When people with disabilities are being abused, neglected, or exploited, DRA can help. Our abuse, neglect and exploitation team:
- Conducts investigations into instances of abuse, neglect and exploitation;
- Provides trainings on topics of abuse, neglect and exploitation;
- Monitors facilities, such as group homes, workshops, nursing homes, psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTF), and mental health facilities, for signs of abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and
- Supports self-advocates in using their skills to stand up against abuse, neglect and exploitation.
What is abuse, neglect, and exploitation?
Abuse
Abuse is any willful action by a caretaker or another person that results in injury or harm. Types of abuse include, but are not limited to:
- Physical abuse (hitting, kicking, pushing, pinching, intentionally burning, force feeding, excessive force during restraint);
- Verbal abuse (yelling, swearing at or demeaning a person, or threatening to withhold food, care, or activities);
- Sexual abuse (unwanted or inappropriate touching, coercion to perform sex acts, being forced to observe or watch sex acts or pornography).
Neglect
Neglect is failure or refusal on the part of a caretaker to:
- Prevent the abuse of a child when a person has reasonable cause to know a child is being abused;
- Provide necessary food, clothing and shelter to a child in their care;
- Provide appropriate education to a child in their care;
- Provide for the child’s care and maintenance, proper or necessary support, or medical, surgical, or other necessary care;
- Provide appropriate supervision to ensure the safety of the child.
Exploitation
Exploitation is the act of a caretaker taking advantage of a person. Examples of exploitation include:
- Using a person’s belongings without permission;
- Using a person’s money for themselves (“borrowing”);
- Knowingly taking advantage of a person for money or other items.
How do I report abuse, neglect or exploitation?
- If you or someone you care about is in immediate danger, call 911. DRA is not an emergency responder!
- To report abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child, call the Child Abuse Hotline at 800-482-5964 (TDD: 1-800-843-6349.) You can make a report to the hotline without giving your personal information. Please give as much information about the incident, the victim, and the alleged perpetrator as possible.
- To report abuse, neglect or exploitation of an adult, call Adult Protective Services at 800-482-8049 or click here.
- You can make a confidential report to DRA about abuse, neglect or exploitation in a facility. Click here for a confidential online form.
- You can also make a complaint about a psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) through the Placement and Residential Licensing Unit (PRLU) or the Office of Long Term Care (OLTC). More information, including how to make a complaint about a facility, is available here.
- Call Disability Rights Arkansas toll-free at 800-482-1174.