School-Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Laws
Child sexual abuse is a serious, preventable public health issue. It happens in homes, schools and other places, but it can be prevented before it occurs. States and territories have applied a variety of legislative strategies to address the problem. To better understand what states are doing to prevent child sexual abuse, we collected and summarized relevant laws. Here's what we found as of 2022.
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Welcome to the State Policies Viewer
Please select a state from the dropdown above to view the specific policies and details.
Education & Awareness
intended to protect school children by educating them and/or the adults in their lives about the risks of sexual abuse and misconduct.
| Policy Type |
Statute |
Description |
| School Curriculum and Trainings |
Adults
|
Required for: Optional for:
- teachers
- other school personnel
- school volunteers
- school coaches
- parents
Not addressed in . Optional for adults.Not Required by state law. |
Children
|
Required for students in grades . Optional for students in grades . Not addressed in . Optional for students. Required for students.Not Required by state law. |
School Personnel Policies
intended to create safe schools through hiring, dismissal and other personnel practices.
| Policy Type |
Statute |
Description |
| Hiring/Dismissal Policy |
|
Addressed in . Not addressed in . |
| Fingerprints |
|
Required by . Not required by . |
| Background Checks |
Criminal
|
Required for:
- teachers
- licensed staff
- non-licensed staff
- volunteers
Not required by . |
Misconduct
|
Required for teachers. Not required by . |
Disciplinary
|
Required for teachers. Not required by . |
| Reference Checks |
|
Required for:
- teachers
- licensed staff
- non-licensed staff
- volunteers
Not required by . |
| Licensure |
|
License revocation for school sexual misconduct is addressed in . License revocation for school sexual misconduct is not addressed in . |
Standards for Conduct
that set minimum standards for adults' conduct in schools.
| Policy Type |
Statute |
Description |
| Code of Conduct/Ethics |
|
Required by . Not required by . |
Legal Accountability
criminalizing sexual misconduct by a person in a position of authority to further ensure safety in schools and communities.
| Policy Type |
Statute |
Description |
| Position of Authority |
|
Sexual relationships between youth and adults in a position of authority are addressed in . Sexual relationships between youth and adults in a position of authority are not addressed in . |
What’s Next?
The next phase of this project will evaluate whether these laws reduce school-based child sexual abuse. Together, we can create safe school environments for children and prevent child sexual abuse. Visit Prevent Child Abuse America’s project page at bit.ly/4byhfQV to learn more.
This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U01CE003408) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $680,770 with 100% funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS or the U.S. government.