If you are a current student at a Victorian government school and have experienced any kind of abuse, or know about abuse that happened at your school, we encourage you to report it to Victoria Police and the Department of Education.
If you work at a Victorian government school and become aware of abuse, visit the department’s PROTECT website for clear steps on what to do next.
Reporting to police
If you are worried that you or someone else is in danger or at risk of sexual or physical abuse, contact Victoria police.
When someone is in immediate danger
Call Victoria Police on 000.
When there is no immediate danger
Contact either:
- your local police station
- your local Victorian Police Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT). Find contact details for each SOCIT across the state.
For more information about reporting sexual offences and child abuse to police, see Sexual offences and child abuse | Victoria Police.
Reporting to your school or the department - Victorian government school students
We encourage you to report to your school if you are either:
- a current student of a Victorian government school who has experienced any form of abuse (including sexual assault and grooming) at your school, or
- a family member or witness of a student who has been abused.
The school will explain what happens next and help you get the support you need.
If you don’t feel comfortable reporting to your school, or if you are not happy with how the school responds, you can contact your Department of Education regional office:
- Phone: 1800 338 663
- Email: enquiries@education.vic.gov.au
For more information see the department's page: Make a complaint about your school.
The department also has a Restorative Engagement and Support team that can receive reports from current students of Victorian government schools about sexual abuse by an adult working in their school.
This team can help make sure your report is referred to the right area of the department for action such as reporting to police and making sure you are offered the right support.
To contact the Restorative Engagement and Support team:
- Phone: 03 9057 4500
- Email: rest@education.vic.gov.au
Reporting abuse - independent and Catholic schools
If you are a current student who has experienced abuse at a Catholic or independent school, you should report the abuse to Victoria police and your school.
If you are not satisfied with the school’s response, you can contact:
- Victorian Catholic Education Authority (for Catholic schools)
- Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (for independent schools)
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