As of October 1, anyone who witnesses child abuse in Florida is required by law to report it. Department of Children and Families Secretary David Wilkins said approximately a quarter of all children are sexually abused before they turn 18.
“And now we also have to make sure all of our citizens are educated to it and then someday hopefully the issue of child abuse will not be the significant problem that it is today,” he said.
Anyone who fails to report child abuse in Florida can now be charged with a felony instead of a misdemeanor. In light of the Penn State scandal, the law also says that any college where the staff doesn't report child abuse during a school sponsored event can be fined up to $1-million.
