report child or elder abuse
Child Protective Services:
Indiana's Child Protective Services (CPS)Indiana's Child Protective Services (CPS), protects Indiana's children from further abuse or neglect and prevents, remedies, or assists in solving problems that may result in abuse, neglect, exploitation, or delinquency of children.
CPS operates a toll-free hotline (1-800-800-5556) for people to call and report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. Although reports can be made in person or by correspondence, the vast majority of child abuse and neglect reports are made via telephone. CPS receives and initiates investigations of child maltreatment on a 24-hour basis.
Investigations of abuse or neglect may be substantiated or unsubstantiated. The child's safety is the paramount concern for child protective staff conducting investigations. Families receive services based on the severity of the abuse or neglect, an assessment of the child's and the family's needs, and an assessment of the relative safety and risk to the child in the home.
The Family Preservation Program carries out the agency's goals to prevent unnecessary separation from their families by identifying family problems and assisting families in resolving them. DCS also seeks to return children who have been removed from their own homes to their families through the provision of services to the child and family.
Domestic Violence:
Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE
Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) 1-800-538-3393
Domestic violence may include not only the intimate partner relationships of spousal, live-in partners and dating relationships, also familial, elder and child abuse may be present in a violent home. Abuse generally falls into one or more of the following categories: physical battering, sexual assault and emotional or psychological abuse, and generally escalates over a period of time.
Victims of abuse may experience punched walls, control of finances, lying, using children to manipulate a parent's emotions, intimidation, isolation from family and friends, fear, shame, criticism, cuts, crying and afraid children, broken bones, confusion, forced sexual contact, manipulation, sexist comments, yelling, rages, craziness, harassment, neglect, shoving, screaming, jealousy and possessiveness, loss of self esteem, coercion, slammed doors, abandonment, silent treatment, rape, destruction of personal property, unwanted touching, name calling, strangling, ripping, slapping, biting, kicking, bruises, punching, stalking, scrapes, depression, sabotaging attendance at job or school, brainwashing, violence to pets, pinching, deprivation of physical and economic resources, public humiliation, broken promises, prevention of seeking medical and dental care, ridicule, restraining, self-medication, forced tickling, threats to harm family and friends, threats to take away the children, threats to harm animals, threats of being kicked out, threats of weapons, threats of being killed.
Adult Protective
Services (APS):
*All persons are required by law to report all cases of suspected Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation to either the nearest APS office or to Law Enforcement.*
The Adult Protective Services (APS) Program was established to investigate reports and provide intervention and protection to vulnerable adults who are victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. APS field investigators operate out of the offices of county prosecutors throughout the state.
If the APS Unit has reason to believe that an individual is an endangered adult, the adult protective services unit shall investigate the complaint or cause the complaint to be investigated by law enforcement or other agency and make a determination as to whether the individual reported is an endangered adult. To be eligible for service under this program, an individual must be a resident of the state of Indiana, 18 years of age or older, physically or mentally incapacitated and reported as abused, neglected or exploited. Indiana is the only state in which the APS program is a criminal justice function. Contact Indiana APS (Adult Protective Services) toll free at 1-888-673-0002, or contact your local police department.