Expert review pending
The TELL Protocol
Four steps for the adult who happens to be there. Short enough to remember under stress, narrow enough that following it cannot make things worse.
Take it seriously
Do not dismiss concerning communication because the wording is confusing, partial or hard to follow.
Encourage their own words
Use minimal, open invitations. Do not supply names, acts, places or explanations the child has not given you.
Listen without leading
Stay calm. Avoid repeated or suggestive questioning. Your job is not to establish what happened.
Link to protection
Follow the safeguarding and reporting duties that apply where you live, and connect the child to qualified help.
Step by step
T — Take it seriously
The instinct to explain a confusing statement away is strong, and it is usually dressed up as good sense: they've got an imagination, they've picked it up somewhere, they don't know what they're saying. Sometimes all of those are true. Taking it seriously does not mean concluding that abuse occurred. It means not closing the subject because the wording did not satisfy you.
E — Encourage their own words
Use the smallest, most open invitation you can: Tell me more about that. And then what happened? Then stop talking. Silence is uncomfortable and it is also the most useful tool you have. Do not offer the child a word they have not used.
L — Listen without leading
Stay calm, even if you are not. Your face is information to the child, and visible horror teaches them that telling was a mistake. Do not ask the same question twice in different forms. Do not ask questions that contain their own answer.
L — Link to protection
Follow the reporting duty that applies where you are. In every province and territory in Canada, the duty to report a suspicion applies to everyone, not only to professionals, and you do not have to be sure before you call. Then write down what was said, in the child's words, as soon as you can.
Scope and limitations
We would rather undersell this framework than have anyone rely on it for something it cannot do.
| The protocol is | The protocol is not |
|---|---|
| A memory aid for a first response | A forensic interviewing method |
| A way to avoid making things worse | A way to find out what happened |
| Applicable to any adult | A professional qualification |
| A prompt to follow local reporting duties | A statement of what those duties are |
| A draft, openly labelled as one | Reviewed, validated or certified |
Review status. The TELL Protocol has not yet been reviewed by child-protection, forensic-interview or clinical specialists. It will not be described as validated, evidence-based or certified until that review has happened and we can name who did it. If you have that expertise, we want to hear from you.
Bring it to your organisation
We are looking for schools, sports clubs, faith communities, childcare providers and youth organisations to pilot this alongside specialist reviewers.