Reporting Child Abuse - Arkansas

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Arkansas

Under the Arkansas statute, certain individuals (including child care workers, coroners, dentists and dental hygienists, domestic abuse advocates or domestic violence shelter employees or volunteers, employees of the Department of Human Services, foster parents, judges, law enforcement officials, medical professionals and health care personnel, school officials and teachers, social workers, court appointed advocates or probation/intake officers, clergy, attorneys, and others) are mandated by law to immediately notify the Child Abuse Hotline, run by the Department of Human Services, if he or she reasonably suspects a child has been subject to maltreatment, observes a child being subject to conditions or circumstances that will result in maltreatment, or suspects that a child died as a result of maltreatment.

Any other person may immediately notify the Child Abuse Hotline if they have reasonable cause to suspect child maltreatment, child death as a result of maltreatment, or observes the child being subject to conditions which may result in maltreatment of the child.

The act defines child “maltreatment” to include abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation, or abandonment.

Links to the specific sections of the official Arkansas Code are not available. The mandatory reporting statute is found in Title 12 (Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, And Military Affairs 5|55|380|1456), Subtitle 2 (Law Enforcement Agencies and Programs), Chapter 18 (Child Maltreatment Act), Subchapters 12-18-101 through 12-18-1108. To access the entire Arkansas Code, follow:

http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/arcode/Default.asp

Links to the specific sections summarized above, including definitions, in an unofficial[1] version of the Code online, are available as follows:

http://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-12/subtitle-2/chapter-18/subchapter-4/12-18-401/

http://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-12/subtitle-2/chapter-18/subchapter-1/12-18-103/

http://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-12/subtitle-2/chapter-18/

The Arkansas Department of Human Services Website provides an overview of the Arkansas Law, frequently asked questions and warning signs of abuse, definitions, links to the Arkansas Code, and information for mandatory reporters at the links below:

http://www.arkansas.gov/reportARchildabuse/

http://www.arkansas.gov/reportARchildabuse/faqs.html

http://www.arkansas.gov/reportARchildabuse/laws.html

http://www.arkansas.gov/reportARchildabuse/mandated_reporter.html

Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline

1.800.482.5964 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting