Misconceptions of Reporting Child Abuse

When a child abuse tragedy is reported in the media, neighbors often say that they thought something was wrong, yet too often no reports of known or suspected abuse were made to the police or local child protective services agency.

According to Childhelp®, surveys have shown that, although the majority of Americans polled believe that everyone should play a role in stopping child abuse, many people also admit to witnessing child abuse and doing nothing about it.

The reasons for not reporting abuse include not knowing where to call and misconceptions regarding what will happen once a report of known or suspected abuse is made to the police or a child protective services agency.

Many people incorrectly believe that:

• By law, abused children must be removed from their homes immediately, which is the least likely outcome.
• Child abuse cannot be reported anonymously. In most states, you don’t need to provide your name.
• The person reported for abuse is entitled to know who made the report. They are not.