To Report Suspected Sexual Abuse

Anyone can report child abuse. Mandated Reporters are required by law to report any SUSPECTED child abuse, with or without proof. There are four ways you can help a child who tells you about sexual abuse they have suffered, or who you suspect has been abused. If you know a child has been sexually abused, PLEASE DO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

If the abuse was recent and you have reason to believe there has been physical harm to the child or any physical evidence of the abuse, please take the child to the nearest hospital. Do not wait and don’t let the child change clothes or shower first. Explain to them that having physical evidence of what was done to them can be very helpful to the police, especially if the case goes to trial. Most hospitals have social workers and other trained professionals who will help the child emotionally as well as medical staff trained to take physical evidence in these types of cases. One warning: Please request that someone specifically trained in this process do the physical exam. These exams are emotionally difficult for the child, and unfortunately we have seen untrained medical staff further traumatize sexually abused kids by not knowing what they are doing.
If you believe the child is in ANY danger from the abuser, take the child to your nearest police station. DO NOT WAIT. Although any police officer will assist you, many local police precincts now have a specially trained unit to handle crimes against children. Call your local police station and ask if there is a Sex Crimes or Crimes Against Children Unit. If so, arrange to have yourself and the child met at the Police Station by a member of this unit.
If you are a mandated reporter or anyone besides a parent of the child, either do one of the above, or call your state’s Child Protective Services office. Click below for a State by State directory of Phone Numbers to use to Report Suspected Abuse.
If you’d like someone to talk to and to help you report the abuse, call ChildHelp. Our partner organization, ChildHelp is a national organization that provides crisis assistance and other counseling and referral services. The Childhelp® National Child Abuse Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with professional crisis counselors. All calls are anonymous. Contact them at 1-800-4-A-CHILD. (1-800-422-4453)

Click here for a State by State Directory of Numbers to Report Suspected Abuse.