Editor's note: Reporting the abuse of children is mandatory and can be anonymous. This is the second of a four-part series on chid abuse prevention in Loudon County.

While many would report child abuse when they suspect it, there are others reluctant to get involved.

The law requires anyone who suspects abuse to report it. 

Tennessee and the other 49 states have passed some form of a mandatory child abuse and neglect reporting law to qualify for funding under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. 

Tennessee's law states any person who even suspects abuse is required to report it to the Department of Children's Services (DCS) or law enforcement. Failure to report is a class A misdemeanor. False reporting of child sexual abuse is a class E felony. 

The law cites a person judged guilty of a class A misdemeanor "shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $4,000, confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year; or both such fine and confinement."

"It's required by law anyone who suspects or witnesses abuse to call it in, whether a professional or citizen in the community," said Charlene Neidig, Child Protective Services team leader in Loudon County.

According to Detective Jason Smith with Loudon County Sheriff's Office, "Any person who has knowledge of or is called upon to render aid to any child who is suffering from or has sustained any wound, injury, disability or physical or mental condition shall report such harm immediately if the harm is of such a nature as to reasonably indicate that it has been caused by brutality, abuse or neglect or that, on the basis of available information, reasonably appears to have been caused by brutality, abuse or neglect."

The state law refers to any physician, chiropractor, hospital personnel or any other health or mental health professional, spiritual healing practitioner, school teacher or personnel, judge, social worker, day care center worker, foster care worker, law enforcement officer, neighbor, relative, friend or any other person. 

According to the law, abuse is "any wound, injury, disability, or physical or mental condition which is of a nature as to reasonably indicate that it has been caused by brutality, abuse, or neglect."

The law also includes sexual abuse.

"Reporting child abuse does not mean you are sure of the abuse nor that you know the abuser," said Chris Evans-Longmire, executive director with Kids First Child Advocacy Center. 

"To report child abuse you must only 'suspect' a child is being or has been mistreated," she said.

"All reports are protected, and the alleged abuser will not be given the name of the reporter," Evans-Longmire said. "Also, reporters of suspected child abuse can request a letter from the Department of Children's Services informing him/her if the case is assigned to a caseworker." 

To report suspected child abuse, call DCS' child abuse hotline 1-877-237-0004 or fax to 615-253-6588.

"Anybody can make a report to DCS, the juvenile court, the sheriff, but if it's urgent it depends on who can get there faster," Neidig said. "I think you are really wise to look at how urgent is the situation.

"Since DCS is mandated to look into these reports, most people do go ahead and call the hotline, or if it is less urgent, they can send the fax or send a letter," she said. 

"All these calls come into our central intake office and you have trained folks who guide the caller through a series of questions," explained Rob Johnson communications director with Tennessee Department of Children Services in Nashville.

"You don't have to know all the answers, but they are going to ask a lot of questions," he said.

"Then, that office will assign it out to the county," he said. "That way that call comes into a central number and right then it is entered into the system."

Johnson explained cases are classified according to priority - P1, P2, P3, with P1 being the highest authority.

"The way Nashville determines the response, if it's something that's there's an injury or something life threatening, then we're going to go on out there. If it's life threatening we are going drop our pencil and go," Neidig said.

"Then what we have a Priority 2," she said. "That is within 48 hours. That doesn't mean we wait 48 hours, but we have up to 48 hours. That's where we have injuries or risk of injuries but they are not necessarily life threatening and don't require immediate medical attention.

With P3, Neidig's office has within three working days to react. This classification is cases with a low risk of harm to children but DCS does need to go out and assess it, she said. 

Besides the legal obligation to report, a person suspecting abuse should also consider the consequences of not reporting, such as the effects on the child, that child's family and the community as a whole.

"The effects of abuse on a family and victims vary greatly," Smith said. "Children who are verbally abused as children often have anger issues as adults."

"Children who have been sexually abused have a propensity to become abusers," he said. "It can also cause family break-ups and conflicts, which is why it is so important that the victim and victim's family receive counseling when an abuse has occurred." 

Smith said child abuse cases bring attention to the issue and it helps "as more people may become aware and become active in preventing and reporting child abuse."