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Note: If you or a loved one are the victim of child abuse or any kind of domestic violence, contact the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services' Office of Children's Services at 1-800-478-4444 or your local police department.
When an adult (typically a family member or someone with access to a child) acts in a way that puts a child's health and welfare at risk -- including inaction , such as neglect -- he or she may be charged with child abuse. The crime of child abuse is considered a serious crime in all states, and children who are determined to be in unsafe home environments often are taken into protective custody.
Child abuse includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as exploitation, neglect, and abandonment. State "mandatory reporting" laws require certain individuals with close and/or regular access to children to report any credible suspicions of child abuse to the authorities.
Alaska statute defines child abuse in about the same way as other states. Mandatory reporters of child abuse include social workers, teachers, healing arts practitioners, and other adults who are in charge of or regularly interact with children.
Additional details about child abuse laws in Alaska, including a list of mandatory reporters, can be found in the following chart. See FindLaw's Child Abuse section to learn more.
| Code Section | 47.17.010, et seq. |
| What Constitutes Abuse | Physical injury or neglect, mental injury (injury to emotional well-being or intellectual or psychological capacity of child as evidenced by an observable and substantial impairment on child's ability to function); sexual abuse/exploitation, maltreatment |
| Mandatory Reporting Required By | Practitioners of healing arts; school teachers; social workers; peace officers; child care providers; administrative officers of institutions; paid employees of counseling or crisis intervention programs; child fatality review teams |
| Basis of Report of Abuse/neglect | Have reasonable cause to suspect that child has suffered harm as a result of abuse or neglect |
| To Whom Reported | Department of Health and Social Services |
| Penalty for Failure to Report or False Reporting | Class B misdemeanor |
Note: State laws may change at any time, usually through the enactment of newly signed legislation but somtimes through higher court decisions or other means. You should contact an Alaska criminal defense attorney or family law attorney, or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
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