (e.g., illegal drugs, rodent/insect infestation, mold) • Clothing that is dirty, inappropriate for the weather, too small, or too large
Serious Mental Injury Definitions (23 Pa.C.S. § 6303)
• Cruelty to others • Cruelty to animals • Fire setting • Anxious • Withdrawn • Sleep disturbances • Bedwetting • Pain or irritation in genital/anal area • Difficulty walking or sitting
Serious mental injury is a psychological condition, as diagnosed by a physician or licensed psychologist, including the refusal of appropriate treatment, that [1]: • Renders a child chronically and severely anxious, agitated, depressed, socially withdrawn, psychotic, or in reasonable fear that the child’s life or safety is threat- ened; or • Seriously interferes with a child’s ability to accomplish age-appropriate developmental and social tasks
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MDPA2326
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