What do you do if you see a kid being abused?

by Carmen
(El Dorado, Arizona, USA)

What if you see a kid being abuse? What should you do about it?

Darlene's Reply: Carmen, if you've seen a child being abused, report what you saw to the appropriate reporting agency. Make the call, and tell the person on the other end of the line that you wish to report an incident of child abuse.

In the United States, child abuse must be reported in the state in which it occurred. Some points to keep in mind in the United States:

• Not all states have a hotline for reporting child abuse.
  
• Not all hotlines are reachable 24/7.
  
• State hotlines may only be reachable in that particular state.
  
• If the state does not have a hotline for reporting child abuse, or if you need to report in a different state than where the abuse took place, contact the Child Help Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) for the appropriate number.

Carmen, the 24-hour-a-day nationwide hotline for the state of Arizona is 888-767-2445.

I suggest you document what you saw, as well as the date and time you saw it. Document only the details; don't include suspicions. Refer to your documented notes when you report the abuse. Each time you see a child being abused, document and report it. Don't ever assume someone else will report; even if someone else does report, lodge a complaint yourself. Remember, when a child is abused, it is everybody's business.

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