1.
Child Maltreatment
Arkansas Commission on Child
Abuse, Rape and Domestic
Violence

2.
Act 1236 of 2011
Requires schools to provide training to licensed
personnel including:
 Recognizing Signs of maltreatment
 Requirements of the Child Maltreatment Act
 Duties of mandated reporters
 Methods for Managing Disclosures
 Connecting victims to services

3.
Type of Maltreatment by Age
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/3d/b8/3a.pdf

4.
PHYSICAL ABUSE
Recognizing Physical Signs
What questions can you ask yourself before you question a
child about a suspected injury?

5.
Recognizing Signs of Physical Abuse
 PHYSICAL:  BEHAVIORAL:
 Bruises or welts in  Becomes frightened
unusual places or in when other children
patterns cry
 Bruises in various
 Says the parents
stages of healing
deserve to be hurt
 Explanation of injury
differs from parent  Is afraid of certain
explanation people

6.
Using the Warning Signs of Neglect
 You can use the warning signs & the questions below to help determine if a
report needs to be made
– How many warning signs do you see?
– Are the warning signs regular or frequent?
– Could the student’s physical health be seriously endangered?
6

7.
PHYSICAL ABUSE • Document
• Red flag
• Develop rapport
Recognizing
Behavioral
Signs
Child wants something
bad to happen to
parent/adult
Are Behavioral Signs Reportable?

8.
NEGLECT
Recognizing Physical/Behavioral Indicators
What proportion of calls are due to neglect?

9.
Recognizing Indicators of Neglect
 PHYSICAL:  BEHAVIORAL:
 Underweight  Begs or steals food
 Always hungry  Arrives early &
 Not clean leaves late
 Inappropriately  Frequent,
dressed unexplained
 Denied medical or absences
dental care  Overtired or listless

10.
Recognizing Signs of Sexual Abuse

11.
Recognizing Signs of Sexual Abuse
 PHYSICAL:  BEHAVIORAL
 Difficulty walking or  Acts withdrawn or
sitting younger than age.
 Wearing torn,  Displays sexual
stained or bloody behavior
underwear  Tells you that she
 Injury to or has secrets that she
discharge from cannot tell.
genitals  Tries to hurt himself
 Pain during urination

12.
Requirements of the Child Maltreatment
Act
 When making a report you must have:
– An allegation that if true would meet a legal
definition of child abuse.
– Enough information to locate the family
 By Phone: 1.800.482.5964
 By Fax*: 1.501.618.8952
* Must use Arkansas State Police official “Mandated Reporter’s
Form”
May only be reported by fax if it is non-emergency.

13.
SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE REPORT
To Be Completed by Mandated Child Abuse Reporters
Please Print or Type
And Fax to;
1-501-618-8952
* INDICATES MANDATORY FIELDS
*Note That this form is to be used for non-emergency use only
*Name of Reporter Title
Reporters Address
Reporting party
Street City ZIP
*Phone Number *Date of Report
*Did Mandated Reporter witness the incident? YES NO
Name (last, first, middle) DOB or Approx age Sex
Victim Information
Address Street City ZIP Phone
( )
*Present location of the victim School or Daycare
Relationship to alleged Offender Child in Foster Care? http://www.arkansas.gov/reportARchildabuse/pdf/
YES NO
suspected_child_abuse_report.pdf
Name (Last, first, middle) DOB or Approx age Sex
#2 VIC

14.
PG 3
PG 2 Role in Referral Address Age/DOB
DEMOGRAPHIC ROLES:
A/V = Alleged Victim
A/O = Alleged Offender
PFRC = Person Responsible for Care (of the victim child) #5 Name Race Sex
Sibling = Sibling to the victim child
Other Person = A person living in the home
With the victim child not already mentioned
Role in Referral Address Age/DOB
#1 Name Race Sex
Role in Referral Address Age/DOB Date/time of incident Place of incident
Narrative- Please include the following: What Happened; Who Did
#2 Name Race Sex It?; Does the child have injuries now? When was the child last seen
and by whom? ; Safety Concerns; Any Drug Use? Where is child
now?
Role In Referral Address Age/DOB
Incident Information
#3 Name Race Sex
Role in Referral Address Age/DOB
#4 Name Race Sex

15.
Requirements of the Child Maltreatment
Act
No school, Head Start Program, or day care
facility shall prohibit, require permission, or
require notification of any person before any
employee or volunteer directly reports child
maltreatment to the Hotline.

16.
Requirements of the Child Maltreatment
Act
Investigators have the right to enter school
campus to interview students for child
maltreatment investigations.

17.
Requirements of the Child Maltreatment
Act
Investigators have the right to prohibit schools
from notifying parents if a student is
interviewed at school as part of an
investigation if the parent or guardian is listed
as an alleged offender.

18.
Requirements of the Child Maltreatment Act
 The Child Maltreatment Act lists the
professions of those legally required to report
suspected abuse.
 Each school has many individuals who are
mandated by law to report directly to the
Hotline.

19.
Mandated Reporters in Schools
Counselors
Nurses
Teachers
School Officials
School Resource Officers
19 19

20.
Duties of Mandated Reporters
 Mandated Reporters shall “immediately
report” suspected child maltreatment to the
Hotline when they have “reasonable cause to
suspect” that a child has been abused.
 Telling the counselor, principal or other
professional DOES NOT meet your legal
requirement.

21.
Child Maltreatment Act
 Protects Mandated Reporters who report in
good faith from criminal and civil liabilities.
 The Act establishes criminal penalties for
Mandated Reporters who fail to report,
including jail time and fines.
 The Act also establishes civil penalties
including & loss of professional licensure,
and monetary judgments.

22.
Managing Disclosures
 Develop trust
 Allow the child to be heard
 Meet with the child separately
 Remember that you may be the only adult
who has the chance to understand the child

23.
Managing Disclosures
 DO consider your response before you are in
a real situation.
 DO pay attention to your body language.
 DO know the reporting law.

24.
Managing Disclosures
 DO let the child know that it was brave to
share something (no matter how minimal)
about a difficult subject.
 DO document the actual words.
 DO call the Child Abuse Hotline or submit the
fax form if it is not an emergency.

25.
Managing Disclosures
 DON’T try to conduct the investigation
yourself.
 DON’T act shocked, horrified, scared, etc.
 DON’T share this information with others.
 DON’T try to talk a child out of what he/she is
saying.

26.
Managing Disclosures
 DON’T suggest to a child the he/she may
have been abused.
 DON’T attempt to find out the details from the
parent.
 DON’T stand over the child while he/she talks
to you.

27.
Questions?
Contact Sherry Williamson, M.P.A.
501-661-7975
williamsonsherryj@uams.edu
www.arkansas.gov/reportarchildabuse