A standardized method of diplomatically and effectively reporting child abuse to state authorities. A controlled evaluation.
A single BST session can give staff the words and courage to report child abuse without damaging family trust.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Donohue et al. (2002) taught one medical student how to report child abuse.
They used behavioral skills training: explain, model, practice, and feedback.
The student practiced the exact words to use with families and state hotlines.
What they found
After training, the student spoke with parents calmly and still called authorities.
The student kept the new skills during later check-ups without help.
How this fits with other research
Sawyer et al. (2017) got the same lift with pre-service teachers.
Morosohk et al. (2025) later used the same steps to keep room searches safe.
Scott et al. (2018) swapped the live trainer for a computer. Staff still learned to spot problems.
These studies show BST works in person, on-screen, and across very different jobs.
Why it matters
You can copy this four-step package tomorrow. Pick one high-stakes task your staff avoid or do poorly. Script the words, model once, let them rehearse, and give instant feedback. One short round can lock in skills that protect kids and keep you compliant.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Although many studies have examined issues relevant to reporting child maltreatment to state authorities, empirical evaluation of intervention programs to assist professionals in reporting child abuse is lacking. In the present study, a medical student was taught to perform a standardized behavioral method of reporting child abuse that incorporates nonperpetrating caregivers of child abuse victims in the reporting process. A controlled multiple baseline across behaviors (i.e., initiating child abuse report, responding to upset) experimental design was utilized to evaluate skills acquisition. Improvements in interpersonal skills related to reporting child abuse were demonstrated consequent to intervention. Future directions are discussed in light of these results.
Behavior modification, 2002 · doi:10.1177/014544502236657