Reporting ABuse
Oklahoma law expressly requires that every person having reason to believe that a child is a victim of abuse or neglect shall promptly report the matter to OK DHS Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-522-3511. If you are questioning whether you should contact DHS about a situation, the answer is almost always, YES YOU SHOULD. Remember that our job is to report information, not to investigate. That job is for the police and DHS.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Child sex trafficking is a form of child abuse that occurs when a child under 18 is advertised, solicited or exploited through a commercial sex act. A commercial sex act is any sex act where something of value – such as money, drugs or a place to stay – is given to or received by any person for sexual activity. While any child can be targeted by a trafficker, research, data and survivor lived experience and expertise have revealed traffickers and buyers often target youth who lack strong support networks, have experienced violence in the past, are experiencing homelessness, or are marginalized by society.
Prevention
Child abuse is a community-wide issue that requires collective action. The most effective way to prevent it is by raising awareness about the legal duty to report suspected abuse, educating people on the dynamics of abuse, recognizing its long-term effects, and, most importantly, engaging in open conversations with our children.