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How to Report

Alaska (AK)

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Who is required to report?

Citation: Alaska Stat. §§ 47.17.020; 47.17.023; 47.17.024

The following persons are required to report:

  • Health practitioners or administrative officers of institutions
  • Teachers and school administrators, including athletic coaches, of public and private schools
  • Child care providers
  • Paid employees of domestic violence and sexual assault programs, crisis intervention and prevention programs, or organizations that provide counseling or treatment to individuals seeking to control their use of drugs or alcohol
  • Peace officers or officers of the Department of Corrections
  • Persons who process or produce visual or printed matter, either privately or commercially
  • Members of a child fatality review team or the multidisciplinary child protection team
  • Volunteers who interact with children in a public or private school for more than 4 hours a week
  • Juvenile probation officers, juvenile probation office staff, and staff of juvenile detention facilities and juvenile treatment facilities
  • A practitioner of the healing arts involved in the delivery or care of an infant

When is a report required?

Citation: Alaska Stat. §§ 47.17.020; 47.17.023

A report must be made when, in the performance of their occupational or appointed duties, a reporter has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has suffered harm resulting from abuse or neglect.

A person providing—either privately or commercially—film, photo, visual, printed-matter processing, production, or finishing services; or computer installation, repair, or other services; or internet or cellular telephone services; who in the process of providing those services observes a film, photo, picture, computer file, image, or other matter and has reasonable cause to suspect that the film, photo, picture, computer file, image, or other matter visually depicts a child engaged in conduct described in § 11.41.455(a) (sexual exploitation of a minor or child pornography) shall immediately report the observation to the nearest law enforcement agency. 

A practitioner of the healing arts involved in the delivery or care of an infant who the practitioner determines has been adversely affected by, or is withdrawing from exposure to, a controlled substance or alcohol shall immediately notify the nearest office of the department of the infant's condition.

What information should the report include?

Citation: Alaska Stat. § 47.17.025

  • Name, age, date of birth, gender, ethnic heritage/race, and current address of the child, and if known, the child’s Alaska Native or American Indian Tribal Affiliation
  • The location of everyone involved at the time the report is made
  • Names, addresses, and phone numbers of parents, out-of-home parents, and the child’s siblings
  • Name, address, phone numbers of the person suspected of maltreatment
  • The details of the primary concern, how often it is happening and how severe it is? Did you witness it, and if so, when?
  • Was there an incident or situation that led to the report?
  • Any action taken by reporter (or others)
  • Names of individuals and their contact information who might have more information
  • The names, addresses, and phone numbers of others who have knowledge of the incident or situation

Failure to report

Citation: Alaska Stat. § 47.17.068

A person who fails to comply with the laws requiring reports of child abuse or neglect or child pornography and who knew or should have known that the circumstances gave rise to the need for a report is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.