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Department of Pediatrics: Children at Risk

Reporting and Resources

Reporting Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect

Reports of child maltreatment can be reported by anyone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through a toll-free phone number managed by the Arkansas State Police.

Call 1-800-482-5964 or 1-844-SAVEACHILD. Callers should be prepared to provide the child’s name, location/address of the child, brief summary of the allegation/concern for abuse.

http://asp.arkansas.gov/divisions/crimes-against-children

Additional information about the response to reports of suspected child abuse/neglect in Arkansas can be found on the website for the Division and Family Services of the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

General Information About Abuse

Using the standardized definition by the Centers for Disease Control, child abuse can be divided into acts of “commission” and acts of “omission.”

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childmaltreatment/index.html

Acts of Commission (Child Abuse)

Overt actions or words that cause harm, potential harm, or threat of harm

Acts of commission are deliberate and intentional; however, harm to a child might not be the intended consequence. Intention only applies to caregiver acts—not the consequences of those acts. For example, a caregiver might intend to hit a child as punishment (i.e., hitting the child is not accidental or unintentional), but not intend to cause the child to have a concussion. The following types of maltreatment involve acts of commission:

  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Psychological abuse

Acts of Omission (Child Neglect)

Failure to provide needs or to protect from harm or potential harm

Acts of omission are the failure to provide for a child’s basic physical, emotional, or educational needs or to protect a child from harm or potential harm. Like acts of commission, harm to a child might not be the intended consequence. The following types of maltreatment involve acts of omission:

  • Physical neglect
  • Emotional neglect
  • Medical and dental neglect
  • Educational neglect
  • Inadequate supervision
  • Exposure to violent environments

A combination of individual, relational, community, and societal factors contribute to the risk of child abuse and neglect. Although children are not responsible for the harm inflicted upon them, certain characteristics have been found to increase their risk of being maltreated. Risk factors are those characteristics associated with child abuse and neglect—they may or may not be direct causes.

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