Training

Education personnel (e.g., teachers, teacher assistants, administrators, and other employees of public or private educational institutions or programs) are the largest group to recognize and report abuse in children ages 9 and older. ¹ It’s an incentive to educate your staff to recognize the signs of abuse and to learn how to spot grooming techniques. Some states require mandatory training for individuals who are considered mandatory reporters.

Start the training and education process for everyone directly associated with your school—staff, volunteers, and even board members. Openly discuss your school’s abuse prevention

program during interviews, onboarding, and staff meetings. Include a brief description of your policy in newsletters, bulletins, and student registration packets.

Open communication is critical to successfully adopting, implementing, and administering your training program.

Training should:

• Include information and resources for school administrators, faculty and staff, volunteers, and coaches.
• Apply to your school’s unique operations (physical spaces, activities, schedules, etc.).
• Detail grooming techniques and abuse warning signs.
• Outline procedures to report suspicions of abuse or misconduct.
• Set boundaries and create a safe environment for students.
• Specify what behaviors are appropriate and what are inappropriate.
• Help faculty and staff know how to communicate with a potential victim or anyone who makes an accusation.
• Offer the truth: no school is immune from incidents of child abuse. Discuss how it can take years to rebuild trust and restore the school’s reputation following a single accusation.
• Emphasize that a robust abuse prevention program protects faculty, staff, and volunteers from false accusations of abuse or sexual misconduct.
• Be required for onboarding staff and regular volunteers and then annually thereafter.
• Solicit regular input from faculty, staff, and volunteers.

Note: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains a database that helps organizations navigate state-specific laws applicable to child abuse and neglect. You can access state laws and regulations at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state/.

Consult with your attorney as you develop and implement an abuse prevention program. An attorney can help you align your program with specific state and local requirements.

1 “Child Maltreatment 2017.” U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, and Administration of Children, Youth and Families, 2019, pg. 19. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2017.pdf. Accessed 26 July 2019.