Arkansas

State Overview

State Summary

The state does have domestic violence legislation that includes same-sex relationships. NIBRS data and summary data are collected by the Arkansas Crime Information Center. Agencies that submit summary data do not report any additional domestic or sexual violence incident information. The Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence collects quarterly summary information from 28 shelter members, which is submitted through an online form. The data are not published but are available upon request. The Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault does not collect data but does receive a copy of the data submitted by ten of the twelve rape crisis centers in the state. All of the agencies are required to submit statistics to the Department of Finance and Administration.

The Department of Finance and Administration Office of Intergovernmental Services Victim Justice and Assistance Program collects summary counts of victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking from hotlines, shelters, courts, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and service providers that receive grant funds. Data are not published in reports but are available upon request. The Health and Human Services Office of Community Services also collects summary data from emergency shelters receiving grant funds. The information is published in annual reports. The Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape, and Domestic Violence does not collect service statistics, but rather collects information on the number and type of trainings provided to service providers and the community.

State Projects

• Sexual Assault Investigation and Management Training for Rural Law Enforcement

The National Center for Rural Law Enforcement at the Criminal Justice Institute University of Arkansas, in a collaborative effort with the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, provides education and training on sexual assault to rural law enforcement executives and rural investigators. This project is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Office on Violence Against Women.


• Clothesline Project

Created by Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 1994, the project is a collection of approximately 300 hand-decorated T-shirts displayed on a clothesline, with each T-shirt representing a woman killed in Arkansas by an intimate partner from 1989 to 2000.


• Silent Witness Project

Created by Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 1995, The Silent Witness Project consists of life-sized plywood cutouts painted red and black. Each cutout represents a female victim murdered by an intimate partner from the most recent year and tells the victim’s story on a shield attached to the cutout.

Available Reports

General Crime Statistics

• Arkansas Crime Information Center. (Annual). Crime in Arkansas.

Domestic Violence

• Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. (2005). Family Violence Prevention and Services Act FY2004 annual program activity / performance report.

Sexual Assault

• Ruggerio, K. J. and Kilpatrick, D. G. (2003).  One in eight: Rape in Arkansas. National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center.
• Walker, J. T., Maddan, S., Vasquez, B. E., VanHouten, A. C. and Ervin-McLarty, G. (2002).  The influence of sex offender registration and notification laws in the United States. Arkansas Crime Information Center.
• Walker, J. T. and Ervin-McLarty, G. (1999).  Sex offenders in Arkansas: Characteristics of offenders and enforcement of sex offender laws. Arkansas Crime Information Center.

Violence Against Women

• Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence. (2002).Violence against women in Arkansas: A preliminary community needs assessment.

Sample Data Collection Forms

The Arkansas Crime Information Center collects information from summary law enforcement agencies using these online forms:

•  Return A -- Monthly Return of Offenses Known to the Police
•  Supplement to Return A -- Monthly Return of Offenses Known to the Police
•  Supplementary Homicide Report
•  Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted
•  Age, Sex, and Race of Persons Arrested -- Under 18 Years of Age
•  Age, Sex, and Race of Persons Arrested -- 18 Years of Age and Over
•  Monthly Return of Arson Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
•  Number of Full-Time Law Enforcement Employees as of October 31
•  Quarterly Hate Crime Report

The Arkansas Crime Information Center also provides this online incident-based report for hate crimes:

•  Hate Crime Incident Report

The Victim Justice and Assistance Program collects summary information from grantees using these forms:

•  Victims of Crime Act Subgrantee Cumulative Performance Report (Form A-1 VOCA)
•  Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Subgrantee Cumulative Performance Report (Form A-1 FVPSA)
•  Violence Against Women Act Court Subgrantee Cumulative Performance Report (Form A-1 C)
•  Violence Against Women Act Discretionary Subgrantee Cumulative Performance Report (Form A-1 D)
•  Violence Against Women Act Law Enforcement Subgrantee Cumulative Performance Report (Form A-1 LE)
•  Violence Against Women Act Prosecution Subgrantee Cumulative Performance Report (Form A-1 PA)
•  Violence Against Women Act Victim Services Subgrantee Cumulative Performance Report (Form A-1 VS)

The Coalition Against Domestic Violence collects summary information from grantees using this online form:

• Quarterly Statistics Form

The Office of the Attorney General collects information on victims applying for restitution using these forms:

•  Application for Crime Victim Compensation
•  Sexual Assault Reimbursement Program Form

The Arkansas Crime Information Center used this survey for law enforcement for its Sex Offenders study:

•  Sex Offender Registration and Notification Survey

Available Data

Domestic Violence

• Victim Justice and Assistance Program. (2005). 2004 Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Performance Report.
• Victim Justice and Assistance Program. (2005). 2004 VOCA Crime Victims Assistance Performance Report.
• Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (2004).  2004 Shelter Stats by Quarter.
• Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (2004).  2004 Shelter Stats, Year to Date.
• Victim Justice and Assistance Program. (2004). 2003 STOP Performance Report.
• Arkansas Department of Human Services. (2002). 2004 Emergency Shelter Grants Program Statistics.

Sexual Assault

• Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault. (2000). Fact Sheet About Sexual Assault in Arkansas.

Links to State Agencies and Resources

• Arkansas Crime Information Center
• Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault
• Department of Finance and Administration Office of Intergovernmental Services
• Health and Human Services Office of Community Services
• Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape, and Domestic Violence
• Center for Healing and Hope
• Family Service Agency
• Northwest Arkansas Crisis Intervention Center