Witnesses testified at a Senate hearing on existing child abuse laws and ways to improve reporting requirements. Witnesses talked about personal stories of abuse, the emotional damage abuse inflicts on victims and their families, the barriers and reluctance of some adults to report suspected or known child abuse, ongoing federal, state, and local efforts to combat child abuse, and whether existing reporting requirements were working.
The hearing follows allegations of child sexual abuse at Pennsylvania State University and the failure to report these alleged crimes to law-enforcement authorities. Only 18 states currently required all adults to report suspected child abuse.