A Guide to the Child Abuse Hotline
What is the Child Abuse Hotline?
The Child Abuse Hotline is a toll-free phone number that provides counseling, assistance, and support to children who are – or have – been the victims of child abuse; the Child Abuse Hotline is a service provided by the umbrella charity organization called ‘Childhelp’, which was founded in 1959 in order to provide support services for children subjected – and victimized – as a result of child abuse. Childhelp provides assistance within the wide range of the varying nature of child abuse, including – but not limited to – physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and psychological abuse:
Physical child abuse is the mistreatment of a child, which typically takes place through the physical and violent assault of a child; physical abuse will result in a varying degree of bodily harm sustained by the victim – oftentimes, identifiable marks, such as bruises, legions, cuts, scars, or additional injuries will be left on the body of the victim
Emotional and Psychological Child Abuse is defined as the mistreatment of a child, which typically takes place through verbal means; this kind of abuse may include the use of threats, insults, hate speech, and exploitation of a child undertaken by an adult – Child Abuse Hotline counselors explain that this type of abuse is sometimes the most difficult to detect
Sexual Child abuse is the engagement of a child in any type of sexual activity; due to the inability of a minor to consent to such activity, the engagement within such criminal activity is deemed to be inappropriate, illegal, unlawful, and punishable to the fullest extent of the law – an individual below the age of consent can never consent to participation in any nature sexual activity
Neglect is a type of child abuse that is considered to be a catchall phrase in conjunction to the failure of a parent or guardian to provide for optimal life conditions for their children; Child Abuse Hotline counselors explain that neglect results in the compromise of a child’s health, safety, and wellbeing – neglect can result from both emotional and physical catalysts
What Should I Know About the Child Abuse Hotline?
The Child Abuse Hotline is operated as a charity service, which results in the support and resources offered to be free of charge; the Child Abuse Hotline is operational 24 hours of the day for 7 days of the week – the call center is never closed. Furthermore, Childhelp prides itself on the fact that its hotline provides for the utmost anonymity, privacy, and confidentiality; due to the telephone-based setting, individual callers are given the opportunity to discuss their concerns with trained professionals in an anonymous fashion – individual callers are never required to divulge their identities to Child Abuse Hotline counselors.
How to Get Help from the Child Abuse Hotline
In the event that you have been abused, are aware of child abuse currently taking place, or are aware of child abuse that has taken place in the past, you are encouraged to contact the Child Abuse Hotline through their toll-free telephone number: 1-800-4-A-CHILD or 1-800-422-4453; all calls are kept confidential and private.
Related Topics
- Importance of Child Advocacy
- Child Abuse
- Child Grooming
- Report Child Abuse
- Consequences of Child Abuse
- Permanent Damage
- Stop Hurting Children