All employees of higher education institutions are considered "mandatory reporters" of child abuse or neglect, even outside of OSU research or academic settings.
In situations where child abuse or neglect might be expected to be revealed to OSU researchers during a study, mandatory reporters should make this requirement known to study participants during the consent process. If you are planning a human subject research study and the nature of the study or target population lends itself to the possibility that mandatory reporting may be required of the study team, please contact the HRPP Office regarding how to address the potential need for reporting in your initial application.
In the event a study team member received information about potential child abuse or neglect which was not reasonably expected, this constitutes a reportable event since it was unanticipated. The Principal Investigator must complete and submit an Incident Report in Cayuse HE within three days of learning of the event.
Student researchers (who are not also OSU employees) are not considered “mandatory reporters.” However, Principal Investigators overseeing student-driven research are responsible for complying with the law.
In cases where the identities of participants may not be known to researchers, the Principal Investigator must still contact the State of Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) or law enforcement to allow authorities to make the determination of whether a report is actionable.
For more information on child abuse and neglect reporting requirements and procedures, please refer to the FAQs developed by Human Resources or the Office of Youth Safety and Compliance.