Families
Child Abuse and Neglect
Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services
Rate of Child Abuse and Neglect (True Reports)
2021
Arkansas County10.0
Ashley County5.7
Baxter County7.4
Benton County4.1
Boone County10.6
Bradley County6.3
Calhoun County2.0
Carroll County10.3
Chicot County7.0
Clark County8.2
Clay County8.2
Cleburne County8.6
Cleveland County5.6
Columbia County5.4
Craighead County6.7
Crittenden County4.3
Cross County8.6
Dallas County7.3
Desha County3.0
Drew County7.4
Faulkner County7.6
Franklin County11.4
Fulton County7.7
Garland County7.6
Grant County4.9
Greene County17.2
Hempstead County6.4
Hot Spring County10.8
Independence County9.5
Izard County14.0
Jackson County11.6
Jefferson County8.1
Johnson County9.8
Lafayette County6.3
Lee County6.9
Lincoln County9.8
Little River County15.2
Logan County11.2
Lonoke County5.1
Madison County10.5
Marion County12.1
Miller County10.4
Mississippi County6.8
Monroe County3.4
Montgomery County5.2
Nevada County4.7
Ouachita County7.8
Perry County6.4
Phillips County3.0
Pike County10.3
Poinsett County13.1
Polk County12.1
Pope County9.7
Prairie County4.7
Pulaski County6.3
Randolph County10.5
Saline County5.7
Scott County16.1
Searcy County11.1
Sebastian County9.6
Sevier County11.1
Sharp County9.6
St. Francis County8.8
Stone County10.2
Union County5.2
Van Buren County11.4
Washington County6.2
White County7.0
Woodruff County9.9
Yell County6.6

Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services
Notes: Rate is per 1,000 children under 18.




Number of True Reports
2021
Arkansas County42
Ashley County26
Baxter County58
Benton County323
Boone County94
Bradley County17
Calhoun County2
Carroll County66
Chicot County16
Clark County39
Clay County26
Cleburne County42
Cleveland County10
Columbia County29
Craighead County197
Crittenden County58
Cross County34
Dallas County11
Desha County9
Drew County31
Faulkner County233
Franklin County48
Fulton County21
Garland County159
Grant County21
Greene County198
Hempstead County36
Hot Spring County79
Independence County92
Izard County36
Jackson County41
Jefferson County122
Johnson County67
Lafayette County8
Lee County11
Lincoln County22
Little River County43
Logan County54
Lonoke County99
Madison County42
Marion County40
Miller County110
Mississippi County74
Monroe County5
Montgomery County9
Nevada County9
Ouachita County42
Perry County15
Phillips County14
Pike County25
Poinsett County76
Polk County56
Pope County152
Prairie County8
Pulaski County595
Randolph County49
Saline County170
Scott County40
Searcy County18
Sebastian County305
Sevier County55
Sharp County36
St. Francis County48
Stone County26
Union County50
Van Buren County38
Washington County383
White County136
Woodruff County14
Yell County35

Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services
Notes: Number of reports of maltreatment or abuse found to be true.



NATIONAL RANKING
9

OUT OF 51
2021

STATE TREND

Decreasing


13.5

2021

What does this measure?

The number of children in reports of maltreatment or abuse of children under age 18 found to be true, expressed as a rate per 1,000 children.

Why is this important?

Child abuse and neglect affect children's health now and into the future. Children experiencing maltreatment can suffer from poor mental and physical health well into adulthood.

How is Arkansas doing?

In 2021, 13.5 children per 1,000 were reported to be abused or neglected, up from 12.3 in 2020 but down from nearly 15 in 2012, and higher than the national rate of 8. This makes Arkansas tied for 41st in the nation for this indicator. Among major racial and ethnic groups, rates were highest for Black children at 15.0, followed by 13.8 for white children and 7.9 for Hispanic children.

County-level data was only available as number of true reports (not children in reports). In 2021, counties with the highest rates of reports per 1,000 children were Green, Scott, and Little River counties at 15 or more, and those with the lowest were Calhoun with 2.0, Desha and Phillips both with 3.0 and Monroe with 3.4.

What contributes to racial and ethnic disparities?

Children and families of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, particularly Black and African American children, are more likely to be reported as suspected victims of child abuse due to a variety of factors including poverty, over-surveillance, and systemic bias within the child welfare system. The stress of living in economic scarcity can affect parenting capacity. Additionally, families experiencing poverty have a higher exposure to social services systems which increases their visibility to mandated reporters--a phenomenon often referred to as surveillance bias. Finally, factors within the medical and child welfare systems including unconscious bias among decision-making individuals such as reporters and caseworkers, and the lack of adequate diverse, bilingual and culturally competent staff can lead to disparities in reported cases of child abuse and neglect.

Notes about the data

State and national data report the number of victims of child abuse and neglect, expressed as a rate per 1,000 children under 18. A child maltreatment victim is defined as a child who is the subject of a substantiated, indicated, or "alternative response" maltreatment report. A child is counted only once as a victim regardless of the number of times he or she was found to be a victim during the reporting year. For subgroups, the traditional race and ethnicity breakdown displays non-Hispanic race categories and Hispanic children of any race. State and national data and subgroup data breakouts are from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families.

Child-level data was not available for counties. County data reflects the number of reports found to be true in each county, per 1,000 children in the county.




Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services, U.S. Administration for Children and Families


Rate of Child Abuse and Neglect (Child Victims)
2012201320142015201620172018201920202021
Arkansas14.513.312.912.813.612.612.212.112.313.5
United States8.88.89.19.29.19.19.28.98.37.9

Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services, U.S. Administration for Children and Families
Notes: Rate is per 1,000 children under 18.






Source: U.S. Administration for Children and Families


Rate of Child Abuse and Neglect by Race/Ethnicity
Alaska Native/American IndianAsianBlackHispanicNative Hawaiian/Other Pacific IslanderTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas1.41.615.07.911.328.313.8

Source: U.S. Administration for Children and Families
Notes: Rate is per 1,000 children under 18.




Number of Child Victims of Abuse and Neglect, by Race/Ethnicity
Alaska Native/American IndianAsianBlackHispanicNative Hawaiian/Other Pacific IslanderTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas7201,870719508246,002

Source: U.S. Administration for Children and Families
Notes: A child maltreatment victim is defined as a child who is the subject of a substantiated, indicated, or 'alternative response' maltreatment report. A child is counted only once as a victim regardless of the number of times he or she was found to be a victim during the reporting year. The traditional race and ethnicity breakdown displays non-Hispanic race categories and Hispanic children of any race.









INDICATORS TREND | STATE
Education: Access to Quality Slots for Infants and Toddlers Not Applicable
Education: Access to Quality Child Care Slots for Preschoolers Not Applicable
Education: Grade 3 Reading Decreasing
Education: Grade 8 Math Maintaining
Education: Graduation Rate Increasing
Education: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Education: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Education: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Education: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Education: Imagination Libraries Increasing
Health: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Health: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Health: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Health: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Health: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Health: Oral Health Increasing
Health: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Health: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Health: Overdose Deaths Increasing
Families: Teen Births Decreasing
Families: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Median Household Income Maintaining
Families: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Families: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Families: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Families: Access to Financial Services Decreasing
Families: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Families: Food Deserts Not Applicable
Families: Homelessness Decreasing
Families: Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Families: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Families: Households Below ALICE Threshold Not Applicable
Families: Overall Housing Cost Burden Decreasing
Families: Child Care Costs for Toddlers Not Applicable
Families: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Families: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Families: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Community: Voter Participation Rate Decreasing
Community: Charitable Giving Increasing
Community: Volunteering Increasing
Community: Group Participation Increasing
Community: Connection to Neighbors Decreasing
Community: Local Voting Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population Increasing
Demographics: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population by Age Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Racial Equity: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Racial Equity: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Racial Equity: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Racial Equity: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Racial Equity: Oral Health Increasing
Racial Equity: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Racial Equity: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Racial Equity: Teen Births Decreasing
Racial Equity: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Median Household Income Maintaining
Racial Equity: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Racial Equity: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homelessness Decreasing
Racial Equity: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Racial Equity: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Racial Equity: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Racial Equity: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable








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