Speaking Up: Empowering Children to Report Abuse

Children rarely stay silent because they want to. More often, they stay silent because they’re scared, confused, or unsure anyone will believe them. That’s why one of the most powerful tools we have in preventing and addressing child abuse is this: empowering children to speak up.

Creating a world where children feel safe to disclose abuse isn’t about giving them all the answers. It’s about giving them the words, the confidence, and the reassurance that their voices matter—and that someone will listen when they use them.

Why Children Stay Silent

To truly empower children, we first need to understand why they may not report abuse in the first place:

• Fear of not being believed

• Loyalty to or fear of the abuser, especially when it’s a family member

• Shame, guilt, or self-blame instilled by the abuser

• Lack of understanding that what’s happening is abuse

• Fear of consequences—such as being removed from home or “getting someone in trouble”

Even well-meaning adults can unintentionally reinforce silence when they avoid conversations about body safety, dismiss children’s concerns, or use punishment in response to disclosures.

What Empowerment Really Means

Empowerment doesn’t start when abuse is suspected—it starts long before that. It’s rooted in prevention, built through everyday interactions, and supported by systems that believe and protect children.

To empower children to speak up:

• Use real language. Teach children proper names for body parts and what constitutes inappropriate touch, behavior, or language.

• Talk early, talk often. Conversations about safety should be ongoing—not one-time lectures.

• Build trust and emotional safety. When children know they won’t be punished, dismissed, or shamed for speaking up, they’re more likely to do so.

• Teach boundaries and consent. Help children understand they have the right to say “no,” even to adults, and that their body and feelings belong to them.

• Create multiple safe pathways. Make sure children have more than one trusted adult they can turn to—at home, in school, and in the community.

The Role of Adults and Institutions

Professionals in law enforcement, CPS, child advocacy centers, schools, and healthcare systems play a crucial role in reinforcing this message.

• Train staff to respond calmly and appropriately to disclosures.

• Avoid leading questions, which can confuse children or compromise investigations.

• Believe first, investigate second. Even uncertain disclosures deserve serious attention.

• Offer child-friendly environments for interviews and evaluations, reducing the fear or trauma of formal processes.

• Reassure and affirm. A simple “Thank you for telling me” can be incredibly powerful.

When a Child Does Speak Up

If a child discloses abuse:

• Stay calm. Your reaction teaches them whether it’s safe to keep talking.

• Don’t press for details. Let trained professionals handle interviews.

• Reaffirm it’s not their fault. Abusers often shift blame—your job is to reverse that message.

• Report immediately. Mandated reporters and caring adults alike have a responsibility to act.

Small Conversations Create Big Change

Empowering children doesn’t mean putting pressure on them—it means helping them recognize 56their worth, their voice, and their right to be safe.

Even one empowered child can break a generational cycle of silence. And one trusted adult can be the reason that happens.