All university employees have a legal obligation to report child abuse at all times and in all situations, including instances occurring off campus or outside of work hours.
Separate from any legal duty, non-employees and volunteers acting as youth program personnel or support personnel are required by OSU policy to report reasonably suspected child abuse discovered while performing duties related to the program. This includes expectations that they report suspected abuse, or cause a report of such abuse to be made, to law enforcement officials immediately upon witnessing or being notified of suspected abuse.
While screening procedures for employees and volunteers improve safety, timely and diligent reporting of suspected abuse is critical for ensuring safe environments. Trust your instincts; if you see suspected evidence of abuse, report it immediately to your supervisor and call either law enforcement (9-1-1) or Oregon’s Department of Human Services (DHS) Child Abuse Hotline: 1-855-503-7233.
The Office of Youth Safety & Compliance offers online resources for recognizing and reporting abuse. These resources can be found here: youth.oregonstate.edu/abuse.
content edited 10-23-2019