Report child abuse

If you’re worried that a child or young person is at risk or is being abused contact the children’s social care team at their local council.

You’ll be asked for your details, but you can choose not to share them.

Call 999 if the child is at immediate risk.

If it’s not an emergency, you can report the crime online or call 101.

Calls to 999 or 101 are free.

What to report

Child abuse includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and neglect. You can read more about the signs of child abuse.

You don’t need to be sure that a child or young person has been abused - it’s OK to report a suspicion.

The person who answers your call will decide what to do. For example, they might:

gather more information
ask a social worker to look into it
contact the police, if they think the child is at immediate risk or a crime has been committed

The children’s social care team will tell you what happens next, but they will not be able to give you any confidential information.

Contact the NSPCC if you want to discuss your concerns and get advice.

NSPCC (for adults)
Telephone: 0808 800 5000
Find out about call charges

ChildLine (for children and young people)
Telephone: 0800 1111 (free)

The ChildLine number will not show up on your phone bill if you call from a landline or from most mobile networks.

NSPCC (for children, young people and adults)
Telephone: 0800 136 663 (free)