POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 77 • “You were very brave to tell me. I know that must have been hard to do.” • “You did the right thing by telling me.” Things that might not be helpful to say Even with best intentions, some reactions can unintentionally make a child feel blamed or judged. Try to avoid reactions that question “why” they responded the way they did, or imply the child did something wrong. Some examples of responses to avoid include: • “Why didn’t you say anything?” • “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” • “What were you doing there in the first place?” • “Are you telling the truth?” • “I know that person, there’s no way they would do anything bad.” Document As soon as you are able, write down what the child or youth told you, in their exact words. Don’t add your own assumptions to ‘fill in the blanks’. Report Understand your Duty to Report and how to report a concern. In Nova Scotia, every person has a legal duty to report any reasonable suspicion that a child under the age of 16 has been, is being, or is likely to be, abused or neglected. The law also requires you to report suspected abuse if the young person is aged 16 to 18 years old and the abuse or neglect is caused by their parent or guardian. Concerns must be reported to the Department of Opportunities and Social Development or Mi’kmaw Family & Children’s Services. childrenfirstcanada.org What Should I Do continued By knowing how to respond, you can make a critical difference in the life of a child or youth.
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