Get Help Now

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. You are not alone. What happened is not your fault. There is confidential help for you right now.

Quick Exit and privacy

Use the Quick Exit button at the top of this page; internet use can be monitored. After you leave this page, consider using a private window and clearing your browser history on shared devices. The National Domestic Violence Hotline explains digital safety and offers a Quick Exit pattern you can copy. 

Fast, confidential help

• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 800-422-4453. Call or text; 24/7; chat available; they will help you think through reporting and next steps. 
• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673); 24/7; phone and online chat. 
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233); text START to 88788; chat at TheHotline.org; 24/7.
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888; text 233733; phone, text, and chat; 24/7.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat online, 24/7.
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741, 24/7.

If you live outside the United States, call your local emergency number and search for national child protection or sexual assault services in your country.

If a child discloses abuse

1. Ensure immediate safety. Stay with the child or connect them with a safe adult.
2. Listen calmly and believe them. Thank them for telling. Do not promise secrecy.
3. Report. Make a report to your state child protection hotline or to law enforcement. Childhelp can guide you to the correct number through their reporting map. 
4. Share only minimal facts. Ask open prompts like “Can you tell me what happened,” avoid leading questions; investigators will handle detailed interviews. 
5. Preserve evidence. Do not bathe, change clothes, wash bedding, delete messages, or reset devices. Seek medical care; a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam can protect health and preserve evidence even if you are unsure about reporting now.

If the suspected offender is a family member

Reporting is the right thing to do. You can report to child protection or to law enforcement; Childhelp and RAINN can help you plan the call and what to say. After reporting, ask about safety planning, protective orders, emergency shelter, and advocacy in your area.

If you are facing domestic violence

You deserve safety and dignity. Advocates can help with a personal safety plan, emergency shelter, legal options, and relocation support. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by phone, chat, or text; they offer safety-planning guidance and confidential help in many languages.

For pastors and church volunteers

You are a protector, not an investigator. If you suspect a child is being abused, report to your state hotline or law enforcement. Receive disclosures with calm care, document minimal facts, preserve evidence, and cooperate with authorities. Do not host meetings between a survivor and the alleged offender. Follow mandatory reporting laws for your state, and use “minimal facts” guidance until professionals can interview the child. 

Technology safety at a glance

Use strong device passcodes, review app privacy settings, and turn on content and communication limits for minors. Save screenshots of harmful messages, and back them up. Do not contact the suspected offender; give evidence to authorities or advocates. RAINN and The Hotline offer clear guidance on preserving evidence and planning safely.