Your Question
I witnessed a stranger child being struck on the street by a presumed parent. What should I do?
Answer
Hi there,
Many thanks for getting in touch with Ask Robyn, this is a very important question and we are glad that you have reached out.
It can be hard to know what to do in these type of situations. If you can report the incident to the local garda station to where you witnessed it. You would need to give a description of the people involved, where and when you saw it and what you saw.
It may be helpful to liaise with the local duty social work team who can advise further on the process. You can find further information on how to contact your local office here: www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/duty-social-work-teams/ Tusla can help you develop a safety plan to ensure that you and your children are safe from harm.
Here is some more information on how and why you would report to Tusla www.tusla.ie/children-first/parents-and-guardians/how-do-i-report-a-concern-about-a-child/ You will be asked for further information and to explain the risk to them.
It may be a difficult report to make as you may not have access to identifiable information, but it is important that children are kept free form harm, especially when out in the community. We understand this all can be overwhelming and we hope you have found this response helpful. If you would like to talk more about this, you can contact ISPCC’s Support Line which can be contacted by email to [email protected] or by phone from Monday to Friday 9am – 1pm on 01 522 4300
Take care,
Robyn
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