Mandatory notification of cases of violence is an instrument capable of mobilizing a network of protection for children and adolescents and constituting an information system aimed at planning public policies to deal with such cases. This paper aimed to: (a) describe the historical context of combating sexual violence against children and adolescents and the notification process in Brazil and the United States; and (b) establish parameters for comparison between Brazilian and American realities. For these aims, a document investigation on laws, ordinances and regulations relating to mandatory notification of sexual abuse against children and adolescents was conducted, complemented by national and international literature on this matter. It could be seen that while the notification process in the United States is detailed, with distribution across the states, studies in Brazil still require further detailing on this issue, especially with regard to regional initiatives.
Mandatory reporting; Child sexual abuse; Sexual violence against children and adolescents