Reporting Child Abuse

The first step in helping victims of child abuse is learning to recognize the signs and symptoms of child abuse. Often, children suffering from abuse do not tell anyone about the abuse, so it is essential that you, either as an Authorized Adult or an employee, are knowledgeable of the signs and symptoms of child abuse and are able to recognize indicators of abuse. Children may exhibit behaviors that indicate that abuse is occurring. These indicators (red flags) may lead to reasonable suspicion and cause to report.

In this lesson we will review the indicators of abuse, as well as all the specific types of abuse and their signs and symptoms. We will also learn what to watch for to identify potential abusers, why children don’t tell anyone about their abuse, and how to respond if a child does disclose abuse to you.