Reporting Child Abuse - Arizona

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Arizona

 

The statute requires that a certain list of persons (including health care professionals, law enforcement officers, parents/guardians/stepparents of a child, teachers or administrators, domestic violence advocates, and any other person who has responsibility for the care or treatment of a child) who reasonably believe that a child has been the victim of child abuse or neglect to immediately report known or suspected child abuse to a law enforcement officer or to child protective services in the department of economic security. If the abuse is being performed by someone other than a custodian of this child, then the abuse is to be reported only to a law enforcement officer.

Reports are to be made immediately, by telephone or in person, and are to be followed within seventy-two hours by a written report.

Any other person not mentioned in this statute who reasonably believes that a child is being abused or neglected may report that information to a law enforcement officer or to child protective services in the department of economic security, unless the abuse is not at the hands of the custodian of the child, in which case the report should be made only to law enforcement.

The statute defines “abuse” as intentional physical injury, neglect, mental injury, inflicting or allowing sexual abuse or other sexual contact as prohibited by state law, and unreasonable confinement of the child.

To access the specific sections summarized above in the official Arizona Code online, follow:

http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/13/03620.htm&Title=13&DocType=ARS

http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/13/03623.htm&Title=13&DocType=ARS

Follow this link to reach the child protective services home page and other resources on child abuse reporting: https://www.azdes.gov/dcyf/cps/

Follow this link to reach the child protective services information on reporting abuse or neglect: https://www.azdes.gov/dcyf/cps/reporting.asp

Follow this link to Arizona’s categories of abuse: https://www.azdes.gov/main.aspx?menu=154&id=2016

Arizona Child Abuse Hotline:

toll free at 1-888-SOS-CHILD

(1-888-767-2445)