Beginning in the second half of this year, anonymous reporting of child abuse in New York State will no longer be possible.
According to New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill on the 18th of last month that will require reporting child abuse cases to provide reporters with their names and contact information starting in July. Currently, reporters in New York State have the option to remain anonymous.
However, with this revision to the law, reporters will be required to provide their names and contact information along with their reports starting in the second half of this year. However, reporters’ personal information will be kept confidential and managed by their local child and family services department.
State Senator Jabari Brisport, who spearheaded the bill, stated, “We understand that many reports of child abuse received by local law enforcement agencies are not verified. This bill was created to prevent victims of false reports and to ensure the efficient execution of law enforcement authority.”
According to actual federal statistics, approximately 80% of all reports of child abuse and neglect are unsubstantiated, and 96% of anonymous reports are unsubstantiated.