Moments That Matter: Identifying and Responding to Signs of Child Maltreatment
In state fiscal year 2024, the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline received nearly 65,000 reports of suspected child maltreatment. Of those reports, 29,616 were accepted for investigation based on the information provided, and those investigations revealed that 6,619 children were the victims of various forms of maltreatment. These staggering numbers point to the importance of recognizing signs of child maltreatment and knowing what to do once suspicions arise.
In Arkansas, by far the most common forms of maltreatment are neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, with 66% of the victim children found to be subject to neglect, 21% found to be subject to physical abuse, and 21% found to be subject to sexual abuse. These percentages, of course, add up to over one hundred, showing that it is not uncommon for children to be subjected to more than one form of maltreatment at a time.
By following the stories of two students and listening to a panel of child protection specialists weigh in on these fictional, yet realistic situations, participants will learn the physical and behavioral warning signs that often accompany these most common forms of child maltreatment. Participants will also learn of their legal responsibilities as mandated reporters and how they can best support students who are ready to disclose maltreatment.
This course meets the child maltreatment mandated reporter training requirements of ACA 6-61-133 for the 2025-26 school year.
Lesson One
Defining Maltreatment and the Responsibilities of Mandated Reporters
(Segment 1 of 7)
Donna Terrell meets with Dan Mack, Tiffany Wright, and Melanie Halbrook to discuss how prevalent child maltreatment is in Arkansas and what mandated reporters must do to combat it.
Lesson Two
Identifying Signs of Neglect
(Segment 2 of 7)
After an animated segment about a third-grade student named Ava who may be experiencing maltreatment, our guest speakers share their insights on the situation and identifying signs of neglect.
Responding to Signs of Neglect
(Segment 3 of 7)
After a continuation of the animated segment about Ava and her teacher, our guest speakers discuss responding to signs of neglect.
Lesson Three
Responding to Suspected Sexual Abuse
(Segment 4 of 7)
After a continuation of the animated segment about Ava, who we’ve now followed to sixth grade and into a new situation, we’ll hear from experts to get their take responding to suspected sexual abuse.
Note: The voice of Penny was generated by using A.I. technology.
Responding to Suspected Sexual Abuse
(Segment 5 of 7)
In this final segment following Ava’s story, Mr. Mangan realizes that no one filed a report after Ava and her friend Penny made disclosures of abuse, and he must now take action.
Lesson Four
Understanding Physical Maltreatment
(Segment 6 of 7)
In this segment, we begin a new animated scenario where a teacher named Mrs. Wilson has a troubling interaction with the parents of one of her students, Miles. Our guest speaker comment on the situation.
Responding to Suspected Abuse
(Segment 7 of 7)
The animated segment with Mrs. Wilson and Miles continues as Miles makes a disclosure of abuse. Listen as our guest speakers discuss beset practices regarding how to handle disclosures and reporting afterwards.