How to Report Child Abuse and Neglect
What is Child Abuse?
By Georgia Law, child abuse includes the following acts:
- Physical injury or death inflicted upon a child by a parent or caretaker thereof, by other than accidental means; provided, however, physical forms of discipline may be used as long as there is not physical injury to the child.
- Physical neglect or exploitation of a child by a parent or caretaker. This includes, but may not be limited to, the lack of proper amount of food, clothing, medical care, guidance, supervision, and other general care.
- Sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of a child.
- Emotional/verbal abuse of a child.
- Report of a parent or caretaker who knows that their child is being “sexually harassed” and who refuses to take action to protect the child from further harassment.
If you suspect that a child you know is suffering from abuse or neglect, whether it’s a neighbor, relative or one of your child’s playmates or classmates:
- Immediately contact your child’s counselor and/or principal.
- Give an oral statement describing your full account of the act. Be prepared to share the following information:
- Name, age and/or date of birth of child
- Name of parents or caretakers
- Address or current location of the child(ren)
- Specifics of the maltreatment
- Whether the suspected offender has access to the child
After Hours Reporting
Immediately call centralized Intake for the State of Georgia at 1-855-GA-Child (1-855-422-4453), including weekdays after 5:00 p.m., Saturday, Sunday and holidays. The statewide contact taking this call will then contact the local agency’s on-call person for a call back to the school reporter.
Guidelines for Volunteers and Indicators of Possible Child Abuse