How to Report

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 39.201

A person is required to report immediately to the central abuse hotline if they know or have reasonable cause to suspect, that any of the following has occurred:

• Child abuse, abandonment, or neglect by a parent, caregiver, legal custodian, caregiver, or other person responsible for the child's welfare or when a child is in need of supervision and care and has no parent, legal custodian, or responsible adult relative immediately known and available to provide such supervision and care
• Child abuse by an adult other than a parent, legal custodian, caregiver, or other person responsible for the child's welfare
• That a child is the victim of sexual abuse or juvenile sexual abuse

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 39.201

A report must contain the name of the reporter if the reporter is one of the following:

• Physician, osteopathic physician, medical examiner, chiropractic physician, nurse, or hospital personnel engaged in the admission, examination, care, or treatment of persons
• Other type of health or mental health professional
• Practitioner who relies solely on spiritual means for healing
• School teacher or other school official or personnel
• Social worker, day care center worker, or other professional child care, foster care, residential, or institutional worker
• Law enforcement officer
• Judge
• Animal control officer

Other reporters will be asked, but not required, to provide their names.

Reporters contacting the Florida Abuse Hotline should expect to be asked for the following information:

• Demographical information of the persons involved in the situation being reported, including:
  • Names
  • Ages or approximate age
  • Dates of birth (if known)
  • Race
  • Gender
  • Social security number (if known)
• Addresses or other means to locate the subjects of the report, including current location. Some common means to locate may include, but are not limited to:
  • Home address
  • Phone number
  • School name, address, and phone number
  • Parents’/Caregivers’ work location, address, phone number
  • Directions to the home
• Information regarding disabilities and/or limitations of the victims
• Relationship of the alleged perpetrator to the child
• Specifics of the incident being reported. Some common questions asked by the Hotline Counselor include:
  • What happened to the victim?
  • Who caused the harm?
  • What were the effects to the victim?
  • Any known history, frequency, etc. of the same or similar incidents

Citation: Ann. Stat. § 39.205(1)–(4)

A person who is required to report known or suspected child abuse and who knowingly and willfully fails to do so, or who knowingly and willfully prevents another person from doing so, commits a felony of the third degree, which is punishable as provided in §§ 775.082, 775.083, or 775.084. Upon conviction, the person may be punished as follows:

• Imprisoned for a term not to exceed 5 years
• Fined $5,000

Unless the court finds that the person is a victim of domestic violence or that other mitigating circumstances exist, a person age 18 or older who lives in the same house or living unit as a child who is known or suspected to be a victim of child abuse and knowingly and willfully fails to report the child abuse commits a felony of the third degree.

Any Florida College System institution, State university, or nonpublic college, university, or school whose administrators:

• Knowingly and willfully, upon receiving information from faculty, staff, or other institution employees, fail to report known or suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect committed:
  • On the property of the university, college, or school
  • Or during an event or function sponsored by the university, college, or school
• Or who knowingly and willfully prevents another person from doing so
• Shall be subject to fines of $1 million for each such failure

Any Florida College System institution, State university, or nonpublic college, university, or school whose law enforcement agency fails to report known or suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect committed:

• On the property of the university, college, or school
• Or during an event or function sponsored by the university, college, or school
• Shall be subject to fines of $1 million for each such failure