Reporting Abuse
How, When, and What to Expect.Reporting Possible Abuse
If you live in Cache, Rich or Box Elder County, report child abuse by calling the State of Utah Child Protection Hotline at (855) 232-3237 or call your local law enforcement agency.
FOR EMERGENCIES, PLEASE CALL 911
You can also call the police department located in the city where the alleged crime occurred (see resources list for specific agencies). Please note that if you report to law enforcement first they are mandated to notify child protective services and vice versa. Law enforcement and child protective services investigate child abuse cases as a team.
Children’s Justice Centers cannot accept child abuse reports directly.
What is the law?
“Whenever any person…has reason to believe that a child has been subjected to incest, molestation, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or neglect, or who observes a child being subjected to conditions or circumstances which would reasonably result in (this abuse)…he shall immediately notify the nearest peace officer, law enforcement agency, or office of the division (Division of Child and Family Services-Department of Social Services, Protective Services).” (Utah State Code §62A-4-501)
What information should I have when reporting suspected abuse?
When you call to report child abuse it is important that you are able to give the authorities as much information as possible.
It is helpful if you have names and birth dates of the persons involved, their addresses and phone numbers. The most critical piece of information is the address where the crime occurred, which may not necessarily be where the child lives. Remember, it is not your job to know for sure if child abuse is happening. If you have enough of a reason to suspect, you have enough reason to report. It is also important to be as calm as possible when making the phone call. If you are crying and emotional it will be difficult for the intake worker to get accurate information. Referents may remain anonymous if they wish.
Protecting children from abuse is everyone’s responsibility.
“Reason to Believe” does not mean that you must prove a child is being abused or neglected. It is the role of the investigators (law enforcement officer or Protective Service worker) to investigate and establish proof. The investigation should be conducted in a confidential and sensitive manner.
In some instances when alleged abuse is reported, the intake worker may not open a case based on the information you have given them. This can be very frustrating to those who feel a child is being abused and want it to stop. There is sometimes a fine line between what some deem as “bad parenting practices” and what would be defined by the law as child abuse. It is at the discretion of the agency you call to make any decisions regarding opening up a case. However, mistakes can be made and if you feel a child is continuing to be victimized, please call the reporting hot line again to restate your concerns.