Children are the future of our community. Here at PreventFamilyViolence.com, we believe in the value of children. They have a right to a safe environment in which to grow.

Bystanders, those who hear the screams in the night, thinking well "someone should do something about it, I hear their cries every night." Wake up! That someone is you. If you believe someone is being abused, pick up the phone and CALL 9-1-1. The police and responding authorities will determine what needs to be done from there, all you have to do is pick up the phone; you may be saving a life!

Family Violence, child abuse is a pervasive and growing problem in every state here in the USA, and every country around the world.

Children must be protected; and yet, they cannot protect themselves. Protecting children involves everyone. Helping abused and neglected children is a duty we all share.

All family violence is unacceptable and you can get help from services and protection from police and the courts through protection orders, removing the abusive individual from the home environment, by acting quickly to resolve family violence situations, and offering family violence intervention counseling and housing services.

How Can I Get Involved?

First, learn ways you can help your family, friends and neighbors before abuse occurs. Most parents want to do the right things for their child. Sometimes problems like loss of a job, immaturity, substance abuse, being new parents or other issues cause stress for a person trying to be a parent.

Be supportive of parents who are having problems. Offer to baby-sit, or help in other ways. Volunteer or start a child abuse prevention campaign at your church or work.

Be alert to the signs of child abuse and neglect. Know what steps to take to help.

What is Child Abuse or Neglect?

Children who are mistreated can be physically abused, sexually abused, or emotionally abused; neglected; or abandoned.

Physical Abuse is any injury resulting from beating, biting burning or otherwise harming a child.

Sexual abuse is any act of molestation against a minor child.

Emotional abuse can be caused by constantly rejecting a child, exposing a child to domestic violence, or threatening child's safety.

Neglect is defined as the failure of a parent to provide food, clothing, supervision, education or medical care for a child.

What is Family Violence

Family violence can include any physical assault, sexual abuse, emotional and economic abuse or pet abuse. Family violence includes violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviour that occurs in current or past family, domestic or intimate relationships.

Family violence is not just physical, it includes control and manipulation and behaviour that causes you to live in fear. Some examples of family violence might include:

• stopping you from seeing your family and friends
• threatening to harm other family members or pets
• humiliation, threats or insults
• constant criticism
• taking your medication from you
• taking away your access to money for food and clothes
• threatening to report you to immigration
• threatening to tell your family and friends about your sexual orientation when you do not want them to know
• damage to property
• harassment or stalking

A perpetrator who causes a child to witness an incident or clean up after an incident, is also committing family violence.

• in a marriage, de-facto relationship or civil union
• in a gay or lesbian relationship
• to people with a disability who rely on their carer
• between parents, children and relatives
• between people in a 'family-like' relationship, siblings for example
• In some cases, the violence might be by a young person against a parent or relative
Who Do I Call With My Concerns? NEVER EMAIL A REPORT OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT. Call your local child protective service agency or your local law enforcement agency.
We do not take child abuse reports on-line due to privacy laws. You must call the report to your local child protective agency, or for assistance Call the Childhelp USA^® National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD^®  (1-800-422-4453).

When you call to make a referral, you will talk with the intake social worker who will ask you a series of questions about your concerns. You may not have the answers to some of the questions. That's okay. Answer as many as you can, as completely as you can, so we can decide the best way to respond to your concerns.

What Happens After I Call With My Concerns?

Child Protective staff will assess the level of risk to the child. If a child is at risk of abuse or neglect, we will either provide direct service or refer the family to other community organizations. The important thing is that the family can now get the help it needs. Child Protective Centers offer the following services:

• Child Protective Service
• Foster Care
• Adoption

Am I Doing The Right Thing?

Understanding your role in protecting children is important. You are doing the right thing by getting involved and telling us a child is at risk of abuse or neglect. The children must be able to count on us to make their world safe and secure. After all, it takes a community to protect a child.

Call the Childhelp USA^® National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD^®  (1-800-422-4453).

Report Child abuse Local Phone Numbers Abuse must be reported within the state in which it occurs. When seeking to report abuse, it is important to remember these points: 1. Not every state has a reporting hotline 2. Not every hotline is 24 - hour accessible 3. If the state does have a hotline, it may only be accessible within that state Should you need to report in another state or the particular state does not have a hotline, you may need to contact the out-of-state reporting number or the specific county in which the abuse occurred. The Childhelp USA® National Child Abuse Hotline can provide these numbers for you. Click on a state for reporting information and phone numbers: Alabama Kentucky North Dakota Alaska Louisiana Ohio Arizona Maine Oklahoma Arkansas Maryland Oregon California Massachusetts Pennsylvania Colorado Michigan Rhode Island Connecticut Minnesota South Carolina Delaware Mississippi South Dakota District of Columbia Missouri Tennessee Florida Montana Texas Georgia Nebraska Utah Hawaii Nevada Vermont Idaho New Hampshire Virginia Illinois New Jersey Washington Indiana New Mexico West Virginia Iowa New York Wisconsin Kansas North Carolina Wyoming Alabama - Report by County - 334-242-9500 Alaska - 907-269-3900 (out of state) 800-478-4444 (in state) or Division of Family & Youth Services Regional Office Arizona - 888-SOS-CHILD (888-767-2445) Arkansas - 800-482-5964 California - Report by County 916-445-2832 (out of state) Colorado - Report by County 303-866-3003 (nationwide) Connecticut - 800-842-2288 (nationwide) 800-624-5518 (TDD/hearing impaired, in state) Delaware - 800-292-9582 302-577-6550 (out of state) District of Columbia - 202-671-7233 (nationwide) Florida - 800-962-2873 (nationwide) Georgia - Report by County Hawaii - Report By Island 808-832-5300 (Oahu) Idaho - Report by Regional Office Illinois - 800-252-2873 (in state) 217-524-2606 (out of state) Indiana - 800-800-5556 (in state) Out of state: report by regional office Iowa - 800-362-2178 (nationwide) Kansas - 800-922-5330 785-296-0044 (out of state) Kentucky - 800-752-6200 502-595-4550 (out of state) Louisiana - Report by Parish/County 225-342-6832 (out of state, during business hours) Maine - 800-452-1999 207-287-2983 (out of state) 207-287-3492 (TTY) Maryland - 800-332-6347 (in state) Out of state: report by county Massachusetts - 800-792-5200 617-232-4882 (out of state) Michigan - 800-942-4357 517-373-3572 (out of state) Minnesota - Report by County Mississippi - 800-222-8000 601-359-4991 (out of state) Missouri - 800-392-3738 573-751-3448 (out of state) Montana - 800-332-6100 406-444-5900 (out of state) Nebraska - 800-652-1999 402-595-1324 (out of state, during business hours) Nevada - 800-992-5757 775-684-4400 (out of state, during business hours) New Hampshire - 800-894-5533 (in state) 800-852-3388 (in state, after hours) 603-271-6563 (out of state) 603-225-9000 (out of state, after hours) New Jersey - 800-792-8610 (nationwide, 24 hours) 800-835-5510 (TDD/hearing impaired) New Mexico - 800-797-3260 (24 hours) 505-841-6100 (out of state, 24 hours) New York - 800-342-3720 518-474-8740 (out of state) North Carolina - Report by county North Dakota - Report by Regional Office 701-328-2316 (nationwide, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) 800-245-3736 (in state, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) Ohio - Report by County 614-466-9824 (nationwide, during business hours) Oklahoma - 800-522-3511 (nationwide, 24 hours) Oregon - 800-854-3508 ext.2402 (in state, during business hours) 503-378-5414 (TTY, hearing impaired) 503-378-6704 (nationwide, during business hours) Pennsylvania - 800-932-0313 (in state) 717-783-8744 (in and out of state) Rhode Island - 800-RI-CHILD ( 800-742-4453) (nationwide, 24 hours) South Carolina - Report by County (in state) 803-898-7318 (out of state, during business hours) South Dakota - Report by County 605-773-3227 (nationwide, during business hours) Tennessee - Report by County 615-532-3545 (nationwide, during business hours) After hours: contact county Department of Human Services Texas - 800-252-5400 512-834-3784 (out of state, during business hours) 512-832-2020 (out of state, after hours) Utah - 800-678-9399 (nationwide) Vermont - Report by County (during business hours) 800-649-5285 (in state) Virginia - 800-552-7096 804-786-8536 (out of state) Washington - 800-562-5624 (nationwide) West Virginia - 800-352-6513 304-558-7980 (out of state, during business hours) Wisconsin - Report by County 608-266-3036 (nationwide, during business hours) Wyoming - 800-457-3659 (In state, report by county)