The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for triggering a status report in a RLC acknowledged mode protocol. The technical scheme includes: A, constructing and transmitting a status report at a data receiving end of a RLC layer when a reordering timer is timeout or a packet for setting a polling bit is received from a transmitting end; B, determining whether the data receiving window is in smoothly moving status, and if in the smoothly moving status, enabling a status prohibit timer immediately after the status report has been transmitted, and considering the retransmission triggered by the status report at this time to be successful; and if the data receiving window is not in the smoothly moving status, performing step C; C, detecting whether the retransmission triggered by the status report at this time is successful, and if successful, enabling the status prohibit timer.