Reporting child abuse?

Tailea
Tailea Posts: 84 Member
edited September 19 in Chit-Chat
I don't even know if you can report this kind of thing, but I just saw a woman in my apartment building's parking lot beat the crap out of her little boy. He was on the ground crying and she was literally kicking him and screaming. :mad:

I wrote down her car's plate but I don't know her name, just that her kid stays with the woman who lives on our first floor during the day.

Is it even possible for me to call someone about this? I don't feel right just sitting here doing nothing...

EDIT: I called the police and they said they will look into it.
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Replies

  • Tailea
    Tailea Posts: 84 Member
    I don't even know if you can report this kind of thing, but I just saw a woman in my apartment building's parking lot beat the crap out of her little boy. He was on the ground crying and she was literally kicking him and screaming. :mad:

    I wrote down her car's plate but I don't know her name, just that her kid stays with the woman who lives on our first floor during the day.

    Is it even possible for me to call someone about this? I don't feel right just sitting here doing nothing...

    EDIT: I called the police and they said they will look into it.
  • alifelessevident
    alifelessevident Posts: 390
    if she was kicking the child yes i would report it- i'm not against spanking a child- but kicking a child thats on the ground is way beyond that
  • breezysoul
    breezysoul Posts: 159 Member
    I don't know what can be done, but I know I would call child social services and see what the options are.
  • cheermom11
    cheermom11 Posts: 393 Member
    YES!!! You need to report this. Call your local Department of Human Services right away. You can even remain anonymous.

    If that woman does those things in public, imagine what she does behind closed doors.
  • mizzymiz
    mizzymiz Posts: 417 Member
    That's horrible. Unfortunately, I've had to report abuse that I've seen around my neighborhood before as well.

    This link will give you the national and local CPS numbers for your state. It's always anonymous if you choose.

    http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/childabuse/a/reporting_abuse.htm

    Good for you for doing something! :heart:
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    I agree. I think it should be reported.
  • SoupNazi
    SoupNazi Posts: 4,229 Member
    Please contact your local PD immediately. The local PD will pursue it further in regards to CPS.

    To ignore that type of abuse would be unacceptable.
  • memaw66
    memaw66 Posts: 2,558 Member
    I say report it! No child deserves that. Punishment is one thing but that is down right abuse!!! The police can use the plate number to track her down. You would feel awful if in a few days you see a story on the news about this child and you know you could have stepped in. Please call!!!!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    no brainer here...REPORT IT
  • TudorRose
    TudorRose Posts: 238 Member
    I think you already knew what you should do before posting. Call your police or social services. That poor kid. Thank god you saw
  • Tailea
    Tailea Posts: 84 Member
    I called the police department and the man who took down the info asked me a TON of information about myself, too. I'm paranoid he's going to tell this woman that I made the call about it.

    Are they even allowed to tell people who called? I'm glad they're looking into it but I don't want this kind of person knowing anything about me.
  • LosingIt4good
    LosingIt4good Posts: 1,214 Member
    Report it to CPS immediately. Tell them exactly what you saw and what information you know. If the child is in the care of someone else in your building, its more than likely they will question that person about who this person is if they cant trace the vehicle information. Like I said, explain to Child Protective Services exactly what you saw, when you saw it and what information you have.

    You can stay annonymous so your neighbor or the person who was abusing the child wont know it was you that made the report.

    Its a horrible thing to witness, but unfortunately you did. If you even need to ask the question...or it raised an eyebrow and made you go "hmmm thats just not right", you should report what you saw. The state will flag the call according to guidelines and also look at past CPS reports against that person. You never know if they have been reported before, you could be saving that childs life!

    Best of luck
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    soupnazi is as usual, 100% correct. call the police. **** CPS. they do nothing. I reported a woman I know who had hit her kid inthe head with a bamboo shoehorn until his scalp split open and bled and it left a scar- CPS interviewed, the kid verified that his mother dit it to him, and they told her basically - don't do this again. left him there in the house with her.

    I'm sorry I usually don't swear, but CPS is useless.

    Call the police, report what you saw.

    NOW<
    !
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    I'm glad you reported it.
    It's actually your duty as a United States citizen to report even the suspicion of child abuse.
    I cannot imagine the cops will divulge your info to this woman.
    But take solace in knowing you may have just saved that little boy's life. :heart:
  • sassiebritches
    sassiebritches Posts: 1,861 Member
    OMG! This is really really bad, and though I never condone *kitten* kickings....honestly I would have been down there kicking someones *kitten* with the police department on my cell......so that being said, if the child is there during the day, that says to me that maybe that child is being cared for during the day by someone in your building???.....so that means this woman will have to come back tomorrow likely? Do you recall the car? Call your local PD and talk with the desk seargant about options, give the woman's description, License Plate # and let them know that you think this child is being cared for during the day in your building. Regardless if you have the license # they can track the car. And if you see her again, call the PD again and again.......the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

    I was an abused child, my mom was an abused mom and people looked away when we were hurt.......mom is dead because of it, don't look away, if his momma won't protect him. YOU HAVE TO!

    :mad:
  • sassiebritches
    sassiebritches Posts: 1,861 Member
    I called the police department and the man who took down the info asked me a TON of information about myself, too. I'm paranoid he's going to tell this woman that I made the call about it.

    Are they even allowed to tell people who called? I'm glad they're looking into it but I don't want this kind of person knowing anything about me.

    They ask you alot of questions to determine if you have a relationship with this person outside that may make you be bias against her (ie a pissed off friend). It is not good to take a child from a parent when the parent is NOT guilty and that has not done anything wrong.

    They will likely put you in the hopper as a witness if they need you.

    Good job reporting.
  • Tailea
    Tailea Posts: 84 Member
    Call your local PD and talk with the desk seargant about options, give the woman's description, License Plate # and let them know that you think this child is being cared for during the day in your building.

    I told them all of this. I was really flustered though because I can't even remember the color of the car because I was so upset about what was going on after I got the plate # down that I just went to my fiance (who had just come home from work right after the woman pulled out of my parking lot) and asked him where to find our PDs #.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    you did the right thing. the police will actually investigate and DO something. CPS is a dead end, don't bother.

    You should feel proud of yourself that you did the right thing, even tho you were scared. the police will not divulge your info to her, they will just say "it has been reported".

    :flowerforyou: :heart:
  • Tailea
    Tailea Posts: 84 Member
    Just a note, this isn't the first time I've had to call the police about stuff going down in my parking lot. Last year there was a group of adult men making lewd comments to the 15 year old girl who lives across the hall from me, and she was trying to walk away from them but they kept grabbing her and laughing. After that happened I called the police and found out that there are registered sex offenders in my building :noway:. One of the guys who was involved in that is always standing around outside smoking with the woman who watches the little boy I saw getting hit today. Thank god our lease is up in April and we can get out of here!
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    I don't even know if you can report this kind of thing, but I just saw a woman in my apartment building's parking lot beat the crap out of her little boy. He was on the ground crying and she was literally kicking him and screaming. :mad:

    I wrote down her car's plate but I don't know her name, just that her kid stays with the woman who lives on our first floor during the day.

    Is it even possible for me to call someone about this? I don't feel right just sitting here doing nothing...
    Yep child protective usually meets the child at daycare or school anyhow.....
  • kellya
    kellya Posts: 208
    please have no doubts in what you ARE doing. i have had to report family members and yeah, it was scary, BUT a small child is helpless, and what you saw was wrong and you felt it in your heart. someone has to stand up for that child and YOU did! do NOT be afraid, feel proud of what you DID!
  • thejarviclan
    thejarviclan Posts: 465 Member
    I think it's a good sign that the officer asked you a lot of questions, also. He won't tell her who reported it, he's merely making sure your claim is valid and maybe testing your motives. It'd be bad if he simply jumped in without making sure of all the circumstances first.
  • lamykins
    lamykins Posts: 30
    the word POLICE rings to my mind
  • SoupNazi
    SoupNazi Posts: 4,229 Member
    soupnazi is as usual, 100% correct. call the police. **** CPS. they do nothing. I reported a woman I know who had hit her kid inthe head with a bamboo shoehorn until his scalp split open and bled and it left a scar- CPS interviewed, the kid verified that his mother dit it to him, and they told her basically - don't do this again. left him there in the house with her.

    I'm sorry I usually don't swear, but CPS is useless.

    Call the police, report what you saw.

    NOW<
    !

    Thanks girl! You always have my back.:heart:

    The officer was merely taking your information for his/her incident report. You did the right thing. As far as the make/model/color of the car, it will all turn up once the tags are run....unless the car or its tags are stolen.

    You did what you needed to do and now it is out of your hands.

    Good job.:flowerforyou:
  • flcaoh
    flcaoh Posts: 444
    Wow. That's so sad. Kudos to you for doing the right thing. Hopefully something is done about it. I highly doubt the cops will say anything to her about who reported it. She might figure out that it was someone in your complex just because of the location where it happened... but the cops are usually pretty good at keeping you anonymous.
  • csantos1182
    csantos1182 Posts: 117
    I don't even know if you can report this kind of thing, but I just saw a woman in my apartment building's parking lot beat the crap out of her little boy. He was on the ground crying and she was literally kicking him and screaming. :mad:

    I wrote down her car's plate but I don't know her name, just that her kid stays with the woman who lives on our first floor during the day.

    Is it even possible for me to call someone about this? I don't feel right just sitting here doing nothing...

    EDIT: I called the police and they said they will look into it.

    definately report that woman. some one should give her a good a** kicking.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    Keep us updated, although you might not ever hear anything back about this (as far as what they do to help the kid.)


    You did the right thing. I am VERY proud of you!! :flowerforyou:
  • LosingIt4good
    LosingIt4good Posts: 1,214 Member
    Is this person that provides care for the little boy a licensed daycare provider? If not, she is doing so illegally and should be reported as well. Especially since she is associating herself with sex offenders!
  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
    I called the police department and the man who took down the info asked me a TON of information about myself, too. I'm paranoid he's going to tell this woman that I made the call about it.

    Are they even allowed to tell people who called? I'm glad they're looking into it but I don't want this kind of person knowing anything about me.

    They are required to get your information for a few reasons. They want to be sure it's a legitimate complaint (yes, people try to start problems just for the heck of it when they get mad at each other) and also - if it comes down to going to court to remove the child from the home, you are a witness.

    I am not sure what information they will give her upon the initial investigation about you, if any.
  • Tailea
    Tailea Posts: 84 Member
    They are required to get your information for a few reasons. They want to be sure it's a legitimate complaint (yes, people try to start problems just for the heck of it when they get mad at each other) and also - if it comes down to going to court, you are a witness.

    Aaaah okay. That makes sense. I have no problem at all being a witness or anything like that. I'm just kind of afraid of the girl downstairs' boyfriend and his creepy friends. Knowing they won't find out I made the complaint unless something goes to court is good to know.

    Either way, honestly, if it happens again I will no doubt be right back on the phone with the police!
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