A Call to Action for Policymakers and Advocates: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Legislation in the States

This report was compiled to assist state leaders in evaluating the status of their legislative efforts to prevent child sexual abuse in schools, learning how other states are addressing the issue, and encouraging improvements in state policies based on the national trends identified and recommendations provided.

The report follows the 2015 “Federal and State Legislative Efforts to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse: A Status Report,” which was researched and produced by MassKids, the national office for the Enough Abuse Campaign on child sexual abuse prevention and state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America for over three decades.

Given the scope of the problem and the impact of trauma from sexual abuse on children’s learning, memory, social-emotional development and academic achievement, it is clear that schools must address sexual misconduct and abuse as threats to their fundamental mission, that is, to establish a safe environment for children that fosters their learning and supports their personal development.