As reported recently, some African and Native American leaders believe child protection is inappropriately screening in families from their communities due to racial bias. Conversely, young professionals in some Asian communities are concerned that community pressure is deterring people from reporting maltreatment. Professionals generally suspect that white children are underreported because, under similar circumstances, mandated reporters trust white parents to address their problems without intervention more so than parents of color.
From a statistical perspective, Minnesota still screens in approximately 7,000 fewer children than similarly-sized states. This suggests that over-reporting in some groups is more than offset by under-reporting in others.
The goal is to protect children by appropriately reporting and screening maltreatment as consistently as possible, using the same standards for all. This will require training and quality reviews.