I have proof of an adult who has hurt a child. Their own child. I want to take the proof to the police, but I need to be fully prepared because said adult is going to go ballistic at me if the police come knocking. He could get locked up. Said adult has another child, no harm done to, but I’m worried this other child is going to hate me and blame me, but I need to protect the other child. I don’t know how to go about all of this? I have to be fully prepared. Should I go to the police first? Child services? I just don’t know what to do
4 Replies
One of my neighbours reported another of my neighbours with 'proof of abuse'. Truthfully she is not very stable and her perception of the situation is not reflective of reality. Police showed up but they left pretty quickly. I guess my point is that if something sinister is happening, you need to protect the kids and report it. If you have the wrong end of the stick, they won't get in strife. They might not like you but that's ok if you thought you were doing the right thing.
If immediate risk of harm, definitely police and they are mandatory reporters. If not immediate risk, I would contact Facs and report with evidence so they can investigate. If it were me, I would report to both, just because I know how often things get swept under the rug. I would also approach it by saying that you wanted them to get help with their anger or other issues. They are very reluctant to remove children these days and usually try to help the family.
I’m always a little reluctant to specifically advise reporting/not reporting with questions like this. Without more context, my advice is that you need to use your best judgment and ensure your heart is in the right place then make a decision.
I will say this though. Child abuse is very rarely isolated to one incident. Physical abuse usually goes hand in hand with psychological abuse as well.
Something that is also very common. When speaking to child abuse victims, many will speak about all the people who were aware but did nothing.
If you have reason to believe the child has been hurt or is in danger you need to report that information to child protection. It's their job to investigate the matter and pass any information of a criminal nature on to the police. The child you are reporting on is unlikely to fully understand why you took action, so it's important to do what you can to protect them.