A child told me something
A child chose you. What you do in the next few minutes matters more than getting it perfect.
If you need help now
- Immediate danger: call 911.
- Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453: call or text, 24/7, they connect you to your state's reporting line.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, 24/7.
- RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673, 24/7.
Right now
- Stay calm and believe them. Your face is the first verdict they see. "Thank you for telling me" is enough.
- Let them talk; do not interrogate. Open questions only. "what happened next?" Leading questions can compromise a later investigation.
- Do not promise to keep it secret. Say the truth: "My job is to help keep you safe, so I may need to tell someone whose job is to help."
- Write down their words as close to verbatim as you can, with the date and time, as soon as you are alone.
- Report it. If the child is in immediate danger, call 911. Otherwise the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-422-4453, call or text, 24/7. Connects you to your state's reporting line. You do not need proof; reasonable concern is the standard.
- Do not confront the person the child named. That is the investigator's job, and doing it yourself can put the child at more risk.
Then, your role
If you work with children, you are likely a mandated reporter: that toolkit covers your legal duties. Also written for this moment: Teachers, Parents, Relatives, and Friends of an abused child.