HARRISBURG — Child advocates called Monday for changes in state laws they say could have stopped the child sex abuse a former Penn State assistant football coach is accused of committing and would help protect other youngsters.

The advocates cited a range of problems in Pennsylvania laws they have been pushing for action on in recent months, some for years. The laws are designed to protect child victims — and in many cases have proved effective.

But speakers at a Capitol news conference said state law must be strengthened with respect to reporting suspected abuse to authorities. “Really what happened at Penn State is happening to lots of kids everywhere,” said Cathleen Palm, executive director of the Protect Our Children Committee.

Palm and others said that everyone who, by law, is required to report suspected child abuse, such as a teacher or medical professional, should be required to contact authorities, not just a superior.

They say the current practices can delay investigations and do not protect the victims’ rights. The Penn State case is unusual in that an adult says he witnessed an act of abuse, whereas most child abuse or sexual abuse cases are not witnessed by adults, they said.

Children’s advocates also said ChildLine, a state hot line where reports of child abuse are supposed to be called in, does not always pick up or respond, extending some children’s misery.

“It’s like the fire department: It can’t be good most of the time,” said Frank Cervone, executive director of the nonprofit organization Support Center for Child Advocates.

Counties need more resources to investigate and respond to reports of child abuse, and an independent ombudsman’s office should be created to help ensure the system is working for victims, the children’s advocates said.

Another key issue they raised is the question of how a case is categorized as child abuse.

They say social workers cannot protect a child or provide services in the home, such as family counseling, if county child welfare investigators cannot determine who abused the child. That means that some children end up getting abused again, said Debra Schilling Wolfe, executive director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice and Research.