There is increasing awareness that mandatory reporting is a statutory requirement in many jurisdictions. Mandatory reporting sometimes applies to all adults, and in other cases only to more restricted groups such as teachers, clergy/ministers, etc.

Friends and workers must comply with any statutory obligations, but the fellowship should aspire to the highest level of protection of children, not the bare minmum.

WINGS is creating a list of mandatory reporting requirements. So far we have only completed some countries. Others will follow.

What is already apparent is that the gold standard is for every adult to report any reasonable belief that a person under the age of 19 is being, or has been, abused or is at risk of sexual abuse. i.e. past or present abuse.

In the past, family, friends and workers have sometimes reluctantly or willingly shielded perpetrators from legal process. That has allowed perpetrators to continue, perhaps in new locations where people have been unaware of their prior criminal activity.

The number of disclosures so far during 2023 has shown that people are now unwilling to allow this criminal behaviour to be hidden. WINGS believes that the fellowship should acknowledge globally that the best course of action is full disclosure to authorities of any suspected past or present sexual abuse of young people. Not being a statutorily mandated reporter is not an acceptable excuse.

Note: Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) can be defined as:

An adult or older adolescent using a child or young adolescent for overt or covert sexual gratification, even without contact, including by

• asking or pressuring or inciting a child to engage in sexual activities (regardless of the outcome);
• sexual touching or fondling (even if fully clothed);
• engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child;
• causing a child to watch a sexual act;
• exposure of genitals to a child;
• viewing a child’s genitals or breasts without contact;
• inappropriate sexual conversation;
• arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence;
• meeting a child following sexual grooming etc;
• using a child to produce still images or videos of child nudity or sexual activity.

Note that the table is correct to the best of our knowledge but should not be relied on as legal advice. Please contact wingsfortruth@googlegroups.com if you believe that any information in the table is incorrect. It was updated August 20, 2023 to include additional jurisdictions.