Get help

Five situations people arrive here in. Start with whichever is closest — none of them need you to be certain first.

If you need help now

These are free, confidential, and answered around the clock. You do not need proof, and you do not need the right words.

Immediate danger: 911. Do not wait to be sure it is abuse.
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453. Call or text, 24/7. Counsellors talk it through and connect you to your state’s reporting line. You can stay anonymous.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988. Call or text, 24/7.
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673. Call, 24/7.

A child chose you. What you do in the next few minutes matters more than getting it perfect.

What happened was not your fault, and you decide what happens next, including whether to do anything at all today.

Short answer: if you are asking, make the call. You do not need to be certain, and you do not need proof.

Juvenile and family court moves fast and explains little. Here is who will be in the room and how to be ready.

You do not need the right words or the right category. Start with one question: is a child in danger right now?