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Adopted by President’s Cabinet 8/25/15
Revisions Adopted by President’s Cabinet 5/27/21

I. Background

East Georgia State College prioritizes safety and strives to provide a safe learning environment for everyone. Children come into contact with East Georgia State College through various programs, camps, and events. In 2015, the Georgia Mandated Reporter law was passed (O.C.G.A. 19-7-5). Licensed Psychologists, School Teachers, and School Administrators as well as Law enforcement personnel are listed in the Code section as “mandated reporters”. This means that EGSC employees working in these capacities are required (by Georgia law) to report incidents of child abuse and neglect. Georgia law states that “Any person or official required by subsection (c) of this Code section to report a suspected case of child abuse who knowingly and willfully fails to do so shall be guilty of a misdemeanor”. Georgia law also requires that reports be made no later than 24 hours from the time there is reasonable cause to believe that suspected child abuse has occurred.

II. Definitions

    1. "Abuse” of a child includes any of the following:
      1. Physical injury or death inflicted upon a child by a parent or caretaker thereof by other than accidental means; provided, however, that physical forms of discipline may be used as long as there is no physical injury to the child;
      2. Neglect or exploitation of a child by a parent or caretaker thereof;
      3. Endangering a child;
      4. Sexual abuse of a child;
      5. Sexual exploitation of a child
      6. Sexual abuse means a person’s employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing any minor who is not that person’s spouse to engage in any act which involves:
        1. Sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex;
        2. Bestiality;
        3. Masturbation;
        4. Lewd exhibition of genitals or pubic area of any person;
        5. Flagellation or torture by or upon a person who is nude;
        6. Condition of being fettered, bound, or otherwise physically restrained on the part of the person who is nude;
        7. Physical contact in an act of apparent sexual stimulation or gratification with any person’s clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, or buttocks with a female’s clothed or unclothed breasts;
        8. Defecation or urination for the purpose of sexual stimulation; or 
        9. Penetration of the vagina or rectum by an object except when done as part of a recognized medical procedure.
    2. Sexual abuse shall include consensual acts when the sex acts are between minor if any individual is less than 14 years of age; provided, however, that it shall not include consensual sex acts when the sex acts are between a minor and an adult who is not more than four years older than the minor. This provision shall not be deemed or construed to repeal any law concerning the age or capacity to consent.
      1. Sexual exploitation means conduct by any person who allows, permits, encourages, or requires that child to engage in:
        1. Prostitution 
        2. Sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual or print medium depicting such conduct

III. Reporting Requirements

The Georgia Mandated Reporter names Licensed Psychologists, School Teachers, and School Administrators as well as Law enforcement personnel as “mandated reporters”. This means that individuals working in these capacities within East Georgia State College are required (by Georgia law) to report incidents of child abuse and neglect. Georgia law states that “Any person or official required by subsection (c) of this Code section to report a suspected case of child abuse who knowingly and willfully fails to do so shall be guilty of a misdemeanor”. Georgia law also requires that reports be made no later than twenty-four hours from the time there is reasonable cause to believe that suspected child abuse has occurred.

Reports can either be made orally by calling Central Intake at 1-855-CHILD / 1-855-422- 4453 or by:

Mandated Reporter Training

Mandated Reporter Training is available through Care Solutions, Inc.: https://www.prosolutionstraining.com/store/product/?tProductVersion_id=1093 

The Governor's Office for Children and Families (GOCF) and Prevent Child Abuse of Georgia (PCAGA). Both GOCF and PCAGA has partnered with Care Solutions, Inc. to make this valuable online training available for free any time or day that you may want to use it. It is one hour of your time to learn how to better recognize the indicators of abuse and neglect, understand your role in responsible reporting, and identify the groups of children that may be at a higher risk of being abused or neglected. Please click here to register: Mandated Reporters: Critical Links in Protecting Children in Georgia

In all cases where a report is made, it must also be reported to the Vice President for the department in which the employee is supervised. In the absence of the Vice President for that department, a report may be provided to the Director of Human Resources or their designee. The employee may request assistance from the Director of Human Resources or Vice President for their respective department in making a report when necessary. All reports received by Vice Presidents or the Director of Human Resources will be stored in a secure location for a period of seven years. The administrator (Vice President or Human Resources representative) receiving the report must report the abuse to the police department, if it involves potential criminal conduct.

IV. Policy Implications and Consequences

    1. No EGSC employee making a report of child abuse and neglect in good faith may be discharged from employment, disciplined or otherwise discriminated against in regard to employment, or threatened with any such treatment because that employee made a report.
    2. Any EGSC employee who fails to report suspected child abuse or neglect in violation of this policy may be found to be in violation of an applicable work rule and may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.