Reporting child abuse and neglect
Information for service providers
If you believe a child is in immediate danger call the Police on 000.
If you require assistance or if you would like to talk to a trained professional about the issues described in this resource sheet, please call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14 (in Australia).
Overview
This resource sheet provides information to service providers and practitioners working in the child, family and community welfare sector on how to report suspected child abuse and neglect. It defines child abuse and neglect and provides contact details for the reporting authority in each state and territory.
Introduction
In Australia, state and territory governments are responsible for receiving reports of suspected child abuse and neglect from members of the public, practitioners and service providers. Reporting child abuse and neglect is a community-wide responsibility. Anyone who suspects, on reasonable grounds, that a child1 is at risk of being abused and/or neglected should report it to the reporting authority in their state or territory.
In Australia, each state and territory has its own mandatory reporting law that specifies who is required to report known or suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to government authorities. In the Northern Territory, it is mandatory for any person to report any suspicion of abuse or neglect of a child to government authorities.2 In all other states and territories, certain groups of people (e.g. teachers, doctors, nurses, police and early childhood educators) are required by law to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Further information and guidelines regarding mandatory reporting can be found in the CFCA Resource Sheet Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect.
If a child has disclosed abuse or neglect to you, it is important to stay calm and listen to them with empathy and your full attention. Also reassure them that they have done the right thing disclosing the abuse or neglect and that you will help them to be safe by telling someone else who will be able to help (e.g. police or child protection).
Parents and other family members may disclose to practitioners concerns that they are not coping with their parenting responsibilities. Listening and providing support and practical help is important, while assessing whether there is a child at risk of abuse or neglect.
Defining child abuse and neglect
Child abuse and neglect refer to any behaviour or treatment by parents, caregivers, other adults or older adolescents that results in the likelihood of and/or actual physical or emotional harm to a child or young person. Such behaviours may be intentional or unintentional and can include acts of omission (i.e. neglect) and commission (i.e. abuse) (CFCA, 2018). Child abuse and neglect can be face to face or online.
Child abuse and neglect is commonly divided into five subtypes:
- physical abuse
- emotional or psychological abuse
- neglect
- sexual abuse or exploitation
- exposure to family violence.
For further information, see the CFCA Resource Sheet What is Child Abuse and Neglect?
Contact details for each state and territory
The tables below include the contact details of the reporting authority in each Australian state and territory.
Please note that you do not need to be absolutely certain that there has been abuse or neglect of a child or young person to contact these authorities. If you suspect a child is at risk of harm, you should call the authority to discuss your concerns, and they will decide whether an investigation is required.
In each state and territory, all serious concerns should be reported by phone rather than online or via email. Serious concerns include when you suspect a child or young person is in imminent or immediate danger of serious harm, serious injury or chronic neglect.
| Location | Reporting authority | Further services/information | Contact details |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | Child and Youth Protection Services (CYPS) | Child and Youth Protection Services are responsible for coordinating the care and protection of children and young people believed to be at risk of harm in the Australian Capital Territory. For further information on mandatory reporting of concerns of child abuse or neglect, refer to Keeping Children and Young People Safe | Phone: If you suspect a child is at risk of abuse or neglect by a family member or guardian, contact Child and Youth Protection Services on 1300 556 729 (24 hours, 7 days a week) or
|
| NSW | Department of Communities and Justice | The Department of Communities and Justice is responsible for handling reports of child abuse and neglect in New South Wales. Information about reporting child welfare concerns can be found on the department’s Reporting a Child at Risk webpage. For information about mandatory reporting, refer to the Mandatory Reporters webpage. | Phone:
Online: |
| NT | Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities | In the Northern Territory, every person is required to report suspected child abuse and neglect. For further information about the process of reporting concerns about a child's welfare in the Northern Territory, refer to the Report Child Abuse webpage. | Phone:
Online: |
| Qld. | Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services | Child Safety Services is the lead child protection agency in Queensland. For information about the process of reporting concerns about a child's welfare in Queensland, refer to the Protecting Children webpage. For more information about mandatory reporting, refer to the Mandatory Reporting in Queensland webpage. | Phone:
Online: |
| SA | Department for Child Protection | The Department for Child Protection works to keep South Australia's children safe by protecting them from abuse and neglect. For information about the process of reporting concerns about a child's welfare in South Australia as a member of the public, refer to the Reporting child abuse webpage. For more information about mandatory reporting, refer to Mandated Notifiers and Their Role and Preparing to Report Child Abuse. | Phone:
Online: |
| Tas. | Department for Education, Children and Young People | The Child Safety Service in the Department of Education, Children and Young People works to protect children and young people who are at risk of abuse and neglect in Tasmania. For information about the process of reporting concerns about a child's welfare in Tasmania, refer to the department’s Child Safety Service webpage. For information about mandatory reporting and making a notification refer to the Reporting Concerns webpage. | Phone: It is preferred that all contacts are made by phone; however, an online contact form is available. |
| Vic. | Department of Families, Fairness and Housing | The Child Protection Service is specifically targeted to help children and young people at risk of significant harm in Victoria. For information about child protection and mandatory reporting requirements in Victoria, refer to the department’s Child Protection webpage. For information about mandatory reporting, refer to the department’s Mandatory Reporting webpage. | Phone: If you have a significant concern for the wellbeing of a child but do not believe they are at risk of significant harm and the immediate safety of the child will not be compromised, contact The Orange Door |
| WA | Department of Communities | The Department of Communities offers a range of services to support children and families in Western Australia. For further information about the process of reporting concerns about a child's welfare, refer to the department’s Child Protection webpage. For information about mandatory reporting in Western Australia refer to the department's mandatory reporting information webpage. | Phone:
Online: |
Further AIFS resources
- Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect
This resource sheet provides information about who is required by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect to government child protection authorities - What is child abuse and neglect?
This resource sheet gives an overview of child abuse and neglect terminology, including broad definitions of physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, neglect and sexual abuse - Responding to children and young people’s disclosures of abuse
A practice guide for organisations, professionals and any other person responding to children and young people disclosing abuse - Responding to disclosures of child abuse and neglect
A practice guide for organisations, professionals and any other person responding to children and young people disclosing abuse - Helplines, telephone and online counselling services for children, young people and adults
This resources sheet gives a list of national and state/territory helplines and telephone counselling services for children, young people and parents - Australian legal definitions: When is a child in need of protection?
This resource sheet provides an overview of conceptual definitions of abusive and neglectful behaviours, and legislative definitions of "a child in need of protection".
References
- Child Family Community Australia (CFCA). (2018). What is child abuse and neglect (CFCA Resource Sheet). Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies. Retrieved from aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/what-child-abuse-and-neglect
- United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Treaty Series, 1577. Geneva: United Nations.
This resource sheet was updated by Dr Mandy Truong, Research Fellow with the Child Family Community Australia information exchange at the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
The feature image is by Jessica, CC BY-NC 2.0.