Duty to report child abuse

The law in BC says anyone who believes a child has been abused or neglected, or is likely to be abused or neglected, must report it to the ministry or a delegated Aboriginal agency. There are serious penalties for people who know about abuse but don’t report it. This includes everyone who knows a child.

Sometimes people make false reports (lie) about abuse or neglect. The social worker thinks about that when looking into a report. They should look at all available information and decide whether someone has made a false report.

If you believe someone made a false report, you should tell the social worker. If the social worker refuses to investigate your concern about a false report, don’t argue. Get advice from an advocate or lawyer as soon as possible about how to make a record of your concern and the social worker’s response to you. See also Legal Help.

Social workers can’t tell anyone the name of someone who reports child abuse. This is so people won’t be afraid to report child abuse when they think a child is being harmed in some way.