When a child tells you they have been abused.
Listen, believe the child, avoid interrogating them and make the required report. You do not have to investigate the allegation yourself.
Part of our Trauma, Grief & Behaviour resource series. See the main Trauma, Grief & Behaviour guide for the wider topic and related resources.
Information reviewed September 2026. Laws, program rules and services can change, so use the linked official source for current information.
The first few minutes matter.
When a child tells you they have been abused, sexually abused, exploited or seriously harmed, your job is not to investigate the allegation. Your job is to help the child feel safe, listen, report the concern and let trained professionals handle the investigation.
How to respond to the child.
- Stay as calm as you can.
- Listen without interrupting or judging.
- Tell the child you believe them.
- Tell them what happened is not their fault.
- Thank them for telling you.
- Do not promise that you will keep the information secret.
- Do not promise an outcome you cannot control, such as that someone will be arrested or never seen again.
Do not turn the conversation into an interview.
Canadian guidance recommends avoiding probing, prompting or repeated detailed questioning. Too much questioning can be stressful for the child and can complicate a later professional interview.
If you need enough information to understand an immediate safety issue, keep questions minimal and open. Then stop and report.
- Canada: How to Respond to Family Violence
- Canadian Centre for Child Protection: Child Sexual Abuse, Picking Up the Pieces
Make the PEI Child Protection report.
Regular business hours
902-368-6657
Toll-free: 1-877-341-3101
The province also lists assessmentunit@ihis.org for the Child Protection Assessment Unit.
After hours, weekends and holidays
902-368-6868
Toll-free: 1-800-341-6868
For an immediate emergency, call 9-1-1.
Government of PEI: Duty to Report
You do not need proof before making a report.
PEI's current Duty to Report guidance says the duty applies when a person has knowledge or reasonable grounds to suspect that a child's safety or well-being is endangered. The report is for Child Protection to assess. You are not expected to prove the allegation first.
If new information later gives you further reason to believe the child needs protection, PEI guidance says to report again.
Protect the child's privacy.
Share the disclosure only with adults who need the information for safety, reporting, treatment or the legal process. Avoid retelling the child's experience around relatives, siblings or community members.
Write down what you remember after the child is safe and the report is made.
Record the date, time, context and the child's words as accurately as you can. Distinguish what the child actually said from your own interpretation. Do not ask the child to repeat the disclosure so you can improve your notes.
Do not confront the alleged offender yourself.
Confrontation can increase risk, pressure the child, change evidence or create an unsafe situation. Follow guidance from Child Protection or police about contact and immediate safety planning.
After the report.
The child may feel relief, fear, shame, anger or worry about what will happen to their family. Keep routines predictable where possible and let them know that adults are responsible for the next steps.
A disclosure can involve grooming, sextortion or intimate images as well as in-person abuse.
Stay calm, do not turn the conversation into an investigation, and use Cybertip.ca or police when online sexual exploitation is involved. If an intimate image is circulating, avoid forwarding it between adults as evidence.
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