How to report suspected abuse

Essential

4 min

A student tells you something at lunch that makes your stomach drop, and the teacher you are covering for is not here to ask.

By the end you can

Know that the duty to report is yours personally, from your first day
Make the report the right way: call the state hotline, then tell the principal and EverTeach
Know what not to do: investigate, promise secrecy, or wait for proof

Walkthrough

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911

Danger right now comes first. Call 911, stay with the student if it is safe, and get the nearest staff member.

Call the NJ child abuse hotline yourself

New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10) says any person who has reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused or neglected must report it immediately to the Division of Child Protection and Permanency: 1-877-NJ ABUSE (1-877-652-2873), open 24 hours. You do not need proof — reasonable cause is enough. Telling someone else does not replace your own call.

Then tell the principal and EverTeach

After you have called, tell the principal (or the school's designated staff member) and EverTeach support the same day, so the school can follow its own policy. Share only what you observed or were told.

Take me there

Listen, write it down, do not investigate

Stay calm, let the student talk, and write down their own words, the date and the time as soon as you can. Do not question them in detail, do not contact the family, and never promise to keep it a secret — say you have to tell people whose job is to help.

Worth knowing

A report made in good faith is protected by law, even if it turns out nothing happened.
EverTeach's full child abuse & neglect reporting training is also on your My trainings list — this card is the part you need on day one.

What goes wrong

Waiting until you are sure. The law asks for reasonable cause, not certainty.
Telling only the school and assuming they will call. The duty is yours.

Next: Student records and confidentiality (SPED)

My trainings

Something here out of date or missing? Tell support — these guides are corrected from what people report.