Reporting
Who to call, what happens next, and why you do not need to be certain before you pick up the phone.
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911
Do not wait for advice from anyone, including us. Police and emergency services come first.
Reporting suspected abuse or neglect
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Free, confidential, 24 hours a day, every day, in more than 170 languages. Staffed by degreed professional crisis counselors. You can call to report, or simply to ask whether what you are seeing is worth reporting.
1-800-4-A-CHILD · childhelphotline.org
NCMEC CyberTipline
For online exploitation: child sexual abuse material, online enticement, sextortion, or an adult contacting a child online. Reports can be made anonymously and are forwarded to law enforcement.
1-800-THE-LOST · report.cybertip.org
Your state’s child protective services
Every state runs its own reporting line, and that is where a report is ultimately investigated. Childhelp can connect you to the right one, or search for “child protective services” plus your state’s name.
Reporting requirements differ by state.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
If a child or young person is in emotional distress or at risk of harming themselves. Call or text 988, any time.
You do not have to be sure
This is the single most common reason people stay silent, and it rests on a misunderstanding of what a report is. You are not accusing anyone and you are not deciding anything. You are handing a concern to people whose job is to look into it. The legal standard for reporting is reasonable suspicion, not proof.
In every US state, reports made in good faith are protected — you cannot be held liable for a report that turns out to be unfounded. In many states, people who work with children (teachers, coaches, healthcare staff, clergy, childcare workers) are mandated reporters and are legally required to report suspicion directly, rather than passing it to a manager. If you work with children, find out today whether that includes you.
What to have ready
- The child’s name, age and address, if you know them.
- What you saw or were told, in the words that were actually used, with dates.
- The name and relationship of the person you are concerned about, if known.
- Anything about immediate risk — whether the child is with that person now.
Missing details are not a reason to delay. Report what you have.
Reporting something on this site
If you find content here that is inaccurate, harmful, or inappropriate for the age it is labelled for — or a link that leads somewhere it should not — tell us and we will take it down while we look at it.
Use the contact form and choose “Report a problem with the website”.
Please note that we are an education charity, not an investigative or emergency service. We cannot intervene in an individual case, and a message to us is never a substitute for calling the numbers above.
The organizations listed on this page are independent of Danger Aware. We list them because they are the right people to call; we are not responsible for their services. Phone numbers apply to the United States.