Colman Noctor: How do you report a welfare concern you have about a child?

As reports to Tusla hit record levels, Colman Noctor outlines when and how to report a concern you have about potential child abuse.

If you are concerned about a child but unsure what you should do, you may find it useful to contact Tusla to discuss your concerns. They can advise you whether your concern meets the threshold for reporting. File photo

There may be occasions when we might witness a worrying exchange between an adult and a child that doesn’t sit comfortably with us. 

Despite our concerns, we may choose to not get involved either because we don’t want to become a target of the adult’s anger and be told to mind our own business, or we may be concerned that our involvement may make things worse for the child. My guess is that in a large number of cases where we witness incidents like this, most of us will do nothing.