Nursing practice and statutory rape. Effects of reporting and enforcement on access to care for adolescents.
Changes over the past decade in statutory rape laws and their enforcement have created anxiety and confusion for nurses and other health care providers in jurisdictions across the country. Mandated reporting of statutory rape as child abuse potentially has the unsought effect of deterring some of the adolescents most in need of confidential health care from seeking that care. Knowledge and advocacy on the part of nurses can help mitigate the harms of overly inclusive reporting and enforcement.
Teare
Catherine
C
Center for Adolescent Health & the Law, 211 No. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA. cteare@childrennow.org
English
Abigail
A
D000293:Adolescent; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D009729:Nursing; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control; D011902:Rape / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States