Exploring the Belief Structure Underlying Reporting Decisions Among School Social Workers

Background and study purpose: Mandated reporters often make decisions under conditions of ambiguity, balancing legal obligations, professional judgment, and concerns for child safety and family well-being. These complexities are particularly salient in school settings, where school social workers (SSWers) are uniquely positioned to observe children’s behavior, family dynamics, and developmental functioning over time. While prior research has examined structural and demographic factors influencing reporting behavior, less attention has been given to the role of mandated reporters’ beliefs. Understanding these belief systems is critical for ensuring accurate, equitable, and effective child protection responses. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and Ecological Systems Theory, this study aims to identify underlying belief constructs related to mandated reporting and examine their associations with reporting behavior among SSWers.

Methods: As a cross-sectional study, this study conducted a web-based survey administered via Qualtrics, including 23 items regarding beliefs about mandated reporting and child protective services. From 639 initial respondents, a final sample of 455 eligible SSWers who were recruited through national and state professional organizations between February and April 2024. Descriptive statistics and preliminary diagnostics supported the suitability of the 23 belief items for factor analysis, with low missingness, no multicollinearity concerns, and strong sampling adequacy (KMO = .90; Bartlett’s test p < .001). An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using maximum likelihood estimation with oblimin rotation identified the latent structure, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a randomly split subsample to validate a four-factor solution. Finally, ordinal logistic regression models examined associations between identified belief factor scores and reporting frequency, adjusting for individual- and school-level covariates, with all analyses conducted in R.

Results: EFA supported a four-factor structure: 1) Moral Evaluation, 2) CPS System Trust, 3) Bias Awareness in Reporting, and 4) Emotional Discomfort/Conflict. The model demonstrated acceptable model fit, explained about 45% of the variance, and showed good reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis in a validation subsample further supported this four-factor model with strong fit and moderate to high factor loadings. Ordinal regression results indicated that higher Moral Evaluation scores, along with being aged 45–54 and working in suburban schools, were associated with significantly higher reporting frequency, with the overall model showing adequate explanatory power. CFA in a validation subsample confirmed this structure with strong model fit and moderate to high factor loadings. Ordinal regression results indicated that higher Moral Evaluation scores (OR = 1.42, 95% CI [1.10, 1.83], p = .007), being aged 45 – 54 (OR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.03, 3.04], p = .039), and working in suburban schools (OR = 2.21, 95% CI [1.21, 4.05], p = .010) were associated with significantly greater reporting frequency.

Implications: The findings suggest that mandated reporting is shaped not only by legal requirements but also by reporters’ belief systems, particularly moral evaluation. This highlights the need for training and guidance that go beyond procedural compliance to address ethical reasoning and support more consistent and equitable decision-making.