Child and Vulnerable Adult Abuse
You can do your part to help prevent and report child abuse or abuse of a vulnerable adult. Abuse can be any inappropriate or harmful action towards a child or vulnerable individual, physical or otherwise.
How to Report Abuse
Anyone with reasonable cause to suspect someone is being neglected or harmed, physically or sexually, may make a report.
Always call 911 if you believe the person is in immediate danger.
Whom to Contact
- Child abuse hotline: 1-800-222-8000
Report child abuse or neglect to Mississippi Child Protection Services - Abuse of a vulnerable person: 1-844-437-6282
- Human trafficking: 1-888-373-7888
or text BEFREE (233733)
Types of Abuse
Abuse can be:
- Emotional: anything said or done that is hurtful or threatening to a person, such as name calling, belittling, or making threats of harm.
- Sexual: unwanted sexual activity and contact using force, making threats, or taking advantage of victims not able to give consent.
- Physical: any type of contact that results in bodily harm or bruising, or physically restraining a person improperly.
- Neglect: not meeting the basic needs of a person, including not giving essential medicines or food, leaving a person unsupervised, or providing inadequate protection from the weather.
- Human Trafficking: Illegal transportation of people for forced labor, sex, exploitation, or forced marriages. More about human trafficking
- Financial: Having one's money, credit cards, savings or property stolen or mismanaged by a caregiver, spouse, partner or payee.
- Interpersonal Violence (IPV): behaviors that cause physical, psychological or sexual harm by family members, intimate partners, acquaintances or strangers. Can include stalking, sexual assault and domestic violence. More about interpersonal violence
Resources
Information on child and adult abuse, and how to prevent it, from the CDC.
- Abuse of Older Persons CDC
- Child Abuse and Neglect CDC
- Sex Trafficking CDC
- Adverse Childhood Experiences CDC
- Mississippi LawsMississippi Code of 1972 (unannotated)
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Links referenced on this page |
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| Mississippi Child Protection Services | https://www.mdcps.ms.gov/programs/reporting-child-abuse-and-neglect | |
| More about human trafficking | http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/44,0,388,747,html ok | |
| More about interpersonal violence | https://www.msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/44,0,388,html ok | |
| Abuse of Older Persons | https://www.cdc.gov/elder-abuse/about/ | |
| Child Abuse and Neglect | https://www.cdc.gov/child-abuse-neglect/about/ | |
| Sex Trafficking | https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/about/about-sex-trafficking.html | |
| Adverse Childhood Experiences | https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/ | |
| Mississippi Laws | https://advance.lexis.com/container?config=00JAAzNzhjOTYxNC0wZjRkLTQzNzAtYjJlYS1jNjExZWYxZGFhMGYKAFBvZENhdGFsb2cMlW40w5iIH7toHnTBIEP0&crid=8a712628-a0a2-4678-b752-6d5c780c63d0&prid=8272f2ff-169c-43f1-9c7b-befc8048fa6f | |
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