Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

Arkansas Code Title 12. Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, and Military Affairs § 12-18-304. Qualifying reports of certain types of child maltreatment

Current as of March 28, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a)(1) The Child Abuse Hotline shall accept a report of child maltreatment if any of the following intentional or knowing acts are alleged to occur:

(A) Throwing, kicking, burning, biting, or cutting a child;

(B) Striking a child with a closed fist;

(C) Shaking a child four (4) years of age or older; or

(D) Striking a child seven (7) years of age or older on the face or on the head.

(2) A report under this subsection shall not be determined to be true unless the child suffered an injury as the result of the act.

(b) The Child Abuse Hotline shall accept a report of child maltreatment if any of the following intentional or knowing acts are alleged to occur:

(1) Shaking a child three (3) years of age or younger;

(2) Striking a child six (6) years of age or younger on the face or on the head;

(3) Interfering with a child's breathing; or

(4) Pinching, biting, or striking a child in the genital area.

(c)(1) The Child Abuse Hotline shall accept a report of child maltreatment if a child suffers an injury as the result of a restraint.

(2) The report shall be determined not to be true if the injury is a minor temporary mark or causes transient pain and was an acceptable restraint as provided under this chapter.

(d) [Repealed by Acts of 2023, Act 364, § 8, eff. Aug. 1, 2023.]

(e) The Child Abuse Hotline shall not accept a report of environmental neglect pertaining to head lice unless the:

(1) Head lice is chronic; or

(2) Alleged victim currently has sores that require immediate medical attention.

(f) The Child Abuse Hotline shall not accept a report of giving a child or permitting a child to consume or inhale a poisonous or noxious substance as described in § 12-18-103(3)(A)(vii)(f) unless the alleged incident occurred within the previous three (3) months.

(g) The Child Abuse Hotline shall accept a report regarding educational neglect if the:

(1) Report alleges that a parent, custodian, or guardian of a child who is at least (6) years of age and under eighteen (18) years of age failed to enroll the child in school and lawfully home-school the child; or

(2) Report alleges that:

(A) An act or omission of a parent, custodian, or guardian of a child who is at least six (6) years of age and under eighteen (18) years of age caused the child to be absent from school;

(B) The child's absence from school was not caused by the refusal of the child to attend school;

(C) The child has been habitually absent from school without justification; and

(D) The child's absence from school has had a negative impact on the child's performance at school.

(h) The Child Abuse Hotline shall accept a report from a medical provider concerning a child eleven (11) years of age or younger if there is documented evidence of the child’s being pregnant or having a sexually transmitted disease, despite insufficient evidence of child maltreatment.

Previous Part of Code Next Part of Code
Back to Chapter List

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Arkansas Code Title 12. Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, and Military Affairs § 12-18-304. Qualifying reports of certain types of child maltreatment - last updated March 28, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ar/title-12-law-enforcement-emergency-management-and-military-affairs/ar-code-sect-12-18-304/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About The Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to Find an Attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

Copied to clipboard