Mandatory Reporting requirements are likely to increase people’s interactions with the police

• For harms that are outside the scope of child protective services many mandatory reporters are required to report directly to the police

• This requirement take people who are designed as civilian helpers and deputizes them as arms of the state

• In a national study 3,616 people who reached out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline were asked about their experiences with mandatory reporting. Of the people who were reported the majority of participants (50%) said the report made the situation worse or had no impact (Lippy, C., Burk, C., & Hobart, M. (2016). There’s no one I can trust: The impact of mandatory reporting on the help-seeking and well-being of domestic violence survivors. A report of the National LGBTQ DV Capacity Building Learning Center. Seattle, WA.)

• A law that may have been designed to help people get support is now more likely to cut people off from support, increase chances of criminalization and deters people reaching out for help

• Anyone who is being crushed by the state is being harmed by mandatory reporting

• Concerns about mandatory reporting can prevent survivors from seeking the support they need to avoid triggering a report or being involved in the criminal legal system. This includes not seeking or delaying medical care (Durborow et al., 2013; Jordan & Pritchard, 2018) or help from domestic violence agencies (Lippy et al., 2019; Devoe & Smith, 2003).

• Concerns and confusion about mandatory reporting can prevent people experiencing harm from even seeking help from loved ones for fear that this person will have to report them to the police (Lippy et al., 2019).

• This is especially true for young people, half of whom said that their fear of being reported prevented them from asking someone in their life for help (Lippy et al, 2019).