CPS investigators asking non-abused children traumatizing questions (sometimes after being independently detained) and the associated investigation into the family, only reported as CYA to stay in compliance with mandatory reporter laws, is child abuse performed by CPS. CPS themselves are often the child abusers in this fashion, and this law allows them to abuse more children.
>This can also lead to highly warranted investigations, given that actual abuse is incredibly common.
Or possibly not. It could drive anyone who suspects a professional may attribute (correctly or not) some circumstance as abuse, to merely completely avoid letting their family see any professionals. These laws degrade trust even further between professionals and those seeking them, reducing access to care. Instead of an aid, a therapist or doctor is seen as a threat so dangerous as to risk breaking apart your family at any time. Avoidance at seeking professional services may decrease warranted investigations rather than increase them.
Anyone familiar with substance abuse patient care understands how mandatory reporting frequently endangers children: many drug-addicted women birth outside the hospital system so they can keep their children (mandatory reporter laws encourage them to avoid safer birth environment).
But of course I don't doubt compelling people to say their thoughts out loud to authorities could lead to more 'warranted investigations' at a dystopic cost. As with many laws written so _someone will think of the children_, there is some factual basis that additional warranted investigations may be opened as a result of creating these thought crimes. I am of the opinion, though, that criminalizing these thoughts leads more towards "involuntarily report anything that may risk my license, at the cost of traumatizing innocent families" rather than "voluntarily report genuine abuse."