When a child or young person discloses that they have experienced harm or are at risk of harm, the most important thing is to make sure the child or young person feels supported and safe.

The information below provides a broad overview of how to support the child or young person.

Show care and concern by:

  • remembering the child or young person may be experiencing a crisis
  • listening carefully
  • controlling your own expressions of panic or shock
  • taking what the child or young person says seriously
  • using the child or young person’s own words
  • telling the child or young person that this has happened to other children and young people and that some adults do wrong things
  • reassuring the child or young person that they have done the right thing by telling you
  • telling the child or young person you will do your best to support them but do not make promises you may not be able to keep
  • explaining to the child or young person that you need to tell someone who can help them.

Use open ended questions

You may need to ask more questions to clarify the situation, which will also help provide sufficient information for Child Abuse Report Line staff to make an informed assessment, if the disclosure requires a report/notification to the Child Abuse Report Line. Ask open ended questions as these will not lead the answers you receive in a particular direction.

Open ended questions are the best way to gain more information from the child or young person, particularly if they are feeling vulnerable or afraid or are testing out how prepared you are to hear what they want to tell. Open questions invite whatever information the respondent wishes to provide and do not imply a direction for the answer or a limited range of options to choose from. Examples of open ended questions are:

  • Tell me more about…
  • How did it happen?
  • What happened?
  • And then what happened?
  • Who was there?
  • How do you feel about it?
  • How often has it happened?
  • How does the other person react?
  • Tell me about your relationship with…
  • How do you see your future?
  • Who are the children or young people in this photograph? Tell me about them.

Do not use leading questions

leading question implies or contains its own answer. It subtly prompts the respondent to answer in a particular way. Leading questions can lead a disclosure off track, prompting the respondent to answer in the way they think you want to hear or are comfortable with rather than what they want to share.

The open ended question allows the respondent to answer with a range of answers.

Rephrase a leading question so that it no longer suggests an answer.

The Department for Human Services maintains a register of endorsed organisations to deliver Safe Environments training, which includes information on how to respond to the child or young person who makes a disclosure.

The Department for Education offers the Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Education and Care course.

Contact

Child Abuse Report Line (CARL)

Phone: 13 14 78