Report to Child Protection (including a mandatory report)
Report abuse to Child Protection. If you think a child or young person may need protection from abuse, ask:
- Have you formed a belief on reasonable grounds that the child or young person has suffered or is at risk of suffering significant harm?
and
- Have the parents or carers not protected, or are unlikely to protect, the child or young person from that harm?
If the parents or carers have not protected or are unlikely to protect the student from significant harm, call Child Protection, and make a report.
You must report physical abuse or sexual abuse to Child Protection. These are mandatory reports.
What are significant harm and reasonable grounds?
Significant harm is harm that is more than minor. It has a serious effect on a child’s health, safety, or development. It doesn’t need to cause permanent damage, but it must be important and affect the child’s wellbeing. Read the full definition.
Reasonable grounds are a reasonable belief that a child has been, is being or is at risk of being abused or neglected. You don’t need proof - just enough information to make a reasonable person concerned. Read the full definition.
Other reports to Child Protection
You can report significant harm related to:
- emotional or intellectual development
- physical development or health
- abandonment or parental incapacity
- experience of family violence.
You can also contact Child Protection if you hold significant wellbeing concerns for a student. This includes all concerns that:
- have a serious impact on a student’s safety, stability or development
- are persistent and entrenched and likely to have a serious impact on a student’s safety, stability or development
- relate to any barriers for the family in seeking and receiving assistance.
Do not stop here
Follow the rest of the steps on this page, then continue to support and refer the student.
After you report
Next steps
Continue the 4 Critical Actions
After you report, continue to support the student and refer them to community services.
Check with Child Protection on when to take these actions.
If you need support, see wellbeing support for school staff.
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