Welcome to part 6 of our 10 part series on child abuse and neglect. Today, we will be discussing what you should do if you suspect potential abuse or neglect.
General Goals
Before we jump into the specifics about what to do when you suspect abuse or neglect, there are some overarching goals, or guiding principles, which we should all have when it comes to abuse and neglect, particularly the church. These include:
- Protecting the child from any further harm
- Stopping the offender’s abuse
- Healing the victim’s brokenness
- Restoring the family (or helping victims to mourn the loss of relationship where this is not possible)