When You Suspect a Child Is Being Abused

Call the authorities! It can help get the family back on track

How to Report Suspected Abuse

If the child is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

If the child is not in immediate danger, call Child Line 1-800-932-0313 at any time of day or night.

Give as much information about the child as you know: name, address, phone number, age and living arrangements. Give reasons for your suspicions. Someone will investigate within 24 hours, and you may remain anonymous.

Child abuse and neglect exist at all levels of society, says John VanBrakle, M.D., pediatrician with Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network and medical director of the Child Advocacy Center of Lehigh County. “The abuser can be a stranger,” he says, “but most abusers are family members or someone the child knows well and even trusts.” Every day in the United States, three children die from abuse—the leading cause of death under age 4. “The problem can arise,” VanBrakle says, “from family stress, substance abuse, lack of knowledge about age-appropriate behavior, discipline gone awry, or ideas counter to what our society views as proper and respectful treatment of children.”

Child abuse is not just a family matter—it affects the larger community, says Barbara Stauffer, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center. “Abused children have a greater risk of being arrested for violent crimes in their teen years. Many victims of child abuse become alcoholics, drug addicts and prostitutes in adulthood.”

How to break the cycle

If a child tells you of abuse, “don’t overreact,” Stauffer says. “Listen attentively and be supportive. Don’t ask more questions than you need to to make a report. Leading questions can provide inappropriate information to the child victim, which could damage a legal case against the abuser. Leave the burden of proof to the professionals. Just assure the child that you’ll call the authorities and get help.” (See “How to Report,” at right.)

It’s trickier when you suspect a child is in trouble but have no clear proof. “All you need is reasonable suspicion that a child is being neglected or abused,” Stauffer says. “A trained investigator will determine if your suspicions are correct.”

People hesitate to report suspected abuse for several reasons. “Some fear the situation may get worse if the authorities are involved,” VanBrakle says. “The truth is, abuse often gets worse when no one intervenes. Most parents do not want to hurt their children. The solution is early intervention and prevention.”

Another concern would-be reporters have is that their action will remove the family provider and leave the family without resources. That’s not always the case. “The Child Advocacy Center works to help the whole family,” Stauffer says.

Sometimes, parents do go to prison, and children are placed with relatives or in foster care. “But leaving a child in an abusive situation has repercussions later on,” says Ken Mead, director of Adolescent Transitions at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “I see many teens from abusive households who are depressed and even suicidal. These kids needed someone to intervene years earlier.”

Can young victims recover?

“Children are resilient,” Stauffer says. “If they’re believed and get good treatment, they can recover.” It’s important for the whole family to receive support, including the non-offending parent, she says. “When people fail to report abuse, the results can be tragic—children may be killed, or grow up to be abusers themselves. And the cycle of violence continues.”

Want to Know More about the Child Advocacy Center, a nonprofit team approach to improving our community’s response to abused and neglected children? Call 610-402-CARE.

ARTICLE TOOLS: