---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 1169"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "1169"
heading: "Reporting of child abuse"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/1169"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 53 — Indians"
---

# §1169. Reporting of child abuse

- (a) Any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) who—
  - (1) is a—
    - (A) physician, surgeon, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor, nurse, dental hygienist, optometrist, medical examiner, emergency medical technician, paramedic, or health care provider,
    - (B) teacher, [school](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-27) counselor, instructional aide, teacher’s aide, teacher’s assistant, or bus driver employed by any tribal, Federal, public or private [school](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-27),
    - (C) administrative [officer](/usc/18/202.md?p=c), supervisor of child welfare and attendance, or truancy [officer](/usc/18/202.md?p=c) of any tribal, Federal, public or private [school](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-27),
    - (D) child day care worker, headstart teacher, public assistance worker, worker in a group home or residential or day care facility, or social worker,
    - (E) psychiatrist, psychologist, or psychological assistant,
    - (F) licensed or unlicensed marriage, family, or child counselor,
    - (G) [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) employed in the mental health profession, or
    - (H) [law enforcement officer](/usc/18/232.md?p=7), probation [officer](/usc/18/202.md?p=c), worker in a juvenile rehabilitation or detention facility, or [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) employed in a public agency who is responsible for enforcing statutes and judicial orders;
  - (2) knows, or has reasonable suspicion, that—
    - (A) a child was abused in [Indian country](/usc/18/2266.md?p=4), or
    - (B) actions are being taken, or are going to be taken, that would reasonably be expected to result in abuse of a child in [Indian country](/usc/18/2266.md?p=4); and
  - (3) fails to immediately report such abuse or actions described in [paragraph (2)](#a-2) to the local child protective services agency or local law enforcement agency,

  shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 6 months or both.

- (b) Any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) who—
  - (1) supervises, or has authority over, a [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) described in [subsection (a)(1)](#a-1), and
  - (2) inhibits or prevents that [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) from making the report described in [subsection (a)](#a),

  shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 6 months or both.

- (c) For purposes of this section, the term—
  - (1) “abuse” includes—
    - (A) any case in which—
      - (i) a child is dead or exhibits evidence of skin bruising, bleeding, malnutrition, failure to thrive, burns, fracture of any bone, subdural hematoma, soft tissue swelling, and
      - (ii) such condition is not justifiably explained or may not be the product of an accidental occurrence; and
    - (B) any case in which a child is subjected to sexual assault, sexual molestation, sexual exploitation, [sexual contact](/usc/18/2246.md?p=3), or prostitution;
  - (2) “child” means an individual who—
    - (A) is not married, and
    - (B) has not attained 18 years of age;
  - (3) “local child protective services agency” means that agency of the Federal Government, of a [State](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-9), or of an [Indian tribe](/usc/18/841.md?p=t) that has the primary responsibility for child protection on any Indian reservation or within any community in [Indian country](/usc/18/2266.md?p=4); and
  - (4) “local law enforcement agency” means that Federal, tribal, or [State](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-9) law enforcement agency that has the primary responsibility for the investigation of an instance of alleged child abuse within the portion of [Indian country](/usc/18/2266.md?p=4) involved.
- (d) Any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) making a report described in [subsection (a)](#a) which is based upon their reasonable belief and which is made in good faith shall be immune from civil or criminal liability for making that report.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 101–630, title IV, § 404(a)(1), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4547; amended Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §§ 330011(d), 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2144, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(25), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3508.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–294 amended directory language of Pub. L. 103–322, § 330011(d). See 1994 Amendment note below.

1994—Pub. L. 103–322, § 330011(d), as amended by Pub. L. 104–294, amended directory language of Pub. L. 101–630, § 404(a)(1), which enacted this section.

Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(K), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” in concluding provisions.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 104–294 effective Sept. 13, 1994, see section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294, set out as a note under section 13 of this title.

### Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330011(d), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2144, as amended by Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(25), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3508, provided that the amendment made by section 330011(d) is effective on the date section 404(a) of Pub. L. 101–630 took effect.