.... would threaten those that report them.

Let's do away with anonymous reporting. It's the right thing to
do...for the abuser's sake.

Even in Australia.

http://nospank.net/n-r05r.htm

Child abuse alarm
By Mary Papadakis, Herald Sun (Melbourne), July 8, 2007

VICTORIAN teachers are annually reporting thousands of cases of
suspected child abuse involving children aged as young as five.

Signs of abuse detected among school children include extensive
bruising to the body, cigarette burns, malnutrition, stress and
accusations of sexual assault.

Figures obtained from the Department of Human Services under Freedom
of Information show teachers and principals made 6774 reports of child
abuse in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

There were 2779 notifications of physical abuse, 1645 of neglect, 1466
of emotional abuse and 884 of sexual assault.

Reported cases include:

A PREP teacher noticed stripe-shaped bruising across the back of a
six-year-old girl's legs at a school in Melbourne's east. A DHS
investigation confirmed the girl's mother had been hitting her with a
kettle cord.

A YEAR 8 student was upset at school and when teachers asked why, she
showed them welts on her back caused by being hit with an iron's cord.

A STEPFATHER in country Victoria was physically assaulting a primary
school pupil.

But when the school contacted DHS, the mother and stepfather went to
the school and made verbal threats to physically harm teachers, the
principal and other parents.

Security guards were employed to protect staff.

A CRYING year 7 student confided in a teacher that she was being
physically "punished" at home. A teacher observed bruises on her back
and legs.

Teachers are legally required to report suspected cases to the DHS,
but child protection groups fear threats from abusive families could
prevent teachers from taking action.

Most reports came from schools in Victoria's inner south, which covers
suburbs including Dandenong, Narre Warren and St Kilda.

Schools in the inner east had the second-highest number of reports
followed by Loddon-Mallee, the inner west, Gippsland, inner north,
Hume, Barwon South-West and the Grampians.

Victorian Principals' Association President Fred Ackerman said schools
were at the front line of keeping children safe.

But he said while the identity of those making reports was protected
by law, it was "not uncommon" for families to make the connection or
for teachers names to be revealed by mistake.

Teachers received threats from alleged abusers such as "You're not
safe," and "I know where you live," he said.

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