Training

Recent U.S. government and industry data indicate that professionals are the primary reporters of child abuse and neglect, accounting for 70.9% of reports in 2023 (1). These professionals and mandated reporters include teachers, police officers, lawyers, and social services staff.

United States:

• 22 million healthcare workers (2).

• 3.8 million teachers (3).

• 970,000 childcare workers (4).

• 720,000 police officers (5).

• 1 million mental health providers (6).

Oklahoma:

• 42,000 teachers (7).

• 8,900 police officers (8).

• 78,000 healthcare workers (9).

• 14,000 therapists (10).

In total, these fields include 28.4 million mandated reporters, out of the 258.3 million adults in the U.S. (11). This presents a major opportunity to develop a training program that systematically improves reporting practices for both mandated reporters and the general adult population.

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Sources

1. ^{https://acf.gov/cb/report/child-maltreatment-2023}

2. ^{https://www.nu.edu/blog/healthcare-nursing-statistics/?t}

3. ^{https://www.prosperityforamerica.org/how-many-teachers-in-the-us/?t}

4. ^{https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/childcare-workers.htm?t}

5. ^{https://www.statista.com/statistics/191694/number-of-law-enforcement-officers-in-the-us/}

6. ^{https://psychcentral.com/health/mental-health-professionals-us-statistics?t#statistics}

7. ^{https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest-dashboard/state/oklahoma}

8. ^{https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/police-officers-by-state}

9. ^{https://www.okoha.com/Common/Uploaded%20files/ohadocs/finance/Economic%20Impact/Economic%20Role%20of%20Oklahoma%20Hospitals%20-%202024.pdf}

10. ^{https://www.healthymindspolicy.org/research/surveying-oklahomas-behavioral-health-workforce}

11. ^{https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/united-states-adult-population-grew-faster-than-nations-total-population-from-2010-to-2020.html?t}