2017 Arkansas Code
Title 12 - Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, and Military Affairs
Subtitle 2 - Law Enforcement Agencies and Programs
Chapter 18 - Child Maltreatment Act
Subchapter 3 - Child Abuse Hotline
§ 12-18-304. Qualifying reports of certain types of child maltreatment

Universal Citation: AR Code § 12-18-304 (2017)
  • (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) (1) The Child Abuse Hotline shall accept a report of child maltreatment involving a bruise to a child even if at the time of the report the bruise is not visible if the bruising occurred:
    • (A) Within the past fourteen (14) days; and
    • (B) As a result of child maltreatment as described under subsections (a)-(c) of this section.
      • (2) However, the report under this subsection shall not be determined to be true unless the existence of the bruise is corroborated.
  • (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 each call regarding educational neglect.
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