There's a saying "If you see something, say something." While some people might want to avoid the trouble of getting into something sketchy, others just can't stay silent when they see bad things happen. That can be especially true if it's happening to a person you know.
In the U.S., emergency call centers handle an average of 600,000 calls a day and over 240 million calls per year. In their own right, Child Protective Services receive over four million referrals about neglected children a year.
But it's never easy to make the call. The folks who shared these stories could probably tell you that. The experiences come to you from an online thread where someone asked: "People who have called CPS or the police on a friend, what made you do it?" Some of these stories have good endings, others not so much, but don't let that stop you from believing that sometimes one call can change someone's life.
#61
I was in middle school. My friend I had met in camp and we had kept in touch with over the months following. We would chat online almost every day, sometimes for hours. He was incredibly smart, but could be a bit melodramatic. For a period, he kept getting more and more almost attention seeking with his messages and tone until he was basically threatening suicide, saying stuff like he would probably never make it to college because he would be dead by then, etc. I tried to talk to him as best as he could but always felt like I was always saying the wrong thing. Suggested he call hotlines as well...one night something he said just made me really uncomfortable as in I wasn't sure if he was gonna try anything that night. He lived in a different state, but looked up the local police in his area and called them in the dead of the night. Was kind of freaked out and wasn't sure what would happen cuz I was basically also still a kid. He was so pissed and we kind of stopped being friends after that. Last I checked tho from his Facebook, he's doing well and pretty happy.
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5points
#62
Social worker here. A friends girlfriend brought her 1 year old and 3 year old to a small music festival. I found out late that night that she had left the kids in the car the whole festival while she was drinking and smoking [illegal subtances]. Next day my friend told me that he has previously witnessed the 3 year old take a sip of his mom's beer while sitting on her lap and the mom didn't do anything about it.
I called child protection and they got sassy with me because I didn't have a date of birth or address... All I had was their name. They told me they would do nothing about it.
Made me lose faith in child protection (I have worked in cp myself)
Friend broke up with her years later and we've had good chucks at her Facebook ever since. It's hilariously trashy.
I called child protection and they got sassy with me because I didn't have a date of birth or address... All I had was their name. They told me they would do nothing about it.
Made me lose faith in child protection (I have worked in cp myself)
Friend broke up with her years later and we've had good chucks at her Facebook ever since. It's hilariously trashy.
5points
#63
My roommates were/probably still are violent fighters. They'd have screaming matches at all times of day, sometimes outside- didn't [care] about neighbors either apparently.
She was/probably still is mega [jerk] while he seemed pretty level headed and logical. She fought like a five year old- he'd ask a real question like "I've never treated you like this, why are you doing this to me?" And she'd reply "whatever" and throw something at him. He paid all of her bills, she sat on the couch smoking pot and watching soaps. Never found out what interest he could've had in her- even when they were getting along they didn't have much of a noticable relationship.
Anyway, one morning they woke me up screaming, flying up and down the stairs, stomping, yelling. I heard a huge thud and heard him scream like I've never heard a human scream. Heard him complain about bleeding, asking her to let go of him- they didn't know I was home so it wasn't just him playing victim for the audience. I don't know what happened that made the thud- I assume she threw him into the wall- she was rather large.
I had to leave for work before the fight ended so I called the cops. The boyfriend didn't want to press charges. They moved two doors down soon after and I haven't heard anything about them since, other than seeing her walk to the job she finally got.
She was/probably still is mega [jerk] while he seemed pretty level headed and logical. She fought like a five year old- he'd ask a real question like "I've never treated you like this, why are you doing this to me?" And she'd reply "whatever" and throw something at him. He paid all of her bills, she sat on the couch smoking pot and watching soaps. Never found out what interest he could've had in her- even when they were getting along they didn't have much of a noticable relationship.
Anyway, one morning they woke me up screaming, flying up and down the stairs, stomping, yelling. I heard a huge thud and heard him scream like I've never heard a human scream. Heard him complain about bleeding, asking her to let go of him- they didn't know I was home so it wasn't just him playing victim for the audience. I don't know what happened that made the thud- I assume she threw him into the wall- she was rather large.
I had to leave for work before the fight ended so I called the cops. The boyfriend didn't want to press charges. They moved two doors down soon after and I haven't heard anything about them since, other than seeing her walk to the job she finally got.
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4points