Most people do not realize that it only takes one --often completely
anonymous-- phone call to change life as you and your children know it.
Good names are tarnished by being listed on abuse registries, and some
parents will lose custody of their children even though there was no
real evidence of abuse or neglect.
Mandated reporters frequently over-report in order to protect
themselves from liability. They can be charged with a misdemeanor, fined, or
lose their licenses if they fail to report abuse. On the other hand,
they are rarely, if ever, held accountable for making inaccurate reports,
even if the report turns out to be malicious.
Anonymous reporting allows any person to make an accusation at any
time, without proof and without revealing his or her name. This means that
even if someone has made a false accusation of maltreatment against a
parent out of spite, the parent will have a difficult time proving it
since he or she is never allowed to know whom the accuser is.