In New Jersey, any person who has reasonable cause to believe a child is being abused or neglected- including situations like human trafficking- must immediately report it to the state of NJ Child Abuse Hotline at 1-877-NJ-ABUSE (1-877-652-2873) which is available 24/7 (State of New Jersey Department of Children & Families, 2026).
You do not need proof, reasonable cause is enough. You can report anonymously if needed. You have legal immunity from civil or criminal liability for good-faith reporting (State of New Jersey Department of Children & Families, 2026).
If a minor has been trafficked, this is also a crime, and therefore must be reported to law enforcement. You can call the New Jersey Human Trafficking Hotline at 855-END-NJ-HT (855-363-6548) for tips and information that helps investigators (NJ Office of the Attorney General, 2026). You can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text BEFREE (233733) to receive confidential support and links to available services (National Human Trafficking Hotline, 2026). If the minor is in immediate danger right now, you should call 911 first.
Do not try to conduct your own investigations or question the minor further. Allow the professionals to conduct their own investigation.
We have response protocols broken down by county below which include the appropriate phone numbers to reach out to.
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