If a Child Tells You
What every adult in your program should do in the first few minutes after a child shares that they've been hurt. Your job is not to prove anything. It is to listen, keep the child safe, and get the right people involved.
Your reaction tells the child whether it was safe to tell. Keep your face and voice steady. Move to a spot that is private but still in view of others.
Let the child talk at their own pace, in their own words. Don't push for details.
No leading questions, no promise to keep it secret, and don't confront the person the child named. Trained investigators will take it from here.
Yes: call 911 now, then keep going.
Call your state's child abuse hotline or law enforcement, as your state requires. Then tell your program's designated lead, unless they are the person named.
Record what the child said, in their exact words, plus the date, time, and who you told. Keep it confidential and share it only with people who need to know.
Hearing a disclosure is hard. Talk with your supervisor or a counselor, without sharing the child's identifying details.
Watch the 4-minute video, If a Child Tells You (Lighthouse Learning, Episode 1), on the Resources page at lighthouserrcg.com.