Did you know…

• 98% of substantiated child sexual abuse in Vermont is committed by someone who is known to the children they abuse and their family (e.g., family friend, uncle, cousin, brother, parent, boyfriend/girlfriend, grandparent, neighbors, parent of the child’s friend, etc.)?
• Experts estimate that 1 out of 4 girls and 1 out of 6 boys are sexually abused before their 18th birthday?
• Child sexual abuse is one of the most under reported crimes?  Children often do not report abuse out of fear that they will not be believed; they feel ashamed or partially responsible for the abuse; or because they care for the abuser and do not want to see him/her harmed.

Act One of 2009 (An Act Relating to Improving Vermont’s Sexual Abuse Response System) requires schools to educate children about sexual abuse, educate school staff about child sexual abuse, and to provide information and education to parents and caregivers about child sexual abuse.  CCSU has already taken several meaningful steps towards compliance with this Act:

• We have created and implemented a mandatory training for all school staff to help them understand and recognize signs of abuse and potential grooming behaviors.
• We have created a Code of Conduct for school staff  to help prevent circumstances that might lead to child sexual abuse.
• We have revamped our hiring practices and background check procedures to help ensure we hire high quality staff.
• We are also in the process reviewing our health curriculum as the first step towards ensuring alignment with the Health Expectations outlined in Vermont’s Sexual Violence Prevention Technical Assistance Resource Guide (TARG).

Parent Resources and Information

Since a vast majority of child sexual abuse takes place outside the school system, it is imperative that schools partner with parents and community members to help keep our kids safe.  Below are some resources designed for to help parents prevent, identity, and react responsibly to end child sexual abuse.

Protecting Kids From Child Sexual Abuse

• Step Up: Protect Kids From Child Sexual Abuse – Guide for Parents, published by the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF)
• Step Up: Protect Kids From Child Sexual Abuse, provided by DCF
• Stop It Now!  Together We Can Prevent Sexual Abuse of Children – For parents
• Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect
• State-wide Support Resources

Internet Safety

• Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety (provided by the FBI)
• Internet Safety (provided by KidsHealth)
• NetSmartz Workshop (provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
• Rules of the Road for Parents in the Digital Age (provided by Common Sense Media)

Educating Children about Sexual Abuse

Section 3 of Act One requires school districts to provide comprehensive health education to students that includes: ““How to recognize and prevent sexual abuse and sexual violence, including developmentally-appropriate instruction about promoting healthy and respectful relationships, developing and maintaining effective communication with trusted adults, recognizing sexually offending behaviors, and gaining awareness of available school and community resources”. The Vermont Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force has created the following resource for K-12 school communities to help meet this requirement:

• Vermont’s Sexual Violence Prevention Technical Assistance Resource Guide (TARG)

Last updated: May 29, 2013 at 12:34 pm