Located in:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
States that include TANF in the Combined State Plan must outline how the State will meet the requirements of section 402 of the Social Security Act including how it will:
(OMB Control Number: 0970-0145)
f. Conduct a program designed to reach State and local law enforcement officials, the education system, and relevant counseling services, that provides education and training on the problem of statutory rape so that teenage pregnancy prevention programs may be expanded to include men (section 402(a)(1)(A)(vi) of the Social Security Act)
Current Narrative:
The state uses TANF funds for emergency assistance activities that were previously authorized as of September 30, 1995 under the AFDC Emergency Assistance State Plan.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Children and Family Services, in collaboration with the Arkansas State Police, provide services to families to alleviate emergency situations, including allegations of child mistreatment, neglect, and statutory rape.
For families who are experiencing an emergency situation, the Division provides a maltreatment assessment of the family needs.
Statutory Rape Prevention and Education
In Arkansas, a person commits rape if he or she engages in Sexual Intercourse or Deviate Sexual activity with another person:
• By forcible compulsion; or
• Who is incapable of consent because he or she is physically helpless, mentally defective, or mentally incapacitated; or
• Who is less than 14 years of age; or actor is more than 3 years older than victim who is less than 18 years of age, and the actor is
a. The victim’s guardian
b. Uncle, aunt, grandparent, step-grandparent, grandparent by adoption
c. Brother, sister or the whole or half-blood or by adoption
d. Nephew, niece or first cousin
The Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape, and Domestic Violence serves as the lead entity in administering an educational and training effort to increase the awareness of sexual abuse, including statutory rape, provided to state and local law enforcement, educational and related counseling service providers.
In 2007, the Arkansas Sexual Violence Primary Prevention Comprehensive Planning Team was formed by the Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence and the Arkansas Department of Health through the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Injury Prevention’s Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) Cooperative Agreement. The planning team conducted a comprehensive assessment of sexual violence prevention efforts in the state to articulate a vision and broad goals for Rape Prevention in Arkansas.
Additionally, each year the Centers for Disease Control provides funds to the state for Rape Prevention Activities through which the Commission awards contracts to local entities across the state to provide sexual violence, including statutory rape, training.
The Department of Human Services and Arkansas State Police maintain a contractual agreement that jointly maintains the Family Protection Unit, now known as the Crimes Against Children Division (CACD). The CACD is composed of two sections: 1) the Child Abuse Hotline, and 2) specially-trained civilian and law enforcement officials who assess child maltreatment reports. Again, these child maltreatment assessments include sexual abuse (statutory rape) reports. The CADC maintains an around-the-clock statewide intake process (Child Abuse Hotline) for accepting reports of alleged child maltreatment.
Arkansas conducts programs addressing the problem of statutory rape for law enforcement officers, the education system, and relevant counseling organizations through comprehensive prevention strategies using a public health approach. This includes:
- o Delivering school-based primary prevention programs that educate youth on healthy relationships;
- o Training students from middle school to college to intervene when they see someone engaging in unhealthy behaviors;
- o Working with communities to implement social norms approaches to promote safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments;
- o Strengthening the ability of the state and communities to plan, implement, and evaluate sexual violence prevention efforts.
State Steering Committees
Separate Steering Committees are currently in place to provide input and direct the State’s Abstinence and Unwed Birth Prevention initiatives.
The Governor’s Abstinence Education Steering Committee, composed of ten members appointed by the Governor, was established by Executive Order of the Governor. This committee provides input regarding abstinence education programs on a statewide basis.
The Unwed Birth Prevention Steering Committee is a legislatively appointed committee of twenty members. This committee provides oversight and makes recommendations regarding the Unwed Birth Prevention Program.