Get help now
Free, confidential help for children, parents, survivors and anyone worried about a child. You don’t have to be sure something happened to reach out.
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
Call 911Report abuse or talk to a counselor
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline · 24 hours a day, 7 days a week · call or text
1-800-422-4453Trained counselors can help you think through what you’ve seen or heard, connect you with the child protective services agency in your area, and support children and adults alike. Interpreters are available in many languages.
Find the right help
A child is being exploited online
Sextortion, explicit images, or an adult contacting a child online
NCMEC CyberTipline: report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678 (24/7)
Take It Down: free help removing explicit images of anyone under 18 from the internet, at takeitdown.ncmec.org
I’m a survivor of sexual abuse
For adults and young people, whenever it happened
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 or chat at hotline.rainn.org (24/7)
1in6, for men who experienced sexual abuse: 1in6.org
I’m worried about someone’s behavior, or my own
Confidential guidance before a child is harmed
Stop It Now Helpline: 1-888-773-8368, with chat at stopitnow.org (weekdays; see their site for hours)
Someone is thinking about suicide or self-harm
For children, teens and adults
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org (24/7)
Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741 (24/7)
There is violence at home
Help for adults and families
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788 (24/7)
Outside the United States
Help in your own country
Child Helpline International lists free child helplines in more than 130 countries: childhelplineinternational.org
In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
If a child tells you something
How you respond in the first few minutes matters, both for the child and for any investigation that follows. You don’t need the perfect words.
- Stay calm. Your reaction tells the child whether it was safe to tell.
- Listen more than you speak. Let the child tell it in their own words. Don’t ask leading questions or push for details; trained investigators will handle the questions.
- Thank them, using neutral words. “Thank you for telling me. You did the right thing. My job is to help you be safe.”
- Don’t promise to keep it secret. Explain that you’re going to get help from people whose job is to keep kids safe.
- Don’t confront the person yourself. It can put the child at greater risk.
- Report it right away. Call Childhelp at 1-800-422-4453 or your local child protective services. If the child is in danger, call 911.
- Write down exactly what you heard, using the child’s own words, with the date and time. Don’t add your own interpretation.
- Keep supporting the child in the days that follow.
In many states, adults who work or volunteer with children are mandated reporters, required by law to report suspected abuse. You don’t need proof to make a report, only a reasonable concern.
More for parents: The Parent Hub · Red Flag Grooming Behaviors (PDF) · Online safety
PPE Kids is a prevention organization, not a crisis line, and our inboxes aren’t monitored around the clock. For help right now, please use the numbers above. Hotline information was last checked in October 2026.