Alabama

How does state law define child abuse and neglect for reporting purposes?

• A mandated reporter must report “abuse” or “neglect” as defined by Alabama Code 26-14-1 and any case law and other legal guidance interpreting this statute.
• “Abuse” means harm or threatened harm to a child's health or welfare. Harm or threatened harm to a child's health or welfare can occur through nonaccidental physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or attempted sexual abuse, or sexual exploitation or attempted sexual exploitation.
• “Sexual abuse” includes the employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or having a child assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct or any simulation of the conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of the conduct; or the rape, molestation, prostitution, or other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children as those acts are defined by Alabama law.
• “Sexual exploitation” includes allowing, permitting, or encouraging a child to engage in prostitution and allowing, permitting, encouraging, or engaging in the obscene or pornographic photographing, filming, or depicting of a child for commercial purposes.
• “Neglect” means the negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child, including the failure to provide adequate food, medical treatment, supervision, clothing, or shelter.

Are child molestation, sexual abuse, rape, statutory rape, incest, intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation and/or trafficking of a minor reportable as abuse or neglect and if so, how are they defined and what is reportable?

For the most current definitions of abuse and neglect, refer to 2017 Code of Alabama at Justia US Law.