Typically, a mandatory reporting law will also have a clause that states:
“The duties of mandated reporters are individual and no supervisor or administrator shall impede or inhibit the reporting duties, and no person making the report shall be subject to any sanction for making the report.”
Generally, if there is someone who has impeded or inhibited reporting they should be reported to the police for inhibiting the reporting.
With children, abuse includes:
Sexual exploitation of a minor
Invasion of privacy
Abuse can include asking inappropriate sexually charged questions of a minor.
If there was more reporting of inappropriate communication and more reporting every time someone was threatened and told not to report (especially since that sometimes happens in writing), you would get a lot less sexual exploitation by inappropriate verbal contacts and a great deal fewer threats.
Wheat & Tares 
You do not have to agree to meet with church leaders, and you don’t have to let your children be interviewed – you can say no.
You can stand up and leave at any time for any reason. So can your kids – make sure they know it.
Don’t let your kids be interviewed alone, even if it seems awkward. Intervene, interrupt, and leave if you need to.
The bishop or anyone else getting into any specifics about sexuality with a minor should be documented and reported…period. No exceptions – let the authorities sort it out.
If it’s someone else’s kid and you hear about it, report it. Again, let the authorities sort it out.
Realize that the question, “what do you understand about the law of chastity?” is a leading question designed to get people to talk specifics. If you get asked this question, you can just say, “I don’t discuss specifics about the law of chastity with church leaders.”
The actual question is, “Do you live the law of chastity?” You can say yes, no, or simply choose not to answer it. Remember that no matter what you say, the bishop can’t read your thoughts.
In Utah, teachers are mandatory reporters. They must report or be fired if they hear or see something. Bishops, on the other hand, do not have to report. Let that sink in, the teacher must report and the bishop is protected under the law. I guess teachers are the ones that protect children.
Decades ago, no one told me I didn’t have to speak with the Bishop, though I generally avoided him if possible, and even declined a time or two. BUT I was never told declining was an option and still ceded he had authority over me.
When I was 12, the DC temple was being dedicated, which was a big deal at the time. My parents, like many other locals, had been very involved (at least financially) in the building process. I was asked very specific questions in my worthiness interview to attend the dedication, such as “do you masterbate?”, among other very sexually specific questions. I didn’t even know what that word meant. It wouldn’t have ever occured to my parents to ask me what questions were asked, and we did not have the type of relationship where I could tell them what was asked. It’s been 50 years and I still remember that one interview. It was eye opening and intimidating. I’m glad people are more aware now and are taking back their autonomy, though sadly decades of damage to so many still exists and there are still those leaders who keep up the old and abusive ways.
I love this comment. #Pirate Priest: ” The bishop or anyone else getting into any specifics about sexuality with a minor should be documented and reported…period. No exceptions – let the authorities sort it out.” This would finally end the horrific practice – period.
The seeking excessive details in worthiness interviews was covered in General Conference, in October 1978. “The Blessing of Church Interviews, by President N. Eldon Tanner”. He stated: “Remember, you who conduct worthiness interviews are representatives of the Lord and you must conduct the interviews as the Lord himself would conduct them.
That is, there must be nothing immodest or degrading in your interview. Our interviews are not to be indelicate, or offensive, or pornographic in any way.
May I say here that occasionally we receive reports that a bishop or a stake president has been very indiscreet or indelicate in an interview, especially of married members.
It is not in order for a priesthood leader to list in detail ugly, deviant, or bestial practices and then cross-examine a member of the Church as to whether or not such things are practiced.”
The next part is also critical to this: “One of the General Authorities once interviewed a young man who had gone into the mission home who had made confession of a transgression which disqualified him from missionary service.
The General Authority was amazed at the sordid nature of what the young man had done and asked, “Where on earth did you get the idea to do things like this?” He was shocked when the young man answered, “From my bishop.”
During a preliminary interview for the young man’s mission, the bishop had said, “Have you ever done this? Have you ever done that?” describing every unworthy and depraved act he could think of. Such things had never before entered the young man’s mind, but they were in his mind now! The adversary put in his way the opportunity and the temptation—and he fell!”
I don’t get why this talk is not being re-quoted.
Sadly, this is *not* the only case of explicit interviews causing someone to try something out they never knew of before. Like one sister I know, went for a Baptism for the Dead interview as a young teen. Her Bishop told her what masturbation was, and how we should not do it. She didn’t even know what masturbation was before, but, she tried it out for the first time, right after getting home from the interview. And, I’m sure that the tip of the iceberg on that.
Another sister was justifiably outraged that her young teen daughter was asked in an interview if she participated in anal sex. Another adult sister on that particular blog post said she would die of embarrassment, if she had been asked that question.
Then, on child abuse of any form coming to one’s knowledge, I would not use the Church structure to report that. Too much interjection & bias of “I’m sure Bro./Sister ________ would never do that”, “Everyone has flaws”, “I’m sure that child deserved to be beaten”, etc. To say nothing of many church Leaders & members not being trained social workers.
As we know, the Church has standardized and printed the questions that are to be asked for temple recommend interviews and missionary interviews. The reason for this was, in my opinion, wholly and solely to keep bishops and stake presidents in line with decency and to avoid situations like Mike H. describes.