Child Abuse Resources

Whether you’re looking for help, reporting abuse, supporting a child, or beginning your own healing journey, you are not alone. Choose a category below to get started.

Reporting it!

REPORTING CHILD ABUSE: STATE-BY-STATE DIRECTORY

If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, you can contact your state’s child protective services agency to report your concerns. You do not have to be certain that abuse has occurred to seek guidance or make a report.

Find Your State’s Reporting Agency

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline provides a state-by-state directory of child abuse reporting agencies, telephone numbers, and online reporting options.

Visit the directory here:

https://childhelphotline.org/identify-abuse/

Select your state to find the appropriate agency and learn how to report suspected abuse or neglect.

Need help figuring out what to do?

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline can provide guidance and support.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

Please verify reporting procedures and contact information with the appropriate state agency, as requirements and reporting options vary by location

Prevention

PARENTING SUPPORT GROUPS

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

Parenting can be wonderful, exhausting, confusing, and overwhelming—all sometimes in the same day! Every parent needs support now and then.

If you’re struggling with stress, feeling overwhelmed, dealing with difficult behaviors, or simply wondering whether you’re doing things right, reaching out for help is a sign of strength.

You don’t have to be a perfect parent. You just have to be willing to keep learning and growing.

These organizations offer parenting support, opportunities to connect with other parents, and resources to help families build healthier relationships.

1. Circle of Parents

Free parent and caregiver support groups

Circle of Parents offers supportive, nonjudgmental groups where parents and caregivers can share experiences, discuss challenges, and learn from one another. Groups meet regularly, and some offer activities for children, too.

Website: https://circleofparents.org/

Use the website to find a group near you.

2. National Parent & Youth Helpline

Free, confidential support, 24 hours a day

Sometimes you don’t need a class or a group. You just need someone who will listen without judging you.

The National Parent & Youth Helpline offers emotional support, encouragement, and guidance for parents, caregivers, children, and young people.

3. Parents Anonymous

Parenting support and family-strengthening programs

Parents Anonymous provides structured support groups designed to help parents and caregivers build confidence, develop coping skills, strengthen family relationships, and create safer homes.

Group availability varies by location. Contact the organization to find out what services are available to you.

Website: https://parentsanonymous.org/

4. Parents Helping Parents

Parent support groups and help with parenting stress

Parents Helping Parents connects caregivers with other parents through virtual and community-based support groups. Parents can share concerns, ask questions, and find encouragement from people who understand the challenges of raising children.

The organization also offers a confidential parent stress line.

Check the website for current group availability and services in your area.

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Practical parenting guidance

The CDC offers free educational resources to help parents understand children’s development, handle common parenting challenges, and build positive relationships with their children.

Resources include guidance for parents of toddlers, preschoolers, and teenagers.

Website: https://www.cdc.gov/child-abuse-neglect/prevention/

you feel like you’re reaching your breaking point, please reach out before things escalate. Call a trusted person, contact a parenting support service, or ask for professional help.

If you are afraid you might hurt your child, place the child somewhere safe, step away briefly if it is safe to do so, and contact someone who can help immediately.

Asking for help does not make you a bad parent. Taking steps to keep your child safe is an act of responsibility and love.

Strong families aren’t families that never struggle. They’re families that get support when they need it.

WHEN PARENTING FEELS OVERWHELMING

If you feel like you’re reaching your breaking point, please reach out before things escalate. Call a trusted person, contact a parenting support service, or ask for professional help.

If you are afraid you might hurt your child, place the child somewhere safe, step away briefly if it is safe to do so, and contact someone who can help immediately.

Asking for help does not make you a bad parent. Taking steps to keep your child safe is an act of responsibility and love.

Strong families aren’t families that never struggle. They’re families that get support when they need it.

Help 4 Teens

You Deserve to Feel Safe. You Deserve to Be Heard.

Growing up isn’t always easy. But being hurt, threatened, neglected, controlled, or frightened in your own home is not something you should have to accept.

Maybe you’re afraid of what will happen if you tell someone. Maybe you love your family but know something isn’t right. Maybe you’ve been told that what is happening is your fault, or that nobody will believe you.

Please hear this: Abuse is not your fault. You deserve to be safe, and there are people who want to help you.

You don’t have to know exactly what to say or what to do next. Reaching out to someone you trust is a place to start.

NATIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEENS

1. Childhelp — Help for Child Abuse

If someone is hurting you, neglecting you, or making you feel unsafe, Childhelp can help you talk through your situation and explore your options.

You can ask questions, learn about abuse, and find guidance on getting help.

2. National Runaway Safeline — When Home Doesn’t Feel Safe

If you’re thinking about running away, have already left home, or don’t know where you can safely stay, you don’t have to face the situation alone.

The National Runaway Safeline provides free, confidential support and helps young people explore options for safety, housing, and family difficulties.

Help is available 24 hours a day, every day.

3. National Safe Place — Find Safety Near You

If you’re in crisis and need somewhere safe to turn, the Safe Place program connects young people with immediate help through participating locations in their communities.

You can receive information about nearby Safe Place locations and connect with support.

4. RAINN — Help for Sexual Abuse and Assault

If someone has touched you inappropriately, forced you into sexual activity, pressured you sexually, or shared sexual images of you without your consent, you deserve help and support.

RAINN provides confidential support for survivors of sexual abuse and assault.

You do not have to face what happened alone.

5. Love Is Respect — Dating Abuse and Unhealthy Relationships

Abuse doesn’t only happen within families. A boyfriend, girlfriend, or dating partner can also be abusive.

If someone controls who you see, threatens you, humiliates you, pressures you sexually, or makes you afraid, you can talk to someone about what’s happening.

You deserve a relationship built on respect, trust, and safety.

6. Crisis Text Line — When You Need Someone to Talk To

Sometimes it’s easier to write down what you’re feeling than to say it out loud.

Crisis Text Line connects people experiencing emotional distress with trained crisis counselors.

If you’re overwhelmed, frightened, or struggling to cope, reaching out can help you work through the moment.

WHAT IF YOU’RE AFRAID TO TELL SOMEONE?

It’s understandable to be scared. You might worry about getting someone in trouble, being blamed, not being believed, or making things worse at home.

If you can, try talking to a safe adult, such as a teacher, school counselor, nurse, relative, or another adult you trust.

You can start with something as simple as:

“Something is happening at home, and I don’t feel safe. I need help, but I’m scared to talk about it.”

You don’t have to explain everything perfectly to deserve help.

Keep in mind that some adults, including teachers and school counselors, may be legally required to report suspected child abuse. You can ask about confidentiality and what they may need to share before telling them details.

If the first person you tell doesn’t listen, please try another safe adult or contact one of the organizations above.

IF YOU NEED HELP RIGHT NOW

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 if you can do so safely.

If your phone or internet use is monitored, consider reaching out from a safe device or asking a trusted adult to help you contact a support service. Only take steps that won’t put you at greater risk.

You are not responsible for an adult’s decision to hurt you. You are not bad, broken, or deserving of abuse. And you are not alone.

You deserve a childhood where you can grow, learn, laugh, and feel safe.

Never be afraid to ask for help.

Recovery

HEALING AND RECOVERY

You Are More Than What Happened to You

Childhood abuse can leave wounds that aren’t always visible. Survivors may struggle with trust, relationships, anxiety, depression, shame, or memories that continue to affect their lives long after the abuse has ended.

Some survivors begin healing in childhood. Others don’t feel safe enough to face what happened until adulthood. Some have always known their experiences were abusive, while others spend years trying to understand them.

There is no single timeline for healing, and there is no right or wrong way to feel.

What happened to you was not your fault. You deserved protection then, and you deserve support now.

Recovery doesn’t mean pretending the past never happened. It means learning that the past does not have to define your future.

SUPPORT GROUPS FOR SURVIVORS

1. Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA)

Peer support for adult survivors of childhood abuse and neglect

ASCA provides a structured self-help program for adults who experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect during childhood.

The program offers peer-led support meetings where survivors can share their experiences in a supportive environment. It also provides educational materials and a free workbook called Survivor to Thriver.

  • Website: https://ascasupport.org/
  • Find meetings: Visit the website’s Meetings section.
  • Cost: Participation and educational materials are free.

2. RAINN — Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network

Support and healing for survivors of sexual abuse

RAINN provides information and support for survivors of sexual violence, including people who experienced sexual abuse during childhood.

Resources include information about trauma recovery, finding professional support, coping with the effects of abuse, and supporting loved ones who are survivors.

  • National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
  • Text: HOPE to 64673
  • Online support: https://rainn.org/

The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

3. SurvivorSpace

Resources, survivor stories, and opportunities for connection

SurvivorSpace provides information and resources for survivors of child sexual abuse, their families, and the professionals who support them.

Survivors can explore personal stories, learn about their rights, find healing resources, and discover opportunities to connect with others.

4. Zero Abuse Project — Center for Survivor Resilience

Survivor-centered support and recovery resources

The Center for Survivor Resilience connects survivors of child abuse and sexual assault with resources intended to support healing, peer connection, and access to help.

Visit the website to explore current support options and available programs.

5. SAMHSA — Finding Support Groups

Help finding mental health and trauma-related support

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides guidance for finding support groups and community programs. Survivors can use these resources to explore peer support and other services that may help with the effects of childhood trauma.

You can also ask a trauma-informed therapist, local mental health center, or sexual assault service provider about support groups in your area.

OTHER PATHS TO HEALING

Support groups aren’t the only way to recover. Different people need different kinds of help, and it’s okay to explore what works for you.

Trauma-informed counseling: A therapist experienced in childhood abuse and trauma can help survivors work through difficult emotions, memories, and relationship challenges.

Peer support: Connecting with other survivors can help reduce isolation and remind you that you aren’t the only person struggling with these experiences.

Education: Learning about trauma and its effects can help survivors better understand their reactions and recognize that their struggles do not make them weak or broken.

Creative expression: Writing, art, music, and other creative activities can provide ways to express feelings that are difficult to put into words.

Healthy boundaries: Learning to recognize personal limits, build trust gradually, and develop safer relationships can be an important part of recovery.

A NOTE ABOUT SUPPORT GROUPS

Not every group or therapist will be the right fit for every survivor. Look for spaces that respect your boundaries, protect your privacy, and allow you to share only what you’re comfortable sharing.

You never have to tell your entire story to prove that you deserve help.

If a group makes you feel pressured, unsafe, or ashamed, it’s okay to seek a different source of support.

TO EVERY SURVIVOR READING THIS

You were a child. You deserved to be protected, believed, and loved.

Whatever happened, you did not deserve to be abused. The responsibility belongs to the person who chose to hurt you, not to the child who endured it.

You may carry scars. You may have difficult days. You may still be figuring out how the past affects your present.

But you are still here, and healing is possible.

You are not broken beyond repair. You are not alone. And your story is not over.

Educating and Sharing Myself To Better My World and Any Who Choose to Feel Me.