In 2002 more than half (56.5%) of all reports of alleged child maltreatment came from professional sources—educators (16.1%); legal, law enforcement, and criminal justice personnel (15.7%); social services personnel (12.6%); medical personnel (7.8%); mental health personnel (2.6%); child daycare providers (1%); and foster care providers (0.7%). Friends, neighbors, parents, and other relatives comprised nearly one-fifth (19.6%) of the reporters, while alleged victims and self-identified perpetrators reported abuse in 0.9% of the cases. Another 18.6% of reports came from anonymous and other sources. (See Figure 3.1.)

All states offer immunity to individuals who report incidents of child maltreatment "in good faith," or with sincerity. Besides physical injury and neglect, most states include mental injury, sexual abuse, and the sexual exploitation of minors as cases to be reported.