How to Help an Abused Child Who Discloses to You

The first step in child abuse help is in properly dealing with the allegations of the abused child. It’s imperative to handle this situation correctly in order to make the child feel safe enough to report the child abuse to the authorities. Mishandling a child’s outcry can make a child recant; which makes helping the abused child impossible. READ MORE HERE

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How to Help An Abused Child At School

1. Call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD to learn more about legal actions that can be taken in your area or state and to find out how to report the child abuse to the proper authorities. You can’t report child abuse unless you are positive it is happening because you shouldn’t falsely accuse someone

2. Take the child at school to a quiet, private location to talk. Sit next to the child, but do not use physical touch without consent from the child.

3. Encourage the child to tell you if he or she is being abused, which can be in the form of physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect. Avoid asking too many questions or the child may feel intimidated and shut down.

4. Tell the child that you are not going to tell classmates or teachers, but you are going to tell someone that can help. This is usually a Child Protective Services worker who you can refer to as a helping person with the child.

5. Avoid getting upset yourself, and remain calm and attentive. Getting anxious or angry can increase fear in the child.

6. Report the abuse. In Step 1, you should have determined the proper authorities to report the child abuse to. Provide details about the signs of abuse the child exhibits or described to you.