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4 Critical Actions to identify and respond to child abuse

How to identify and respond to child abuse using the 4 Critical Actions.

Schools

The 4 Critical Actions to identify and respond to child abuse are:

Identify | Refer | ⯀ Support | ▲ Report

The response you follow depends on the source of abuse.

Determine the source of abuse

If you notice or are told something concerning about a child, you must act.

Use the 4 Critical Actions to:

  • check whether it could be abuse
  • respond in the right way.

To start, choose the most likely source of abuse. You can come back to this page at any time.

Support

These resources help you recognise signs of abuse and understand your responsibilities.

Updated

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At all times