Reporting child abuse

Abuse can take different forms.

Common types of abuse are:

• physical abuse – for example, hitting, punching and burning
• emotional abuse – this can mean constantly threatening or putting a child or young person down so that they feel unloved and worthless
• sexual abuse – for example, forcing or persuading a child or young person to take part in any kind of sexual activity, inappropriate touching, kissing, looking at or being involved in pornographic material or videos
• neglect – not providing enough food, clothing, shelter, education, medical care, or leaving a child alone and at risk

What to do if you're worried

If you're worried at all about a child's safety, act on it.

You can phone, email or write to our Initial Response Team. Phone immediately if you believe it is urgent.

Phone 999 if you think a child needs immediate protection