The bystander effect

The kid down the street won’t make eye contact and seems like he’s always sad, and on rare occasions you can see bruises on his legs. You can’t tell whether there’s a sensible, innocent explanation or you are witnessing a case of child abuse, so should you say something?

It’s a difficult question for any bystander to answer. Not everyone knows how specifically to go about making a report, and it’s natural to worry about the repercussions if you get this wrong.

But this Child Abuse Awareness Month, the staff at Crook County Family Violence (CCFV) want you to know the answer is always yes.

“If y...