Why parents must report sexual abuse right away

Attorney & Legal Expert Robin Sex shares advice for parents on why it is necessary for them to immediately report if their child has been sexually abused
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Why parents must report sexual abuse right away

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The law identifies certain people as mandated reporters: Psychologists, doctors, law enforcement, teachers. Absent from that list are parents. While parents are not on the list as mandated by the law, parent can be accused of, and criminally responsible for, failing to protect their child if they don't call. While their may not be an affirmative duty that a penal codes says you have to do it, you could find yourself in a situation where you could be held liable or criminally responsible for not taking action in protecting your kids. That's particularly important, not just for the parent who may think that someone sexually abused their kid outside of the home, but it becomes a huge game-changer when the perpatrator is inside the home and you are allowing the abuse to continue. In those cases, you will very likely see the family court get involved in a failure to protect if the parents don't cooperate or at least, bring forth the process.
ALL PARENTS, Sexual Abuse

Attorney & Legal Expert Robin Sex shares advice for parents on why it is necessary for them to immediately report if their child has been sexually abused

Transcript

Expert Bio

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Robin Sax

Attorney & Legal Analyst

Robin is a legal analyst for Fox11 Los Angeles (KTTV). She appears there daily offering legal insight and analysis as well as parenting and safety expertise.  She also regularly contributes her legal and parenting expertise to The TODAY Show, Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, CNN, and HLN. She covers both the unknown and known high profile cases including Conrad Murray, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Casey Anthony, Jaycee Dugard, OJ Simpson and many more.

Robin is also a former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney and Riverside County Deputy District Attorney who specialized in sex crimes against children. For over 15 years she prosecuted some of the most despicable defendants who committed the most heinous crimes, prosecuting hundreds of felony crimes including homicides, stalking, domestic violence, child sexual assault, and gang crimes. 

She is an author who has penned six books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Criminal Justice System and Predators and Child Molesters:  A Sex Crimes DA Answers 100 of the Most Asked Questions all of which draw on her vast experience as a prosecutor and victim right's advocate. Her powerful insights have regularly graced the pages of The Huffington Post, Psychology Today, People Magazine, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, The Los Angeles Times and the Women in Crime Ink blog.

In addition to advising numerous legal foundations, Robin regularly shares her valuable insight and expertise through speaking and teaching with members of the FBI, Los Angeles Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, and the California District Attorney’s Association. Robin has served as adjunct professor of Women and Crime at Cal State Los Angeles and lecturer on criminal law and the justice system in UCLA’s Paralegal Training Program.

More Parenting Videos from Robin Sax >
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