Try to control your own feelings and listen carefully to what the child is saying. Keep in mind that the student may be hurt, in pain, fearful, or apprehensive. Follow-up to make sure that someone is providing the help that is needed. Victims rarely lie, especially about child abuse. The child may have tried to tell others who wouldn't listen and now is in special need of your trust.
Children often believe that they are to blame for the maltreatment.
Frequently the perpetrator tells them that they are at fault and that it wouldn't have happened if they had behaved differently. Maltreated children have ambivalent feelings about abusive parents or relatives and may even feel protective. Explain that you are required to report the abuse to the proper authorities. Word your questions in a nonjudgmental, open-ended way. Let the student tell you the story in whatever manner is most comfortable.