Abstract
Child maltreatment is a significant public health issue often resulting in long-term physical and mental health difficulties among the affected youth. The first steps in promoting child safety require the accurate identification and prompt reporting of suspected child maltreatment. However, mandated reporters, including mental health clinicians, often struggle to know how to identify and when to report child maltreatment, especially due to concerns that a report will disrupt or end the therapeutic alliance, a core component of the therapeutic process that is strongly related to successful psychotherapy outcomes. To address mental health clinicians’ concerns, the current review modifies the “SPIKES” protocol (which includes steps for confronting Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Emotion, Strategy, and Summary), originally developed for breaking “bad news” in oncology. The current review aims to provide recommendations on how mental health clinicians can report child maltreatment through a collaborative and supportive approach with parents while focusing on maintaining the therapeutic alliance.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alvarez, K., Donahue, B., Carpenter, A., Romero, V., Allen, D., & Cross, C. (2010). Development and preliminary evaluation of a training method to assist professionals in reporting suspected child maltreatment. Child Maltreatment, 15(3), 211–218. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559510365535.
Alvarez, K. M., Donohue, B., Kenny, M. C., Cavanagh, N., & Romero, V. (2005). The process and consequences of reporting child maltreatment: a brief overview for professionals in the mental health field. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 10(3), 311–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2004.03.001.
Baile, W., Buckman, R., Lenzi, R., Glober, G., Beale, E., & Kudelka, A. (2000). SPIKES—a six step protocol for delivering bad news: application to the patient with cancer. The Oncologist, 5(4), 302–311. https://doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.5-4-302.
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2019). Definitions of child abuse and neglect. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/define/. Accessed 1 August 2020.
Feng, J., Chen, Y., Fetzer, S., Feng, M., & Lin, C. (2012). Ethical and legal challenges of mandated child abuse reporters. Children and Youth Services Review, 34, 276–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.10.026.
Finn, S. E., & Tonsager, M. E. (1997). Information-gathering and therapeutic models of assessment: Complementary paradigms. Psychological Assessment, 9(4), 374–385. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.9.4.374.
Golomb, S., Sears, K., Drozd, R., Kotori, J., & Vera-Hughes, M. (2017). Future mandated
reporters: understanding the role. The Practitioner Scholar: Journal of Counselling and Professional Psychology, 6(1), 1–16. https://scholar.valpo.edu/ed_fac_pubs.
Kalichman, S., & Brosig, C. (1993). Practicing psychologists’ interpretations of and compliance with child abuse reporting laws. Law and Human Behavior, 17(1), 83–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01044538.
Koole, S., & Tschacher, W. (2016). Synchrony in psychotherapy a review and an integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00862.
Lawrence, L., & Brannen, S. (2000). The impact of physician training on child maltreatment reporting: a multi-specialty study. Military Medicine, 165, 607–611. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/2F165.8.607.
Mathews, B., Walsh, K., Coe, S., Kenny, M., & Vagenas, D. (2015). Protocol for a systematic review: child protection training for professionals to improve reporting of child abuse and neglect. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 6, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/CL2.14.
McTavish, J. R., Kimber, M., Devries, K., Colombini, M., MacGregor, J., Wathen, C. D., et al. (2016). Mandated reporters’ experiences with reporting child maltreatment: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. The BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013942.
Melton, G. (2005). Mandated reporting: A policy without reason. Child Abuse and Neglect, 29, 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.05.005.
Morelen, D., & Shaffer, A. (2012). Understanding clinical, legal, and ethical issues in child emotional maltreatment. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, 21, 188–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2012.639054.
Pietrantonio, A., Wright, E., Gibson, K., Alldred, T., Jacobson, D., & Niec, A. (2013). Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect: crafting a positive process for health professionals and caregivers. Child Abuse and Neglect, 37, 102–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2012.12.007.
Reiniger, A., Robison, E., & McHugh, M. (1995). Mandated training of professionals: a means for improving reporting of suspected child abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect, 19, 63–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(94)00105-4.
Renninger, S., Veach, P., & Bagdade, P. (2002). Psychologists’ knowledge, opinions, and decision-making process regarding child abuse and neglect reporting laws. Professional Psychology Research and Practice, 33, 19–23. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.33.1.19.
Shaffer, A., Yates, T., & Egeland, B. (2009). The relation of emotional maltreatment to early adolescent competence: developmental processes in a prospective study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 33, 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.33.1.19.
Smith, M. (2006). What do university students who will work with professionally with children know about maltreatment and mandated reporting? Children and Youth Services Review, 28, 900–926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2005.10.003.
Steinberg, K. L., Levine, M., & Doueck, H. J. (1997). Effects of legally mandated child-abuse reports on the therapeutic relationship: a survey of psychotherapists. American Journal of Orthopsychiatrists, 67(1), 112–122.
The Center for Family Safety and Healing. (2017). As a mandated reporter.Available: https://familysafetyandhealing.org/how-to-help/as-a-mandated-reporter. Accessed 1 August 2020.
Tufford, L. (2014). Repairing alliance ruptures in the mandatory reporting of child maltreatment: perspectives from social work. Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 95(2), 115–121. https://doi.org/10.1606/2F1044-3894.2014.95.15.
Tufford, L. (2016). Reporting suspected child maltreatment managing the emotional and relational aftermath. Journal of Family Social Work, 19(2), 100–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/10522158.2016.1160262.
Tufford, L., Bogo, M., & Asakura, K. (2015). How do social workers respond to potential child neglect? Social Work Education, 34(2), 229–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2014.958985.
Weinstein, B., Levine, M., Kogan, N., & Harkavy-Friedman, J. (2000). Mental health professionals’ experiences reporting suspected child abuse and maltreatment. Child Abuse and Neglect, 24(10), 1317–1328.
Weinstein, B., Levine, M., Kogan, N., & Harkavy-Friedman, J. (2001). Therapist reporting of suspected maltreatment: factors associated with outcome. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 55(2), 219–233.
Wekerle, C. (2013). Resilience in the context of child maltreatment: connections to the practice of mandatory reporting. Child Abuse and Neglect, 37, 93–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2012.11.005.
Funding
No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflicts of interest
The author has a professional relationship with James Overholser, Ph.D. The author has no other financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Magee, K.E. Maintaining the Therapeutic Alliance When Reporting Child Maltreatment: Recommendations for Mental Health Clinicians. J Contemp Psychother 51, 9–13 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-020-09476-2
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-020-09476-2