What should you do if you witness a child being abused?

Last week’s incident at the Oregon Zoo in which someone intervened after witnessing a woman abusing a child had many of us asking what is the correct way to respond if someone witnesses child abuse.

On Tuesday, April 9, a woman reported seeing another woman yelling profanities at a girl who appeared to be about 3 years old and then kick her in the side, knocking her down.

When the child got up crying and walked away, the assailant followed her and smacked her on the side of the head, knocking her down again.

The witness confronted the abuser, who responded with a verbal assault and walked away.

But the abuser wasn’t done with the little girl. She shoved her into a cement wall before leaving the zoo. Portland police and zoo security responded, but by then the suspect was gone.

After media reports on the case, including surveillance video of the woman and child, police identified the mother and child on Thursday, April 11. The state’s Department of Human Services is now handling the case.

Officer Malaka Kerbs, Gresham Police spokeswoman, said the public may hesitate to get involved in some instances of child abuse because they don’t want to interfere with someone else’s parenting decisions.

And while hurtful words can sting — and take longer to heal than physical injuries — there is no statute against yelling or swearing at a child, she said.

But when a child is clearly being assaulted, witnesses need to take action but might not know how.

Should you yell, stand between the attacker and child, or whip out your cell phone and tell the abuser to say cheese?

The traditional response of calling 9-1-1 won’t do any good initially because the suspect and victim will be gone by the time police arrive.

“People need to do what’s comfortable for them,” Kerbs said, adding that they also need to be ready for a powerful reaction from the assailant. “The potential for a confrontation, whether it’s verbal or physical, is pretty high.”

A witness could begin with a verbal reaction, like calling out, “Hey, that’s not OK!” This would divert attention away from the child being abused, which is good, but the abuser could take great offense to his or her parenting being called into question.

Another option is for the witness to create a physical barrier between the abuser and victim, which can be especially effective if more than one witness bands together.

The abuser could respond by yelling or assaulting the witness. If the latter takes place, assault victims are within their rights to defend themselves, so they shouldn’t worry about facing criminal charges for fighting back if they are attacked, Kerbs said.

But there’s no telling whether an abuser is armed with something potentially lethal, such as a gun, so use caution, she said.

“You don’t necessarily have to get physically involved,” Kerbs said.

If trying to intervene fails, or if that’s just not in your comfort zone, Kerbs recommended lurking in the background to get suspect information — license plate number, vehicle make and model, physical description of the victim and suspect. That way, the police can track them down.

Most likely, the suspect will deny everything and the victim will lie, too, out of fear and self-preservation. So without compelling physical evidence, even police contact could result in little more than a police report and a referral to state child-welfare officials.

But, Kerbs said, it at least gets state officials involved and starts a paper trail.

Witnesses also can use technology by snapping a photo or video with a cell phone.

“That’s going to stop someone,” Kerbs said.

It also could incite instant rage, either because the attacker is being recorded or the attacker’s child is. “Ultimately, the evidence will speak for itself,” Kerbs said. “You’re documenting a potential crime and that’s gold. You just have to be aware of the backlash.”