Advancing Child Protection: Exploring the Influence of Clinical Social Workers in Schools on Reporting Neglect.

This article examines whether Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) are more likely than nonclinically licensed school social workers to report child maltreatment, focusing specifically on educational and physical neglect. Using a cross-sectional survey of 548 certified school social workers in Connecticut and the Crenshaw Abuse Reporting Survey, the study found that LCSWs were significantly more likely to report educational neglect but showed no difference in reporting physical neglect compared to their non-LCSW counterparts. The findings highlight the role of advanced clinical training and licensure in improving compliance with mandated reporting laws, particularly for educational neglect, which is often underreported despite its serious consequences. The study also identifies racial disparities in clinical licensure among school social workers and calls for policy efforts to expand pathways to licensure and recruit more LCSWs to enhance child welfare outcomes in schools.