Penn State University Dickinson School of Law will host a panel discussion "Responding to Child Sexual Abuse: Legal, Medical and Ethical Perspectives" from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, in the auditorium of Lewis Katz Building on the University Park campus of Penn State and be simulcast to the auditorium of Lewis Katz Hall, Carlisle, Pa. The event also will be available via webcast -- a link will be available at http://law.psu.edu/events/child_abuse on the day of the event.
Panelists include Lucy Johnston-Walsh, clinical professor and director of the Children’s Advocacy Clinic at Penn State Law; Andrea Taroli, a pediatrician at Penn State Hershey Medical Center who specializes in child abuse; and Jonathan Marks, an associate professor of bioethics, humanities and law at Penn State and director of the Bioethics and Medical Humanities Program.
The event will cover the issues related to: the legal definition of child abuse in Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania’s mandatory reporting law; the dynamics of child sexual abuse; and the ethical conflicts of interest that arise in reporting abuse. The event is open to all Penn State students, staff and faculty, as well as community members. The goal of the program is to raise awareness of the legal and ethical issues and clear up misinformation about child sexual abuse.