To encourage everyone to help protect children and young people by reporting any concerns of abuse or neglect, the Department for Education has launched the Together, we can tackle child abuse campaign.

We all have a role to play in protecting children and young people from child abuse and neglect. However, many people do not act because they’re worried about being wrong.

To tackle the barriers that stop people reporting their concerns, the Together, we can tackle child abuse campaign seeks to inform everyone about the signs to spot a child who is a victim of abuse or neglect, and explains how they can report their concerns.

Spot the signs

There are many signs that indicate a child may be at risk of abuse or neglect; and these will differ depending on the child’s or young person’s age and the nature of the child abuse or neglect they are experiencing.

To help people feel confident in spotting the signs, the campaign encourages people to look for any changes in a child’s Appearance, Behaviour and Communication.

The A B C signs to spot:

Appearance: such as unusual injuries, or consistently poor hygiene

Behaviour: such as being withdrawn, overly anxious, disruptive, self harming, or any other sudden changes in behaviour

Communication: such as talking aggressively, using sexual language, or becoming secretive

Reporting concerns

Many people do not report their concerns because they’re worried about being wrong. However, you don’t have to be absolutely certain – if you have concerns that a child is being abused or their safety is at risk, you can report it anonymously to your local council (opens in a new window), the NSPCC (opens in a new window), or your local police (opens in a new window) who can provide the support a child may need.

Last year nearly 400,000 children in England were supported because someone noticed they needed help. By reporting your concerns, you could provide the missing piece of information that is needed to keep a child safe.

The Department for Education will also be posting information on how to spot the signs and report concerns on social media. You can support the campaign by following #tackleabusetogether on social media and sharing the posts with your family and friends.