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Reporting Abuse

Depending on the state in which you report suspected or disclosed abuse, there are different agencies to report to. If a child is in immediate danger you should call 9-1-1 or your local police department. If the identified abuser is a family member or person with guardianship rights, the police may refer to child protective services before a criminal investigation is allowed.  Otherwise, if you have reason to believe a child is being abused, or you witness a situation that would reasonably result in harm to a child,  you can reach out to the appropriate agency in your area.  

Find the Appropriate Agency

Depending on the state in which you report suspected or disclosed abuse, there are different agencies to report to. If a child is in immediate danger you should call 9-1-1 or your local police department. If the identified abuser is a family member or person with guardianship rights, the police may refer to child protective services before a criminal investigation is allowed.  Otherwise, if you have reason to believe a child is being abused, or you witness a situation that would reasonably result in harm to a child,  you can reach out to the appropriate agency in your area. If you are a mandated reporter, you should be familiar with the laws within your state.

As a protective adult, we recommend that you keep a written timeline and journal of who you spoke with and what was discussed, and possibly include a non-related witness when you report or speak with case workers or detectives. Mistakes happen, caseworkers are often overworked, and there have been situations that resulted in social services being sued for negligence which resulted in the endangerment or death of a child. Even after reporting, the most protective approach is to do what we can to hold the system accountable to it’s mission.

Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse

The below information has been provided by Child Information Gateway, A service of the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.*

This information is to help you, the reader, understand the current processes of child protection agencies; we urge you to appreciate that this is not a perfect science and that, at times, we believe this process can lead to further harm or stress for the child and protective family members. Without sufficient evidence, CPS can allow alleged offenders to have continued contact with their victims, even gain custody, despite there being enough evidence presented that protective adults would not feel comfortable or that it is in the best interest of the child.

*We would also note, that we amended this information, changing the word “mothers’ to “parent(s)” as the original text did not acknowledge that fathers can be protective or that mothers can be abusive or enabling of an abuser.

The Role of CPS

CPS is the local authority, housed in public social services agencies, responsible for investigation of and intervention in cases of suspected sexual abuse. Its mandate to protect children can be found in Federal and State legislation. Typically, CPS is only responsible for intervening in those situations in which the offender is in a caretaking role for the child. Law enforcement agencies are usually responsible for the investigation of cases involving offenders in noncaretaking roles. However, CPS may also become involved in situations in which the offender is a nonfamily member but the child’s caretaker fails to protect the child from the offender.

Health care, mental health, and education professionals are mandated in most States to make a timely report of suspected maltreatment to CPS. Other persons may report.

The Structure of the Investigation